Welcome to Lviv Polytechnic. Our University is a real treasure of cultural heritage that preserves unique monuments of not only science and technology, but also art.
Guided tours are conducted with prior registration – at least 24 hours in advance by calling the following numbers:
- 0965428088
- 0936187499
- 0687352527
You can cancel an excursion no later than 12 hours before it takes place.
Excursions take place on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11.00.
Excursions are conducted for a group of visitors of at least 5 people. An excursion for a group of less than 5 people is possible, subject to payment of the price of an excursion for a group of 5 people.
The price of the excursion for one person is UAH 60, for pupils and students – UAH 30.
Payment is made in cashless form at the shop in the lobby of the University’s main building.
We invite you to the main building of the University, which has been visited by Nobel laureates, world-famous inventors, scientists, politicians, public figures and thousands of students of different generations. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a 19th century university with unique interiors, masterpieces of painting and sculpture. Visit the Engine Room with mechanisms and equipment from different eras. Open the doors of the past at the Polytechnic History Museum. Visit the unique student library of the 19th century. Climb to one of the oldest observatories in Ukraine and learn about the secrets and stories that have been kept by the walls of Lviv Polytechnic for centuries.
Before the tour, please read the internal regulations of Lviv Polytechnic National University.
The information is also available on the webpages of Promotion Centre and Lviv Polytechnic Excursions.
Our tours to:
Assembly Hall
The Assembly Hall in the main building of Lviv Polytechnic is the place for ceremonies and meetings of the University. It is the only Assembly Hall in Ukraine which has been preserved in its authentic form – the same as it was more than a century ago. It impresses with a unique interior of the 19th century: a wealth of paintings and sculptures.
The hall is decorated with paintings created on the sketches of the outstanding artist Jan Matejko «Triumph of Progress» which are a gift of Emperor Franz Joseph I.
During its long history, famous scientists, politicians and public figures visited the Assembly Hall.
The Hall still keeps many secrets. During the excursion, you will find out why the meetings of the University Senate were held standing up. How was it managed to preserve the unique paintings? How was the hall heated and how was it lit? Why should you not stand at the lectern in the hall for a long time?
Julian Zachariewicz Hall
Julian Zachariewicz Hall is another unique place in the main building of Lviv Polytechnic. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it was a student reading room in the Lviv Polytechnic Library. The main decoration of the Hall is carved oak cabinets made in 1880 in the Flemish Renaissance style in the workshop of Franciszek and Józef Wczelak. The design of the cabinets is unique. Only a few Italian university libraries have analogues.
During our excursions, you will find out who is depicted on the mascarons that decorate the cabinets. What did the restorers find in the secret hiding places of the cabinets? How does the hidden mechanism of the cabinet work? What events happened in the hall?
Rectors’ gallery
The rectors’ gallery is located on the second floor of the main building of Lviv Polytechnic National University. The solemn opening of the gallery, which contains portraits of the Lviv Polytechnic rectors of different periods, took place on November 30, 2009.
What is the name of the first Ukrainian who headed Lviv Polytechnic? Who among the rectors designed the main building of the University? What was the name of the rector who five times headed the government of one of the European countries? How many rectors were there in total at Lviv Polytechnic? Answers to all these questions and a lot of other interesting information you can learn by taking a tour to the Rectors’ gallery. More information about location is available on the webpage of Rectors’ Gallery.
Lviv Polytechnic History Museum
The Museum of Lviv Polytechnic History contains documents, photographs, equipment and other exhibits that tell the story of the foundation and development of Lviv Polytechnic – the oldest technical university in Ukraine and one of the oldest in Europe.
Here you will learn about the history of Lviv Polytechnic, starting from its foundation in 1816. You will also hear about the world-famous scientists who became honorary doctors of Lviv Polytechnic, and find out why the first telephone call in Galicia was made here. The first exhibition of the construction industry in the Austro-Hungarian Empire was held here as well. You will find out which professor was the founder of the first student dormitory, and how many students studied here at different times. In addition, you will discover what an absolutorium is and how a student could obtain it. You will dive into the peculiarities of the educational process, including what languages were taught, what directions were available, how departments and faculties were formed, in which premises the training took place, and how the campus developed. You will also see historical photographs of the buildings, students studying and everyday life. Special attention during the tours will be paid to Lviv Polytechnic’s involvement in oil production or electrification of Galicia, the development of aviation, astronautics and computer science.
In the museum, you will learn about the contribution of Lviv Polytechnic graduates and professors to the development of science, technology and economy at the national and global levels, you will see their diplomas, awards and scientific developments.
Astronomical Observatory
The astronomical observatory is a unique place in the main building of Lviv Polytechnic, which combines cartographic, geological and astronomical expositions. On the first floor, you will see with the maps of Lviv of the XVII-XX centuries, which do not only record the centuries-old development of the city, but also convey the history of the cartography development in Galicia. The geological part of the collection contains unique large cubic crystals of pyrite, formed crystals of quartz, and rock crystal. It is worth paying attention to the samples of Precarpathian salts collected by Professor Yulian Medvetskyi (Rector of the Polytechnic School). Here you can also see faunal remains collected in the vicinity of Lviv. The third floor presents astronomical instruments that have been used since the opening of the astronomical observatory (1877). You will learn about the unique technology of building the observatory, take part in simulating astronomical observations while receiving radio signals of exact time and in preparing the astronomical tower for observations. On the roof of the observatory, you will see modern astronomical and surveying instruments, as well as enjoy a magnificent panorama of Lviv from the observation deck.
The machine room
The Machine Laboratory is an academic building of Lviv Polytechnic designed and built specifically for studying the operation of various equipment. Many innovative engineering solutions were used in the construction of the building. It houses classrooms, a machine room and a boiler room that heats the Polytechnic campus. Here you will see unique equipment that is older than this building.
Academic building No. 19
Academic building No. 19 was built in 1891–1895 in the Neo-Renaissance style with elements of classicism as the Palace of Justice – the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. The monumental building, designed by architect Franciszek Skowron and decorated by sculptors Jan Zawiejski, Antoni Popiel, and Leonard Marconi, is interesting not only for its high artistic value but also for its rich and interesting history.
Take a tour of building No. 19 and you will definitely find out which of the classics of Ukrainian literature was imprisoned in the building. What prominent figures of the Ukrainian liberation movement were imprisoned here? What high-profile event related to the building was covered by the European press in the interwar period? What is the secret of the sculpture in the building’s northern lobby?