Beautiful but Underrated Cities to Visit Before They Become Tourist Hotspots

City Twenty-Seven: The Timeless Glow of Lviv, Ukraine

Lviv blends Old World elegance with Eastern European soul. Cobblestone streets meander past pastel buildings, secret courtyards, and grand cathedrals steeped in centuries of layered history—from Austro-Hungarian roots to Soviet shadows. It’s a city that feels literary, like a novel you wander through. Coffeehouses hum with conversation, jazz floats through underground bars, and bookstores spill onto sidewalks. Despite geopolitical headlines, Lviv remains warm and welcoming, fiercely proud of its culture and art. Far less visited than Prague or Kraków, it offers the same enchantment—minus the tour buses. Lviv is a living museum, a quiet revolution, and a storyteller’s dream.