Walking tour: Uzhhorod - an ancient town and its landmarks

Walking tour of Uzhhorod: highlights

During the sightseeing tour of Uzhhorod “Uzhhorod - an ancient town”, the city invariably charms its guests with its European appeal. The official history of the city spans more than 1100 years, making Uzhhorod one of the oldest cities in our country. The history of the city of Ungvar (the old name of Uzhhorod) - is the history of the Kingdom of Hungary, the Austrian Empire, the Czechoslovak Republic… and each era left its mark on the city’s appearance.

Walking tour of Uzhhorod: cultural landmarks

A tour of Uzhhorod… Strolling along the old streets, you will find yourself in different historical eras, discover unknown pages of European history and see an amazing blend of architecture from various times and styles. Uzhhorod Castle, the skansen - the open-air museum “Old Village», Korzo street, the Holy Cross Greek Catholic Cathedral, the bishops’ palace, the Hasidic synagogue, linden alley, the Czech quarter (the cherry-blossom quarter) - all this and much more will surely interest you, adding bright new colours to your palette of discoveries.

Programme of the sightseeing tour of Uzhhorod:

- A tour of the historic centre of the city of Uzhhorod:

Market Square, Korzo street, the Hasidic synagogue, the pedestrian bridge over the Uzh river, Sándor Petőfi Square, the linden alley, the Czech quarter, the alpine rock garden, the Roman Catholic Church of St George (18th c.), the House of St Gizella, the Greek Catholic cathedral and the bishops’ residence (18th c.), the square of Empress Maria Theresa, miniature sculptures and the cafés of Uzhhorod .

A tour of ancient Uzhhorod will bring a wealth of discoveries and bright, positive impressions. Here every street, every house breathes antiquity, and underfoot lies the old cobblestone of the Czech or Austrian period. And that is no surprise, for the official history of the city spans more than 1100 years. The city amazes with the diversity of its architectural styles: Gothic, Baroque, Secession, Constructivism, Renaissance… And all this variety, as a single whole, forms the unified architectural ensemble of Uzhhorod.

A stroll awaits you along the historic Korzo street, which in Italian slang means - “a place for strolling” (it lives up to its name). Koriatovych Square, formerly known as “Market Square”, has been famous for its market days since ancient times, for as far back as 1380 the King of Hungary granted the city the honorary right to hold royal fairs.

The scheduled group tour of Uzhhorod is run by the travel company Pro Karpaty every Friday all year round.

Price of the sightseeing tour: 300 UAH/2 hrs

Price of the sightseeing tour + castle: 380 UAH/3 hrs

You can order the sightseeing tour on any day on an individual basis; the price is 1500 UAH/up to 5 people.

You can order the sightseeing tour + castle on any day on an individual basis; the price is 1900 UAH/up to 5 people.

On Theatre Square stands one of the first theatres of our region, built in 1906, while the town’s theatre company was first mentioned in 1694. In front of the theatre is a stage for public events and festivals, decorated with a large wrought-iron coat of arms of Uzhhorod approved in the middle of the 17th century. Behind the theatre rises the Hasidic synagogue, built in 1904 with the money of an unknown patron - it still astonishes with its grandeur and originality. Since 1947 the building has belonged to the Transcarpathian Regional Philharmonic: concerts are held here, and the hall itself ranks third in Europe for its acoustics.

The river Uzh is inseparable from the history of this place and gave the city its very name. On medieval maps Uzhhorod was drawn as a town on an island washed by the Small Uzh and the Great Uzh. In every age the bridge over the river stood exactly where the footbridge stands today, as the old piles still sticking out of the water in places bear witness.

Uzhhorod enchants with its embankments, and Independence Embankment holds a special place among them. It is here that the Uzhhorod lime tree alley runs, rightly considered the longest in Europe: its total length is 2200 metres, and about three hundred trees are planted on both sides of the road. Together with Korzo street, the alley is the favourite place for a stroll among the people of Uzhhorod.

Another interesting sight is the Czech quarter, built in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century in the Constructivist style. It is especially lovely in mid-April, when magnolias and Japanese cherry trees come into blossom in its streets. The city also surprises you with its many parks, gardens and squares, where rare species of plants grow. The alpine garden is worth a look: here, a step away from the bustle, a little stream babbles cheerfully, and under the canopy of old trees two artists cast in bronze sit on a bench in lively conversation - Adalbert Erdeli and Yosyp Bokshai, the founders of the Transcarpathian school of painting.

Much of Uzhhorod’s European charm comes from its church architecture: the old Protestant churches of the Calvinists and the Lutherans, the Roman Catholic church of St George (18th c.) and, of course, the Greek Catholic cathedral with the bishops’ residence (18th c.). In 1777 the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa signed a decree moving the administration of the Greek Catholic eparchy to Uzhhorod - an event that turned the city into a centre of spirituality and learning for many years to come. Church bells are a constant companion of city life, and this is especially noticeable on a Sunday, when the ringing of churches of different denominations calls the faithful to worship.

From the height of Castle Hill, through the dust of centuries, Uzhhorod castle looks thoughtfully down on the city. Tradition says the fortress was founded by the Slavic prince Laborets in the 9th century. Throughout its long history the castle was always a powerful stronghold, withstanding many sieges with honour and reliably guarding the road to the Uzhok pass. Today its walls house the Transcarpathian Museum of Local Lore with a rich collection of exhibits - anyone who cares about history can wander its galleries for hours.

Besides the museum of local lore, Castle Hill is home to the Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Life, the first building of its kind in Ukraine. It shows examples of rural architecture from the whole variety of the peoples of Transcarpathia, and the interiors of peasant life have been recreated in full inside the houses. The museum is laid out like a highland village, and among the exhibited houses there is not a single reconstruction - some of them are around 200-250 years old. A special place in the collection belongs to the wooden church from the village of Shelestovo, raised by folk craftsmen in 1777: a unique structure built without a single nail, a classic of Lemko church architecture in which every element is filled with meaning and symbolism.

A fine way to round off the tour is to get to know the world of Transcarpathian wine in the tasting rooms of Uzhhorod, one of which is set in the old cellars of Uzhhorod castle.