Ivano-Frankovsk is the gateway for most travel into the Carpathians and a magnificent city to visit.A series of city squares, boulevards and small urban trails make it a fun and accessible space. Art, fashion and business seem to be the town's latest creed and the outer sign show a successful blend of old and new. Ivano-Frankovsk is a western Ukrainian city with the exception that it bears a sronger than everage resemblance to towns in Southern Polland. The streets are paved with cobblestones and the buildings are all painted in bright Easter-egg colours.

Some of the architecture is simply grand. Ploscha Rinok is the old market square and the evident town centre. The regional Natural History Museum tells the legends and stories about region. The green and grey Church of the Holy Resurrection the very prominent and beautiful Greek Catholic cathedral. Its still quite and active church run by local monks and nuns. Outside the church stand the statues of Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir, founders of Kievan Rus.

The Armenian Church is the pale blue building facing the main square. Another architectural highlight is the wonderful example at Halitska medical school. Across the street and under the bank passageway, you can see an old city wall and part ofthe original six-pointed, star-shaped fortress. If you are around for a bit longer, be sure to investigate the natural wonders - Shevchenko's Park. Ivano-Frankivsk is much charming visitors. Even those who at first fall in love with aristocratic Paris or golden Prague, when visited the capital of Prykarpattia, remembers forever the town between Bystritsya - wonderful and quite comfortable for living.