The wooden villas of the XIX century in Truskavets are not-wooden, but the gold fund of Ukraine.
If you make a list of attractions of Ukraine, there will definitely be a place for the treasures of Truskavets in the first hundred. In the section of miracles that are granted to the city by nature, interested readers will find mineral waters of Truskavets. But in the list of man-made treasures the leading place is occupied by wooden villas of the XIX century, transformed at the moment into private resorts. They formed the original atmosphere of this western Ukrainian resort, gave it charm and original appearance.
Where did this original architecture come from and how did it miraculously survive in a town located in the south of Lviv region, a hundred kilometers away from the regional center? The wooden villas owe their appearance to the fragmentation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the transfer of the surrounding lands under the jurisdiction of the Habsburg family, the Austro-Hungarian emperors. The latter are known throughout Europe for their passion to ennoble the subordinate territories. On their account not only Vienna with its palaces — Hofburg, Schoenbrunn, and Varoschliget Park in Budapest, and the complex Trianon in Versailles. Having taken over these lands at the end of the XVIII century, the Habsburgs systematically began to turn the town into a balneological resort, recreation in Truskavets — into a benchmark of European recreation, and local underground waters finally received their share of fame and well-deserved applause.
So, except for the bouvet and the first water treatment center for 8 hydrogen sulfide baths, exploiting mineral waters of Truskavets, peat treatment center and inhalation room according to the Vashmut system, in the beginning of the XIX century in the town began to appear wooden beautiful mansions. They were built to meet the demand of thousands of people who regularly came to Truskavets for vacation by direct train from Vienna, Warsaw, Krakow and Lvov.
The status of an architectural monument was given to the villa «Victoria». It is located in the historical center of the city, on Kobzar Square 5, at a distance of a three-minute walk from the pavilion of «Büvet No. 1», which produces the best mineral water in Truskavets. The villa is made in the traditional German style of «half-timbered house» from glued smerekovo timber. In 2004 the mansion underwent a global restoration and modernization, so it pleases its guests not only with the romantic atmosphere of the century before last, but also with the high level of comfort of the present one. The hotel has 19 rooms and a luxurious staircase, worthy to be walked only by emperors and those who came for vacation in Truskavets.
Closer to the «Byuvet No.1» is the «Old Vienna» hotel. The three-story Alpine-style mansion, with two rings of terraces girdling it, is located at 1 Yuriy Drohobych Boulevard. The interior of its 28 rooms reproduces the style of «imperial luxury». Next to the hotel is the Med-Palas center, combining Truskavets mineral water treatment services with SPA and diagnostics.
Another marvelous place for treatment and rest in Truskavets can be the hotel «Park Truskavets», located on Maidan Kobzar 11. The villa was built in the XIX century in the Carpathian style, reminiscent of the profiles of the local mountains. It is decorated with Hutsul carvings on the outside. The interiors of the rooms are typically European, not straining with authentic exotics, but the cuisine in the local cafe will allow the guest to learn the taste of traditional Ukrainian cuisine — varenyky, stuffed cabbage, nalistniki, borsch and uzvar are cooked here in quantity not less than all the springs of Truskavets mineral water produce healing liquid.
One more mansion, added to the fund of attractions of Ukraine, is the villa «Solnechnaya», located on Shevchenko Street, 13. The wooden building, shingled with glazed balconies, is located at a distance of five minutes’ walk from the Pervyi Buvet. Similar to it, but a tone more refined, is the Villa Gopliana. It is the former residence of Mr. Jarosz. He is a former burgomaster who founded a joint-stock company for the exploitation of mineral waters in Truskavets, electrified the town and arranged Central Spa Park. The villa now houses the Museum of People’s Artist of Ukraine Mykhailo Bilasa, so everyone who came to holiday to Truskavets can familiarize themselves with the interior of the 19th century wooden house.
Come visit to experience the charm of the local architectural forms and be convinced of the power of the mineral waters of Truskavets!