Zhovkva Town Hall

The tower with a view over the entire "ideal city"

The Town Hall stands in the very heart of Vicheva Square — and it is far more than just an administrative building where the city council meets. Inside, you will find a museum, and at the top — an observation deck offering panoramic views of Zhovkva.

Why It’s Worth a Visit

The main reason is the panorama from above: from here, you can clearly see what the "ideal city" of the Renaissance era looked like, exactly as Zhovkva was originally envisioned. Furthermore, every hour, the authentic Zhovkva trumpet call — the hejnał — echoes from the tower, a melody that has been played here since before World War II. Therefore, it is worth timing your visit to catch this moment; the experience will be truly unforgettable.

A brief history of the tower

The Town Hall standing today is not the only one that has existed in Zhovkva:

• The first one, built of wood, burned down in the fire of 1632.
• The next one, built of stone in the Renaissance style, was erected by the architect Peter Beber in 1687. It featured a mechanical clock, a sundial, and even the official standard of measurement — the arshin — which merchants in the market used for verification.
• In 1832, the building was dismantled due to its dilapidated state — and for exactly one hundred years, Zhovkva had no town hall at all, with the magistrate meeting in a regular house.
• The modern tower was built in 1932, precisely a century later, on the site of former seventeenth-century defensive casemates. The design by architect Bronisław Viktor harmoniously combined Art Deco with Neo-Baroque elements.

What to see

Inside is the historical and local lore exhibition "Museum of the Old Town" (also known as the "Zhovkva Tower" Museum). It introduces the entire history of Zhovkva: from the times of Żółkiewski and Sobieski to the present day. It showcases what life was like in this multinational city — of Ukrainians, Poles, and Jews — as well as the events of World War I and World War II, the struggle of the Sich Riflemen and the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army), the Soviet era, and the history of the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) fighters.

The exhibition is built around interactivity rather than just captioned showcases: you can try on nineteenth-century clothing, watch old newsreels, hear the voices of Andrey Sheptytsky, Josyf Slipyj, and Stepan Bandera, and read contemporary newspaper clippings about Zhovkva.

Opening hours and prices

Address: 1 Vicheva Square, Zhovkva, Lviv Oblast.

Open daily without a lunch break:

• November–April: 09:30–17:00
• April–October: 10:30–17:00

Tickets:

• Adult — 100 UAH
• Student — 70 UAH
• Schoolchild — 60 UAH
• Combat veterans — free of charge

Audio guide (designed for 2 people):

• 40 mins — 200 UAH
• 60 mins — 250 UAH

Tip

The Town Hall is located on the same square as the other main attractions of Zhovkva's center, so it makes perfect sense to combine them into a single itinerary and climb the tower right at the top of the hour — just in time to hear the hejnał. There are plenty of places nearby to grab a bite to eat or enjoy a cup of coffee.