Located in hill country on the banks of the Poltva river, near the border with Poland, Lviv is one of a select group of cities on the UNESCO World Heritage List. With a population over 700,000, Lvov is the transportation and cultural center of northwestern Ukraine.
Lviv was founded in 1256, and named after the son of its king. As it grew, it gained some degree of autonomy within the controlling empires. In the last century, Lviv was a battleground during both World Wars, suffering as armies from the east and from the west fought battles in the region.