My Life in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Most travelers might be bored in Ivano-Frankvisk, even the people from Lviv gave me a patronizing “I’m sorry” grimace when I told them I stayed there for a week, but I found the quiet city relaxing. I’m a fan of these smaller spots, absent of tourists, and with their own hidden treasures. As long as there’s a plethora of coffee shops, affordable lodging, and a decent city center, I’m happy. And even more important — it’s distraction free so I can finally finish some work.

Architecture
Like Cluj in Romania, there’s this crazy mix of beautiful buildings from the Austrian-Hungarian empire days mixed with the not-beautiful at all Communist style.



People of Ivano-Frankivsk 

Street Art
While I didn’t find as many murals as in Lviv, I did see some interesting pieces scattered across the city.


Statues About Town

Weird Shit I Saw

Where I Slept
I stayed almost in the city center at the excellent Nadyia Hotel ($17/night USD), which apparently hosts at least two Ukrainian weddings every night. When they filled up (I assume with wedding guests), I tried out a fancy room ($25/night USD) via Booking.com and felt like a prince.

Where I Worked
I’m really far behind on my projects, so no time for deep exploration. I mainly posted up at a local chain called Street Coffee that had like five locations, solid Internet, lots of plugs, and stays open late. There’s also a 24 hour Aroma Kava cafe for late night sessions that I hit up quite a bit.

Should You Go?
As a kickoff point into the Carpathian Mountains, it might be worth it stay here for a night. The downtown, filled with restaurants and bars was very lively, with street performers and plenty of strolling folks. I say give it a whirl and drop out of the tourist bubble for a visit.