Bochka

The Carpathians


Seems every post-Soviet city has a pub called ‘The Barrel’, but they’re not always as pleasant as this atmospheric little wood-and-stone faux-medieval cellar on pl Rynok. Enter through the barrel-shaped facade or take a summertime seat by the town hall for a pint or two and some cheap soak-up grub.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Carpathians attractions

1. Ratusha

0.03 MILES

In addition to housing the tourist office and the museum, Frankivsk's art-deco town hall, the only one built in this style in the country, is an…

2. Regional Museum

0.03 MILES

Within the town hall lurks the Soviet-era Regional Museum, which has displays on various archaeological digs in the region, a worthwhile room of folk art…

3. Former Armenian Church

0.05 MILES

A few steps off pl Rynok stands this eye-pleasingly symmetrical baroque church built by the Armenian community in 1762. Beyond the golden doors the…

4. Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection

0.1 MILES

The city's punctiliously renovated Greek Catholic cathedral is a fine example of baroque symmetry crafted in the mid-18th century. Huge bronzes of St…

5. Regional Administration Building

0.11 MILES

Nicknamed the 'White House', this Soviet-realist hulk is worth seeing for its sheer size and bombast. The two glum-looking traditional Ukrainian musician…

6. Precarpathian Art Museum

0.12 MILES

Ensconced in the 17th-century Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the city's oldest building, this museum is packed with a jumble of religious sculptures…

7. Main Fountain

0.2 MILES

The dominating feature on maydan Vichevy is the fountain, a popular meeting spot. If you descend the steps below the fountain's main 'bowl', you can stand…

8. Taras Shevchenko Park

1.12 MILES

Around 1.6km south of the Rynok, the city's main stretch of green is a great place to shake out the picnic blanket, hire a rowboat on the lake or chill…