Arena Lviv away guide

There are no flights from the UK to Lviv: Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 2022 (Paddle Your Own Kanoo). You fly to a Polish hub, Kraków or the closer Rzeszów, then cross the border overland by train or bus to Lviv, roughly three-and-a-half to eight hours (seat61). Away fans at Arena Lviv sit in the north-east corner, second tier, sections 25 and 26B (Football Tripper).

Note that Shakhtar's UEFA home ties are currently staged outside Ukraine; Arena Lviv is where they play domestic Ukrainian Premier League fixtures (Football Ground Guide). The FCDO advises against travel to most of Ukraine, so check the current advice and your insurance before booking (GOV.UK).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Lviv's own airport is shut with the rest of Ukrainian airspace, so every option is two legs: a flight to a Polish gateway, then an overland crossing into Ukraine (Paddle Your Own Kanoo). The three real choices are Kraków, the cheapest gateway, with a RegioJet through train that books Kraków to Lviv as a single ticket; Rzeszów, the nearest airport to the border, for the shortest road leg by coach; and Warsaw, for an overnight sleeper that saves a hotel night. All costs and times below are estimates.

Whichever leg you pick, the border stop typically adds around an hour, so build in slack (Rome2Rio). The RegioJet through ticket is the least painful way to book the Kraków overland leg, as it covers the change at Przemyśl in one booking (seat61).

Where the stadium is

Arena Lviv sits in the Sykhivskyi District in the south of the city, at 199 Stryiska Street, roughly 8 km south of the historic centre near the ring-road (Football Tripper). It is Shakhtar Donetsk's adopted home, a UEFA Category 4 ground that hosted three Euro 2012 group games (Wikipedia).

The key planning point is transport. The planned tram extension to Sykhiv was never built and the short-lived railbus line closed in 2010, so nothing drops you at the door (Wikipedia). Getting there means a bus and a walk, a taxi, or your own car.

From the airport to the city

In normal times Lviv Danylo Halytskyi airport (LWO) sits about 7 km west of the centre, but it is closed while Ukrainian airspace remains shut, so you will be arriving overland by train or bus (Paddle Your Own Kanoo). Trains terminate at Lviv-Holovnyi, the main railway station about 2 km west of the centre; from there tram 1 and 9 and marshrutkas run into town (Lviv Buddy).

For door-to-door, the ride-hail apps Uber, Bolt and Uklon all operate in Lviv and are the quickest way across the city (Lviv Travel).

From the centre or bus station to the ground

The nearest transport anchor is Lviv Central Bus Station on Stryiska Street. Trolleybus route 24 links the Sykhiv estate down Stryiska Street to the station; from there it is a walk of roughly 2 km to the stadium, with a signed route through Archangel Michael's park (IT Arena).

The handiest drop-off is the King Cross Leopolis shopping mall, served by buses 3a, 10, 40 and 25. From there it is about a 20-minute, 1.6 km walk to the stadium (IT Arena).

Public transport in Lviv uses a unified fare: about UAH 23 by LeoCard or mobile app, UAH 26 by contactless bank card, and UAH 30 in cash. Card and app fares are cheaper than cash to the driver, and you should validate your ticket on boarding (Lviv Travel).

Inside the stadium and the away end

Visiting supporters are housed in the north-east corner of the ground, in the second tier, sections 25 and 26B. Head for the north-east corner turnstiles; specific away-gate numbers are not published, so follow stewarding and your ticket block on the day (Football Tripper).

Expect a mandatory security screening with metal detectors and an ID check at the entrance. Bring your passport, as ID is cross-checked on entry (IT Arena). Venue security bans knives, blades, glass, firearms, pyrotechnics, flares, pepper spray, alcohol and narcotic substances, and the cloakroom takes outerwear only, so leave rucksacks and large bags at your hotel and travel light (IT Arena).

There is plenty of parking if you drive or share a taxi: around 4,500 spaces across eight car parks around the arena (Football Tripper). This is a modern Euro 2012 bowl of 34,915 that filled to near-capacity for the tournament, so it can generate real noise on a big night (Wikipedia).

Where to stay

Base yourself in or near the Old Town around Rynok Square. It is walkable, packed with bars and restaurants, close to the main railway station for the overland leg, and it puts you on the trolleybus and marshrutka routes that feed down Stryiska Street toward the ground. There is little worth staying for out by the stadium, which sits in a residential and retail-park setting rather than a bar district (Football Tripper).

Where to drink

Lviv is one of the cheapest beer cities in Europe. A local craft pint runs roughly UAH 50-90, about £1 to £1.70, and small tasters are pennies (Slight North). Do your drinking in the centre beforehand; there is next to nothing around the stadium itself (Football Tripper).

• Pravda Beer Theatre, Rynok Square. The big central brewpub right on the main square, own-brewed beers, pub food and a lively crowd. The obvious meeting point (Slight North).
• Tsypa, Stefana Yavorskoho Square. Underground bar with a deep Ukrainian craft list and good bar snacks, plus outdoor seating in summer (Slight North).
• Zolotyy Kolos. Long local craft list, strong on IPAs, and bartenders happy to pour small tastes before you commit (Slight North).
• Winston Churchill Pub. Wood-panelled beer bar with an English-pub feel, busy on game nights, decent beer selection and meat-heavy plates (Slight North).
• Kumpel. Brewpub attached to the restaurant of the same name, own beer and Galician food under one roof (Jetsetting Fools).

Avoid the themed bunker restaurant Kryjivka if you are squeamish about wartime staging; it is a tourist novelty rather than trouble, but it is not a quiet pint. There is no organised away-fan hostility to speak of in Lviv, but keep colours sensible on public transport out to Sykhiv.

Where to eat

Galician cooking is the local draw: hearty, Central-European and cheap. The dishes to try are banosh (Carpathian corn grits with cheese and cracklings), varenyky (filled dumplings), borsch and Lviv-style syrnyk cheesecake (Lviv Travel).

• Baczewski, Old Town. The flagship Galician restaurant, antique interior, banosh, trout and a famous breakfast buffet. Book ahead (Lviv Travel).
• Trapezna Idei, central. Galician menu with several versions of borsch and a good-value sit-down feed (Lviv Travel).
• Kryjivka, Rynok Square. Underground bunker theme, hearty varenyky and kovbasa; a proper Lviv novelty if you want the experience (Jetsetting Fools).
• Kumpel. Own-brewery pub food, schnitzel, fried varenyky and sausages, good for a pre-match sit-down with a pint (Jetsetting Fools).
• Lviv Coffee Manufacture (Lvivska Kopalnia Kavy), Rynok Square. A theatrical coffee mine for a caffeine hit and cake between beers (Jetsetting Fools).
• Any central kanapka or varenyky counter for a quick, cheap plate before heading out to Stryiska Street.

What to do

Lviv is a UNESCO-listed Habsburg-era city and easily worth a day or two either side of the match.

• Rynok Square (Market Square), the cobbled heart of the Old Town, ringed by townhouses and the town hall you can climb for a view (KAYAK).
• High Castle (Vysokyi Zamok), the hilltop park above the centre for the best panorama over the city (KAYAK).
• Lychakiv Cemetery, a 40-hectare necropolis of Art Nouveau and neoclassical monuments, reachable on tram 7 (Wikipedia).
• Latin Cathedral and the Boim Chapel, the Gothic-and-Baroque core of the Old Town just off Rynok Square.
• Dominican Church and the Armenian Cathedral, two of the finest interiors in the city and a short walk apart.
• Opera House (Solomiya Krushelnytska Theatre), the grand neo-Renaissance opera at the head of Freedom Avenue.
• Pharmacy Museum and the coffee and chocolate houses along Rynok, for the small-museum-and-cake side of a slower afternoon.

Common questions

How do I get from the airport to the stadium?

There is no airport to arrive at in Lviv itself; its airport is closed with the rest of Ukrainian airspace (Paddle Your Own Kanoo). You fly to Kraków or Rzeszów in Poland and come in overland. From Lviv's centre, take a taxi or a bus toward the King Cross Leopolis mall (buses 3a, 10, 40, 25) then walk about 1.6 km to the ground (IT Arena).

Which airport should I fly to for Shakhtar at Arena Lviv?

Fly to a Polish hub, because there are no UK-Lviv flights. Kraków (KRK) is the reliable choice with frequent flights from Manchester and London and a through train to Lviv (seat61). Rzeszów (RZE) is closer to the border at about 146 km and gives a shorter onward bus of roughly three-and-a-half hours (Rome2Rio).

How do I cross the border from Poland to Lviv?

By train or bus. The RegioJet through ticket sells Kraków to Lviv as one booking with the change at Przemyśl, taking about seven to eight hours (seat61). From Rzeszów, direct coaches run to Lviv in about three-and-a-half hours (Rome2Rio). The border stop typically adds around an hour, so build in slack.

Where do away fans sit at Arena Lviv?

In the north-east corner of the ground, second tier, sections 25 and 26B. Head for the north-east corner turnstiles and follow stewarding, as specific away-gate numbers are not published (Football Tripper).

What is the away allocation?

Away supporters are given sections 25 and 26B in the north-east corner. Shakhtar do not publish a headline away-allocation figure, so treat the exact number as unconfirmed and confirm with your own club or the ticket office when you buy (Football Tripper).

What time should I arrive at the ground?

Aim to be there at least an hour before kick-off. There is a mandatory security screening with metal detectors and an ID check, the public-transport links to Sykhiv are thin, and the walk in from the nearest bus drop is around 20 minutes, so leave margin rather than cutting it fine (IT Arena).

Can I drink inside the stadium?

No. Alcohol is on the banned list for the venue, along with glass, so do your drinking in the centre beforehand rather than expecting a pre-match pint in the ground (IT Arena).

How much is a beer in Lviv?

Cheap. A local craft pint is roughly UAH 50-90, about £1 to £1.70, and small 200 ml tasters run about UAH 25-30 (Slight North). Lviv is one of the best-value beer cities in Europe, so budget generously and still spend little.

Is Lviv safe to visit?

Lviv is far from the front line and functions normally day to day, but it is still subject to air-raid alerts, and the FCDO advises against travel to most of Ukraine, which can invalidate standard insurance (GOV.UK). Download the Air Alert app, note your hotel's shelter, and be ready to move to it if the sirens sound (Travel Safe Abroad).

Which areas are good for away fans?

The Old Town around Rynok Square is where you want to be: walkable, safe, packed with bars and restaurants, and close to the railway station. There is no established away-fan trouble in Lviv, but keep colours low-key on the trolleybus out to the Sykhiv estate and around the ground (Football Tripper).

Does the match ticket include free public transport?

No. Unlike some German and Swiss grounds, a Ukrainian match ticket does not cover city transport. A single fare is about UAH 23 by LeoCard or app, UAH 26 by contactless card, or UAH 30 in cash, and you validate on boarding (Lviv Travel).

How far is the stadium from the city centre?

About 8 km south of the historic centre, in the Sykhivskyi District on Stryiska Street (Football Tripper). There is no tram or train to the door, so plan on a bus and a walk, a taxi, or a ride-hail app such as Uber, Bolt or Uklon (Lviv Travel).

Where should I stay?

In or near the Old Town around Rynok Square. It keeps you walking distance from the bars, restaurants and the railway station, and on the transport routes down Stryiska Street toward the ground. There is nothing worth staying for out by the stadium, which sits in a residential and retail-park area (Football Tripper).