Galicia

Galicia covers areas in what is now southern Poland and western Ukraine, stretching between the Carpathian mountains to the south and the edges of the plains to the north. The landscape consists of rolling hills, river valleys and farmland interspersed with smaller towns and scattered villages.

The area became part of the Austrian Habsburg empire in 1772 following the partition of Poland and remained under that administration until the end of the First World War. After 1918 it was divided between Poland and the Soviet Union, and the borders shifted again during the Second World War.

Residents speak Polish or Ukrainian depending on the town, and both languages appear on street signs, in shops and at public gatherings. Local markets offer traditional dishes such as pierogi and borscht, and villages hold religious festivals following Catholic or Orthodox calendars.

Travelers can explore the area from either Krakow or Lviv, with the border between Poland and Ukraine cutting through the middle. Smaller towns and rural areas lie away from main transport routes, so patience is helpful when navigating less signposted roads.

The towns of Przemyśl and Lviv sat on major trade routes linking the empire to Constantinople and Odessa during the 19th century. This position led to an exchange of goods and ideas from different parts of Europe and Asia.