Ukraine: Zhovkva
Zhovkva was built to a plan in 1597 as a private fortified town based on an ideal Renaissance city plan by one of the most accomplished Polish military commander at the time, Stanislaw Zolkievski (the town was then named Zolkiev). In the 17th century, the town became the seat and royal residence of the Polish Kings. A lot of historical monuments are intact today and they form a perimeter around a large central market square. There is the Zhovkva Castle with walls and towers, the catholic Dominican Church, the Town Hall, Church of St Lawrence, and the stunning fortress-like synagogue. There is also an old wooden church just outside town that is a UNESCO world heritage site, although it’s completely boarded up now for reconstruction.
