Halychian Rus or Eastern Galicia is an exceptionally interesting region in terms of history, geography, and tourism. Today, it mainly encompasses the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk (formerly Stanisławów), and partly Ternopil oblasts in western Ukraine.
The region was once part of Kievan Rus, and from the 12th century functioned as the Principality of Halych, later the Halych-Volhynian Principality. Its capital was first Halych, and later Lviv.
From the 14th century, most of these lands were incorporated into the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland as Red Ruthenia.
After the First Partition of Poland, the Austrian Empire established the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, with Lviv (Lemberg) becoming the capital of autonomous Galicia within the Habsburg monarchy.
It is a mountainous and upland region, including the Carpathian Foothills and the Gorgany Mountains, reaching towards the Carpathians in the south. Major rivers flowing through the region include the Dniester, Prut, and Zolota Lypa.
