Arsenal Museum, Lviv

Housed in a fortified sixteenth-century arsenal that once formed part of Lviv's city defences, this museum displays a large collection of arms and armour drawn from many countries and centuries. Swords, firearms, cannon and decorated parade weapons fill the thick-walled halls, illustrating both the military history of the region and the craft of the armourer. The stout building, with its bastion-like form, survives from the era when the city guarded a frontier.