Big Grodno and Grodno region Travel Guide: top 10 places to visit

Grodno city was first mentioned in chronicles in 1005. However, the official date of the foundation of the city is considered to be 1127. Grodno is the fifth largest city in Belarus in terms of population. According to the 2020 census, 359,600 people lived there.

In the middle of the XIII century, Grodno became a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and in 1673 became its capital. Therefore, many monuments of architecture and culture of those times have been preserved in Grodno and its region. This is one of the most important historical and cultural centers of Belarus, which has preserved unique and oldest historical buildings.

The Grodno region stands out for its national and religious composition. Over 20% of the population are Poles. It is the only region of Belarus where the Roman Catholic Church dominates among believers. The largest cities of the Grodno region after Grodno are Lida, Slonim and Volkovysk.

We will guide you along the most pompous routes of Grodno and the Grodno region.

Grodno

There are many interesting places in Grodno: Zhilibera Park, Sovetskaya Street, Church and monastery of Annunciation of Virgin Mary, Lutheran Church, Museum of the History of Religion and Grodno State University. We have selected five more places that you will remember the most.

St Boris and Gleb Church in Grodno

Address: Grodno, Kalozha Street 6

Opening hours: from 7:00am to 10:00pm

The St Boris and Gleb Church was founded in the 1180s. It is one of the oldest preserved churches of Ancient Russia and a unique monument of Black Russian architecture. There is an opinion that the church was built at about the same time as the oldest Belarusian St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk, which we wrote about in the Vitebsk Guide.

In the XIX century, the pile under the southern wall of the church sagged, and it collapsed along with part of the western wall. Instead, wooden walls were placed, and the shore near the church was strengthened. Since the XII century, two walls have been preserved with unique unpainted masonry decorated with polished stones and majolica tiles. Also, the church has double walls: the inner layer has built-in votive pitchers. They improve acoustics and facilitate the construction.

Today St Boris and Gleb Church works as an Orthodox church. There are no excursions in the temple, you can visit it by yourself at any time.

Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral in Grodno Francis Xavier Cathedral)

Address: Grodno, Sovetskaya square 4

Opening hours: from 7:00am to 10:00pm

The construction of the Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral began in 1654 and lasted until 1705. The consecration of the church was attended by the Polish King August II and Tsar Peter I. During those times, the cathedral was part of the Jesuit monastery complex. Once the richest in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it occupied an entire block in the Grodno downtown. Now there is a prison in the building of the monastery. In one of the complex buildings of 1709 there is a pharmacy, which you can read about below.

The most valuable place of the cathedral is the main altar with a height of 21 meters. It is one of the highest altars in Europe. It is made of wood and tinted to look like marble. The composition includes more than 40 sculptures, columns, and frescoes.

On one of the towers of the cathedral, there is the oldest clock in Eastern Europe. Their mechanisms presumably date back to the XII century, and the technique of their manufacture is considered lost. The clock is still working.

You can visit the cathedral by yourself because it is a functioning Catholic church.

Pharmacy Museum in Grodno

Address: Grodno, Sovetskaya square 4

Opening hours: Mon-Sun from 9:00am to 7:00pm

The only pharmacy museum in Belarus occupies the building of the oldest pharmacy in the country, built by the Jesuits in 1709. The pharmacy operated from the begining until 1953. In 1996, it was leased and restored by the Grodno pharmaceutical company Biotest. Now the pharmacy and a museum operate together in the old halls.

The exposition dedicated to the history of the oldest pharmacy in Belarus presents medicines, pharmacy utensils and equipment, medical instruments, documents and books of the XVIII - XX centuries. Admission to the museum is free. You can explore all the laboratories, halls and exhibits by yourself.

Old Castle in Grodno

Address: Grodno, Zamkovaya Street 22

Opening hours: Tue-Sun from 10:00am to 5:00pm

Tickets: from BYN5

The first fortification of the Old Castle in Grodno existed at the time of the first mention of the city in chronicle sources – in the the XI century. Then the very first castle with wooden towers and a stone wall was built. Since 1391, the castle became the residence of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas. During his reign, four stone towers were set up in addition to the fifth, preserved from the original fortification, and a stone palace was built.

In 1579, the Polish King and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stefan Batory temporarily moved the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Grodno. He rebuilt the castle for himself, leaving some defensive walls and towers. In 2021, the first stage of the restoration of the castle was completed following the original project.

Now there is a museum inside the towers. There you can learn about the history of Grodno and the castle itself. There is an observation deck at the roof, which offers a view of almost all the temples and cathedrals of Grodno. You can take a guided tour at the museum.

Great Synagogue of Grodno

Address: Grodno, Bolshaya Troetskaya Street 59a

Opening hours: Mon-Sun from 10:00am to 6:00pm

The first Great Synagogue in Grodno was built in 1580. However, in 1617 it burned down, as did the second synagogue built in its place. After all the fires, only a large prayer hall remained from the first synagogue.

The modern building of the Great Synagogue was completed in 1905. According to historians, the main part of the building belongs to the synagogue of 1580. Currently, the facades and interior decoration of the synagogue are being restored. Nevertheless, this is the only synagogue in Belarus in which the decoration of the prayer hall has been almost completely restored.

Now the synagogue is functioning. A museum of Jewish history is also located there. The museum occupies two halls. The permanent exhibition includes the theme of the Catastrophe of European and Grodno Jewry during the Second World War. The museum's collections contain the stories of prisoners of the Grodno ghetto and Nazi concentration camps. You can get into the museum for voluntary donations.

Novogrudok city

How to get there: buses and minibuses go from Grodno, Minsk and Brest to Novogrudok.

Novogrudok city was the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There are a lot of unique architectural monuments and the most important sights preserved here. The main asset of the city is the ruins of the Novogrudok Castle, which is in the process of restoration. There are many beautiful sites in the city — so get ready to walk and watch a lot. You can visit the ruins of the Chreptowicz Palace and Mindovga Mountain, where, according to legend, the remains of the first Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania are kept.

Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Novogrudok

Address: Novogrudok, Lenina Street 1

Opening hours: Tue-Sun from 9:00am to 6:00pm

Tickets: from BYN2.5

Adam Mickiewicz is considered one of the founders of the new Belarusian literature. In Poland, he is one of the three greatest Polish poets of the Romantic period.

A House-Museum of Adam Mickiewicz is not just a biographical exhibition, but also an open air museum. A gentry manor of the beginning of the XIX century has been restored here: a house, an outbuilding, a crate, a well, a gazebo. Among the exhibits are Adam Mickiewicz's personal belongings and things related to his surroundings. Exhibitions are held in the basement of the museum and in the underpass that connects the house with the wing.

You can take a guided tour at the museum. There is a virtual 3D tour on the website.

Lubcha Castle

Address: Novogrudok district, Lubcha village

Opening hours: Mon-Sun from 8:00am to 6:00pm

How to get there: by bus Novogrudok — Lubcha.

Lubcha Castle is located in Novogrudok suburbs. This is one of the newest monuments of traditional castle construction in Belarus. The castle was built in 1581 by Jan Kishka, an influential magnate of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The palace was located on the territory. Two towers, a wing of the palace and a building that previously housed the school have survived to this day.

Restoration work is currently going in the castle at the expense of the Lyubchansky Castle Foundation, founded in 2003. At the time of publication of the article, the castle can only be viewed from the outside. However, if you arrive during working hours, perhaps the foundation's volunteers will help you get inside.

Grodno region

The most popular attraction of the Grodno region is the Mir Castle. If you haven't visited it yet, read our detailed article. It is worth visiting this ancestral castle of the great Belarusian Radziwill family to see the origins of the culture of Belarus.

Lida Castle

Address: Lida, Zamkovaya Street 1

Opening hours: Tue-Sun from 9:00am to 6:00pm

Tickets: from BYN10

How to get there: From Minsk and Grodno to Lida, you can get by bus.

Lida Castle is the only active defensive castle on the territory of Belarus. It was built in 1323 by Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania The castle has repeatedly withstood the onslaught of the Crusaders. It suffered from several wars and in 1891 was left without two towers, and its walls began to be dismantled into bricks. However, this historic building managed to be preserved. The complex restoration was finished only in 2010. The castle has retained its romantic Gothic style and medieval atmosphere.

Now in one of the towers of the castle there is a museum telling about the history of the city and the castle itself. Festivals and jousting tournaments are also held here. You can take a guided tour in the castle.

Holy Trinity Church in Gervyaty

Address: Gervyaty, Nabereznaya Street 10

Opening hours: Mon-Sun from 9:00am to 8:00pm

How to get there: the easiest way to get to Gervyaty from Minsk or Grodno is by car.

The Holy Trinity Church in Gervyaty is one of the three tallest in Belarus. Its height is 61 meters. It was built at the beginning of the XX century in the Neo-Gothic style with all its usual architectural elements. As many tourists say, this is the most beautiful Catholic Church in Belarus.

Around the church, there is a well-groomed park with sculptures and rare plants. The interior decoration of the church is much simpler, in contrast to the exterior, but still worth attention. Especially that the entrance is free, since the church is functioning.

Wollowicz Palace in Svyatsk

Address: Grodno region, Svyatsk village

How to get there: there is a bus from Grodno to Svyatsk. From other cities, it is easier to get to Svyatsk by car.

Now the palace is under restoration: it is impossible to get inside. However, Svyatsk has a very beautiful area: a park, ponds, canals, there is a chapel and preserved outbuildings. The place will appeal to those who love silence and old abandoned buildings.

This Baroque palace with classical features was built in 1779, when the Wollowicz family bought the village in the second half of the XVIII century. At the end of the XIX century, the estate fell into the hands of Count Menchinsky, the husband of the last of the family – Jadwiga Wollowicz. After that, the estate was repeatedly resold, then the land was divided between several owners, and the palace began to gradually fall into decline.

Take a look at our other guides on Belarus:

Photo: everest-tour.by