Best attractions in Grodno: Top 25
Content
After reading this review, you will learn about the most popular attractions in Grodno. We will tell you what you should see in Grodno, taking into account the reviews and recommendations of travelers, guides and residents themselves.
What to see in Grodno first?
If you want your trip to be not only exciting, but also informative, be sure to include the following excursions in Grodno in your itinerary:
1. Old Castle
The majestic building is surrounded by ramparts, and today keeps in its walls truly valuable museum exhibits. In its early days the fortress was used as a residence for Stefan Bathory. The Polish king turned it into a magnificent palace. The ancient walls have a rich history, although they are in a dilapidated state. There is a beautiful arched bridge between the castle and the city. Your trip to Grodno will be incomplete if you don’t visit such important sights of Belarus
Official website: http://history.grodno
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2. New Castle
The building was also erected as a residence for members of the royal family. Together with the Old Castle, the new palace was a unified and excellent architectural complex. Now there is a museum of the history of Grodno. For information, during the Second World War the palace was almost completely destroyed. Later the Party headquarters were located there (there is still a star on the spire of the castle).
Official site: https://museum
3. Soviet street
Guides in Grodno advise walks along this street to those who want to be transported to provincial towns of Poland or, for example, Hungary. Not only restaurants and souvenir shops are everywhere, but also the best hotels in Grodno. But also old two-story cottages with flowers in the windows, and each house has its own story. We recommend you to take a night or evening promenade: the whole Sovetskaya Street will be illuminated by the soft light of wrought iron lanterns. Such interesting places in Grodno are worth seeing at any time of the day or year.
4. Gillibert Park
The park complex was arranged on the territory of the botanical garden, where the talented scientist used to grow unique plants. On the square there are modern art objects, well-groomed shrubs and flowerbeds, benches for relaxing, wrought iron benches and a small pond. Part of the park is called the “Swiss Valley” for its similar Swiss scenery. If you want to spend time in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, come here by all means.
5. Grodno Zoo
What to visit in Grodno with the whole family? The local menagerie, opened in 1926. There are more than 300 varieties of inhabitants living on an area of almost 6 hectares. The zoo has zones “Aquarium” and “Terrarium” with all kinds of marine and amphibious animals (many of them very rare). For children there is a contact zone “Grandma’s Yard”, where they can take the animals in their arms and feed them.
Official website: http://www.grodnozoo
Be sure to watch this beautiful video about Grodno!
6. St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral
Small basilica and cathedral of the 17th century, built with funds from the Jesuit order. The majestic Baroque building attracts visitors not only by its exterior but also by its beautiful interiors with sculptures, paintings and plastics by famous masters. Many elements of interior decoration of the cathedral are artistic attractions.
7. Brigitok church and convent
Medieval Baroque architectural complex. Construction work began in the 17th century. In the 19th century the monastery fell into disrepair. Subsequently, a medical clinic was set up in it, and only at the end of the 20th century was the building returned to the Catholic Church.
8. Bernardine church and monastery
Architectural ensemble of the 16-17 centuries, subjected to numerous reconstructions and alterations. Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque elements are visible in the decoration. The interior decoration of the active monastery retains the features of three centuries of history. Among the most valuable objects is an organ from the 17th century.
9. The Church of Our Lady of Angels
The date of the foundation of the Catholic Church - the middle of the 17th century. Initially, all the buildings on the territory of the monastery were made of wood. In 1660, a stone Baroque temple was erected, which was later turned into a prison for the priests of the state. Now the building is inhabited by monks and novices, but it can also be visited by any tourist.
10. Pokrovsky Cathedral
Orthodox church of the 20th century in the Russian style. The site was erected in memory of the heroes of the Battle of Port Arthur and those killed in the Battle of Tsushima. During the Great Patriotic War, the cathedral, unlike other sacred monasteries, did not cease its work. About 20 years ago the building was completely restored. If you don’t know what to see in Grodno, but are fascinated by Soviet history, come here.
Official website: https://pokrovgrodno.
11. Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery
An old Orthodox church that was owned by Catholics until the middle of the 19th century. At some point the monastery fell into disrepair, but beginning in the 1990s, the authorities began to reconstruct the historically valuable buildings.
Official website: http://obitel-grodno
12. Boris and Gleb Church
The building is included in the rating of the five oldest architectural objects in the country. Construction work began back in the 12th century. The church has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Byzantine mosaics can be seen on the surviving walls. It is believed that the famous Grodno warlord is buried not far from them. The old building is a functioning church in Grodno: the city’s population and its guests come here for services.
Official site: http://kalozha.by/ru/
13. Great Choral Synagogue
One of the oldest synagogues in Europe. The first structure, later destroyed, was erected back in the 16th century. The present complex includes the surviving chapels and the remains of the ancient walls. In its appearance, the synagogue resembles Spanish cottages filled with the color of Mauritania. In the prayer hall you can see beautiful stucco. Like many other landmarks in Grodno, this one reminds of the many victims of World War II. During the war years, Jewish prisoners were imprisoned in it before being sent to camps.
Official website: http://www.bhsinagoga
14. Lutheran church
The only functioning church of the Lutheran community in the city today. The building was built with the money of a wealthy German community in the 19th century. When the Germans left Grodno after the peace came, the building began to gradually decay. Later it was used as a warehouse. Only in 1995, the object was transferred to the ownership of Protestants.
Official website: http://luther.by/
15. Grodno Drama Theater
If you don’t know what to see in Grodno in 1 day, but you are keen on art, buy a ticket to the regional Drama Theater. The theater is located in a monumental building, reminiscent of a huge organ. It is necessary to go up to it by a long staircase, as the building is located on a hill. In the evening the area is turned on a colorful illumination. The entrance to the theater is guarded by the figure of Pegasus.
Official website: http://drama.grodno
16. Grodno Regional Puppet Theater
A great option of where to go in Grodno with the kids. The oldest Belarusian stage, arranged in a building of the 18th century, still offers excellent performances for children and adult spectators with the participation of puppets and talented actors.
Official website: http://grodnolyalka
17. Pharmacy Museum
The oldest pharmacy in the state, which began its work in the 18th century (according to some reports, the opening took place in 1687). The museum’s collections occupy three halls, and tell the story of how pharmacy in Belarus evolved over hundreds of years. With most of the specimens dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries.
Official website: http://am.biotest.by/
18. Museum of the History of Religion
The museum was opened at the end of the 20th century. The complex was originally called the Museum of History of Religion and Atheism. The first exhibits were stored in the women’s church, then moved to the castle of K. Hreptowicz. Today’s collections include items related to all religious trends that existed in the country.
19. Grodno Kunstkammer
The attraction began its work just over six years ago. For its opening the objects were collected for almost the entire 20th century. The complex is located in an 18th century mansion, formerly owned by King Augustus II and used by the monarch as a gallery. The collections are housed in two rooms: pathological and conventional anatomy. Guests can see embryos with abnormalities, the liver of a drinker, and the lungs of those addicted to nicotine.
Official website: http://www.grsmu.
20. Elise Ozheshko House Museum
When listing the best attractions of Grodno, we should not forget about the museum dedicated to the famous Belarusian writer. The date of its opening is 1958. Note that Ozheshko never lived in the house where the museum is now located - the building replicates her dwelling.
Official website: http://zetgrodno.com
Grodno sights: what else to visit in Grodno?
We have told you about the main attractions of Grodno in brief. If you are already familiar with these significant objects, pay attention to such interesting places of the city as:
21. Maksim Bogdanovich Museum
The memory center of the famous classical poet who lived in Grodno for 4 years. The museum was opened in 1986. There are over 13,000 specimens on display, including archives and family valuables, and interior items that once adorned Bogdanovich’s home.
22. Kasya and Basya water towers
A complex of two 22-meter and 8-sided water towers created in the 19th and 20th centuries. The purpose of the construction was to supply water to Grodno. The structures have different design: one of them is generously decorated with bas-reliefs and lace balustrades, the other has only a hinged wrought iron balcony. As a result of the reconstruction one tower was painted soft pink, the other was painted beige. According to one of the versions, the towers owe their names to the workers of the water utility: accountant Basa and storekeeper Kasa. Now there are numerous paintings by local artists inside the buildings.
23. The tower of the fire station
At one time, more than 600 buildings in the city disappeared because of a major fire. After the disaster, the people of Grodno decided to build their own fire station and a fire tower. The latter rises to a height of eight stories. At the time of its construction, the fire tower was the tallest structure in Grodno. Now the observation deck of the tower is also as in previous years. However, not a person, but a mannequin disguised as a firefighter. The Soviet period presented the site with a large fresco on the facade of the depot. It depicts firefighters in uniform from different times, among them a girl with a smile of Mona Lisa.
24. Grodno Fortress
The last fortress of the Russian Empire, the first walls of which began to be built back in the 11th century. Construction of the fortress itself began in the early 20th century, after the city began to serve as a stronghold for the Russian army. The sight has a sad history: during the war the Germans used to shoot the citizens of Grodno. When exploring the area, one should be careful and not enter the territory with the sign “Border Zone”. Otherwise, you will have to explain yourself to the border guards and sign numerous protocols.
Official website: http://fortressgrodno
25. Augustow Canal
The length of the famous navigable canal connecting the Neman and the Vistula River is over a hundred kilometers. The attraction is simultaneously on the square of Poland and the Republic of Belarus. The site is a valuable engineering monument, and is protected by UNESCO. It was opened to tourists before World War II in the 1920s. At the end of the 20th century, the canal again began to enjoy great success with visitors to the city.
Official website: http://servisdor.ru
We hope that those sights of Grodno, photos with names and descriptions of which you have now viewed, will allow you to make an unforgettable trip to the hospitable Belarusian city. Read also about Sights of Minsk and be inspired for your further trip to Belarus.
