There are more and more visa-free tourists in Grodno and we are increasingly faced with a question from them: what to bring from visa-free Grodno to your homeland - as a memory of the trip or as a gift to a loved one. the site has compiled a list that will help answer this question and find something special for guests.

1. Treats

Halva, marshmallows and glazed cheese curds are products that foreigners have often not even heard of. In stores you can find several types of halva - a mass of sugar and seeds or nuts. Marshmallow is a very sweet product made from applesauce.

Where can I buy: You will find these products in every store. There are also special brand stores: “Kommunarka” - on Vilenskaya, 2, “Spartak” - on Sotsialisticheskaya, 14, and “Krasny Pishevik” - on Sovetskaya, 6. Using the links, you can get acquainted in advance with the assortment of sweets and packaging design. It might be worth looking for something for the original box.

2. Products of Belarusian artisans

Gifts from artisans will always be something unusual, because everyone has their own style.

You can buy beautifully made ceramics, leather, wood or metal items inexpensively. You can also find very beautiful jewelry - wooden, metal or ceramic.


Photo: liolia.by

Where can I buy: Such products are easy to find in specialized stores or at the bazaar organized by artisans on Sovetskaya Street. On the same street, in house No. 3, there is a “Bagach” store. On the parallel Bolshaya Troitskaya there are two shops with a wide selection of designer souvenirs - “Lelya” and “ Tsudounya ”.


Photo: liolia.by

3. Embroidered shirt or embroidered shirt

Vyshyvanka - a folk costume with Belarusian patterns embroidered on it - entered modern fashion and acquired a second life several years ago. For a shirt with embroidery, you should also take a colored woven belt. Now I have received such clothes new uniform- embroidered shirts. They can be worn not only for some special occasion, but every day.

In addition, if you really want to buy something with an ornament, not necessarily clothes, then the stores also sell accessories with folk ornaments - ribbons, bookmarks, earrings, etc.

Where can I buy: the same shops where we advised you to buy souvenirs. And " Master's hut“on Sovetskaya, 13, store “Ratushny” on Sovetskaya, 1, crafts gallery “ Tkallya” on Zamkova 15-1.

4. Valenki

These are traditional felted boots made of sheep wool, characteristic of Belarus. Very warm! Felted slippers or mittens will also be beautiful and healthy.


Photo: valenki.by

Where can I buy: There is no company store of the Smilovichi felt factory, the only manufacturer of felt boots in Belarus, in Grodno. But during the season you can find felt boots in almost all shoe departments of large stores. You can look for simpler men's models in stores for fishermen and hunters or in workwear stores.

But for exclusive felt boots and other handmade felted products, you need to go to craft fairs or order them personally from craftsmen.


Photo: kp.by

5. Products from Belarusian flax


Photo: linenmill.by

Where can I buy: The brand store “Belarusian Flax” is located in Grodno on Gorky Street, 91, on the second floor. You can also find a lot of linen products in the Neman trading house and souvenir shops.


Photo: linenmill.by

A good choice for summer would be shoes with linen uppers. produces sneakers, shoes, slippers and even boots in a wide variety of colors and styles Lida shoe factory.

Where can I buy: The company store closed in 2016, but shoes can be found in other stores in the city, for example, in “Sporting Goods” on Ozheshko, 42 or in the Euroopt and Korona hypermarkets.


Photo: vk.com/lidalof

6. Natural Belarusian cosmetics

Natural cosmetics are something that Belarusians can be proud of. She is not only very good quality, but also has a nice price. Therefore, foreign guests willingly purchase hair and face masks, shampoos, balms or creams.


Photo: belordesign.by

There are many cosmetics to choose from - lines for youth and older users, women and men. Among the most well-known brands, we can recommend BelorDesign, Markell, Relouis, BelKosmex or Belita-Viteks.

Where can I buy: You can find it in almost any cosmetics store. There is a larger selection in large stores in the city center, or in branded sections of manufacturers.

7. Grodno souvenirs

Postcards, magnets, mugs - all these little things that will remind you of Grodno.


Photo: belpresent.by/goroda

You can buy postcards in bookstores. Also there we will find interesting books about Belarus and the Grodno region.

In the bookstore “Prometheus” on Sovetskaya Street or “Ranitsa” on Mostovaya you can also buy mugs, plates, and magnets with views of the city.


Photo: belpresent.by/goroda

Big choice souvenirs in the ethnic store “Tsudounya”. There are many unusual souvenirs from artisans, for example, stained glass windows depicting Grodno from an unusual side.

8. Glass and crystal from the Neman factory from Berezovka

The Neman glass factory is the most famous Belarusian enterprise producing glass and crystal products. For souvenirs and gifts, you can choose tableware - glasses, glasses, plates, pots, as well as various types sculptures that will decorate the interior. Among the products of “Neman” we will find both transparent and colored glass, as well as stained glass.


Products of the Neman plant. Photo: mlife.by

Where can I buy: branded stores “Neman”, st. Karbysheva, 32 and Gorky, 90 or in the Neman trading house on Sovetskaya.

9. Linen and knitwear

Comfortable and at affordable prices - this is how you can characterize underwear from Belarusian manufacturers. You can find something to suit your taste by browsing the collections from Mark Formelle, Serge or Milavitsa. The brand of our city has become Conte tights, to which last years joined large group knitwear.


Sleepwear from “Milavitsa”. Photo: emily.by

Where to buy: You can find knitwear and underwear in all stores or departments that sell clothing. It is better to look for a larger selection and new collections in branded stores. “Milavitsa” – st. Naidusa, 1 and Marx, 12. It’s also worth checking out the “Belarusachka” brand store on Telegrafnaya, 14.

10. Gloves

Sometimes people come to the company store on entire excursions to buy leather gloves from the Accent factory. A very reasonable price is combined with high quality - the Grodno factory buys raw materials from the best suppliers. Classic red deer leather gloves never go out of style, so you should definitely stop by here, especially since the store is in the very center.

Where can I buy: The company store is located next to the factory - st. Mostovaya, 33

11. Clock

A watch made in Belarus can be a good souvenir that reminds you of the time spent in Grodno. In Grodno there is a brand store of the Luch plant in the OldCity shopping center (Dubko St., 17). The watches are also sold in selected stores. Watches are now produced in both classic designs and with various finishes. You can buy an embroidered or retro style watch as a souvenir. For yourself, you can take a good self-winding mechanical watch from the “EGO” collection.


Photo: luch.by

Where can I buy: branded store in the OldCity shopping center (Dubko St., 17), the Pramen store (Ozheshko St., 8) or the Neman trading house (Sovetskaya St., 18)

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Judging by the vacancies, the most paid profession in the Grodno region is “sales representative,” interfax.by correspondents found out. Companies are willing to pay a good specialist from $500 to $1,200. However, not all employers require work experience or higher education. The main qualities are the ability to negotiate, extreme persistence, sociability, and activity. You will have to travel a lot in your personal car, but this is not a problem, because the company pays for the fuel. In principle, trade specialties in Grodno and the region are popular. In Grodno itself there is a special need for medical representatives. They are required to have appropriate education, in return they are offered interesting job and decent wages (amount not specified). Against the general background of vacancies, the most exotic one in Grodno looks like a “croupier”. True, this job will not suit you if you are not a girl of 19–25 years old. Another basic requirement is knowledge of the multiplication tables. According to Belstat, the average wage in Belarus in September amounted to Br1 million 305 thousand. At the same time, in the Grodno region it is slightly lower - Br1 million 204 thousand. In the nationwide vacancy bank there are quite a few places where they offer to earn more. Salary ranges from Br1.3 million to Br1.4 million. Specialists in blue-collar professions and the military are invited to apply. In particular, in military unit 51171, the commander of the storage department, the mentor of the repair company and the mentor of the engineering company are invited to receive such a salary. All positions are captain's. In addition, the civilian specialty must correspond to the military registration. And military unit 16377 invites (for the same money) the head of the combat vehicle crew. The reinforced concrete plant OJSC Grodnopromstroy promises to pay Br1.3 million to the electric welder, the Tsvetlit private unitary enterprise of the Belarusian Society of the Deaf to the foundry and milling machine operator, Proremstroy LLC to the concrete worker, and Belgro LLC to the machine operator. And the agricultural production company "Gozha" of the Grodno region promises so much to the milkman. And we are talking about flexible working hours. It’s just not clear who will adapt to whom: the cows to the milker’s schedule or vice versa. Salary from Br1.4 million to Br1.5 million. This requires specialists with higher education. The same military unit 51171 invites a chief of staff with the rank of major to work and promises a salary of Br1.4 million, Grodnopromstroy OJSC is ready to pay that much to a mining foreman, Molochny Mir OJSC to an ecologist, Makeymarketsystem LLC to a technologist (with 5 years of experience in clothing production). RUSP " Experimental base"October" invites you to work as a chief veterinarian and chief livestock specialist. Each of them was promised a salary of Br1 million 439 thousand. The state institution “Murovansky boarding house for psychoneurological patients” (Skolobovo village, Grodno region) is ready to pay Br1 million 472 thousand to the head of the department (a psychiatrist-narcologist is required 1st or highest category). Moreover, it is indicated that the department manager expects harmful working conditions. Who would doubt that. Salary Br1.5 million. Many enterprises are ready to pay one and a half million to their employees. At least they promise to do so. Moreover, we are talking about both blue-collar jobs and leadership positions. The vacancy bank currently has 70 professions and 200 jobs with such a salary. Profskal LLC recruits a lot of people for such a salary. These are roofers, tilers and even 5 industrial climbers. It is true that on the Internet you can only come across one mention of this company. It is posted on the website of the Grodno City Executive Committee and is called "Information on accidents for January - September 2010." “Profskal” appears there: in May of this year, an installer of the company fell from the scaffolding and fell from a height of 4.1 meters. Crashed to death. In the column “Cause of the incident” it is indicated that the installer performed the work without a permit. Moreover, no targeted training was carried out on safe methods for installing scaffolding; the employee was allowed to perform work without undergoing a medical examination and testing knowledge on labor safety issues. Finally, it is stated that there was a “violation of the work and rest regime of workers engaged in work under the influence of hazardous production factors, expressed in the actual working day of more than 11 hours.” After this you understand that Br1.5 million is not so much. Other organizations invite engineers, carpenters, installers, masons for such a salary (30 workers with this profession are required by Belstroyholding LLC). DRSU 161 of the regional unitary enterprise "Grodnoobldorstroy" is ready to pay Br1.5 million to the director. This is a commendable experience - everyone in an organization should receive the same benefits: both the director and the road worker. Salary over Br1.5 million. In order to receive it in the Grodno region, you can also do without higher education. It is enough to graduate from a vocational school as a roofer. UPPE "Lik" is ready to pay the roofer Br1.6 million, and PSOOO "Forum" - Br1.8 million. It is also good to be a forest feller: education is secondary specialized, and LLC "World of Wood" promises such specialists a salary of Br2 million. want to cut down trees? The Grodnograzhdanproekt Institute is looking for a chief project engineer. The education indicated is the same as that of a forest feller - specialized secondary education. Salary – Br1.7 million. However, experience is required. The highest salary is offered by OJSC Institute Grodnogiprostroy. They are willing to pay the chief engineer of the institution Br3.5 million.

I moved to Grodno from Minsk in 2015. And to tell the truth, at that time I was a little disappointed with this city from the start. I don’t know if my Grodno friends will understand me, but somehow a priori you expect something more from “Royal Grodno” and “The Most Beautiful City of Belarus”. What's around these edges natural disaster walked through the Soviet Union - noticeable to the naked eye. Therefore, while walking around Grodno, you willy-nilly come across the giant silhouettes of the city executive committees, which grow right above the historical center; you see “Khrushchev buildings” supporting ancient houses, and castles that were rebuilt in such a way that now they resemble some kind of regional palace of culture for textile workers.

It’s bitter to admit, but Grodno has long lost its royal charm. And (what’s even worse) the inhabitants of the local city executive committees seem to be absolutely satisfied with this.

A country that easily found $350 million for the construction of the Minsk Arena alone has been unable to find funds for the restoration of its own ancient monuments for almost 30 years. I don’t know about you, but personally, I would rather spend this money on the restoration of the historical center of Grodno. For example, for the restoration of Farah Vytautas, the reconstruction of the New Castle, or to turn the Grodno prison into a Jesuit college again. But this, of course, is all from the “Dreams-dreams” category. Therefore, further I will try to leave these arguments behind the scenes.

In this article I will show you Grodno as it is. I'll tell you about the most interesting places that are worth visiting during your trip. And I’ll help you plan your route around the city if you suddenly decide to come here for the weekend. Are you ready for a short walk around Grodno? Then let's get started. Still, whatever one may say, Grodno is one of the most colorful cities of our Motherland.

Holy Intercession Cathedral and Lutheran Church

Yes, I know, these are not the TOP attractions of Grodno. But if you walk into the center from the railway station, it is this duet “M&A” that will catch your eye first. The church will be on the left side, opposite a nice panel with historical figures of Belarus. And the church is a little away from it - right behind the building of the local university.

Some time ago it was renovated (or refurbished), so now it gives me mixed feelings. One time I look at it and see Barbie's house. And another time you look, it seems like nothing... Only the nearby factory building constantly spoils my shots.

It feels like you are watching Harry Potter and Afonya at the same time. Damn... Respect the architectural context in Soviet Union Of course they could.

Bogdanovich Museum.

What to see nearby? The beautiful building of the Maxim Bogdanovich Museum and Gilibert Park (which at the end of the 18th century included more than 2,000 rare plants and was considered perhaps the best park in Europe).

Today it is an ordinary park. Forgive us, Jean Emmanuel. We don't know how to look after flowers.

“Building overgrown with ivy” (Grodno State University)

One of the most photogenic locations in Grodno. Especially in the fall, when the entire building literally becomes colorful.

Farny Church (aka Francis Xavier's Cathedral)

He is in Grodno, like Tony Stark in the Marvel universe. The main star and the most famous actor who regularly attracts the lenses of all cameras. It is believed that the clock on its left tower is the oldest in Europe. It is known for certain that they are at least older than the church itself. Their mechanism is driven by a special weight weighing 70 kilograms. And for the system to work properly, every day a special mechanism raises it to the height of a five-story building.

However, this church is interesting not only because of the clock on the tower. I like it, both outside and inside. Its Baroque altar is one of the tallest in Europe. And the pharmacy, built next to the church, remains the oldest operating pharmacy in Belarus.

There's even a free museum there. Without deer poop and dried toads (as in the pharmacy). But still very decent. It's definitely worth a look here. The church complex is very cool. There is no taking away or adding here.

What to see nearby? My favorite courtyard in Grodno.

It is located right behind the church and looks as stunning as I did after shopping in Bialystok. A very photogenic place. The only negative is the foreign cars of God's servants, which, at times, turn the yard into some kind of parking lot.

Brigid's Church and Karl Marx Street

To convey my entire attitude towards this part of Grodno, I will simply note one fact: it is its photograph that flaunts as the title photo of this publication. If we take out the pedestrian Sovetskaya Street, then I would call Karl Marx Street the most beautiful in Grodno. In addition, at the very end there is a beautiful Brigid Church, which is not spoiled even by the huge concrete box of the Soviet main post office, located right behind it. In the pre-sunset hours, these are the views that open up here.

In fact, it is somewhere here that the old city of Grodno ends.

What to see nearby? “Kasyu and Basyu” are two old water towers surrounded by a ring of Soviet high-rise buildings.

From Brigid's Church it's a 300-400 metro walk to get there. If you are afraid of getting lost, use the offline navigator MAPS.ME.

Grodno castles

If you are not too lazy to make an extra circle, then from the same “Kasi and Basya” you can walk towards the Bernardine Church and Drama Theater Grodno, which stands on a hill near the bank of the Neman. I read somewhere that according to the architects, the appearance of this theater should have been reminiscent of the towers of the old city (although, to me, it looks more like a giant gear).

If you walk past it (behind another row of Khrushchev buildings) two Grodno castles will appear. Restoration work has recently been going on in the Old Castle. The construction is moving. And even despite the amazingly crooked restoration that I went to a couple of months ago, I still look at this event with some timid hope. Still good examples there are restorations of castles in Belarus. So let's cross our fingers. Old castle, hold on, I believe in you!!!

As for the New Castle, it stands directly opposite. It’s like with the last film about the “Avengers” - you have to try really hard to miss it. When you go inside the courtyard, notice the beautiful gate with sculptures on top. This is one of the few details that has survived intact to this day.

The new castle in Grodno was built in 1751. The diets of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were held here, and in 1793 an agreement was signed on its division between Russia and Prussia. It is in this building Grand Duke Stanisław August Poniatowski signed his abdication. From this time on, dark times began for the castle. During the period of Russian domination, there was first a barracks and a hospital here. Then - the CPSU department. And in 1944 the palace completely burned down and was subsequently rebuilt in the style of Soviet neoclassicism. In the mid-18th century the building looked like this.

Currently (as I already said) it looks more like some kind of regional palace of culture.

I hope that the tourist boom and a successful example of the restoration of the Old Castle (if this happens) will force the administration of Grodno to think about returning it to its historical appearance.

Ghetto, Choral Synagogue and Castle Street

In general, at one time Belarus was one of the most “Jewish” states in Europe. If someone doesn’t know, at a certain period Yiddish was even state language in our country. Most of the Grodno Jews lived in the area where the Great Choral Synagogue is located today. However, after the sad events of World War II, their number in Grodno decreased sharply.

I think everyone understands what I'm talking about. Where Zamkovaya Street is located today, in the 40s there was a Jewish ghetto. The synagogue (built, by the way, back in the 16th century) was used as a reception center before sending Jews to concentration camps. The complex itself was destroyed. Therefore, now practically nothing remains of the once rich decoration.

IN Soviet times the building housed a household warehouse, and only after the restoration of independence of Belarus in 1991, the synagogue was transferred again Jewish community. Some time later, restoration work began in the complex. Currently, the Grodno synagogue is the largest building of its kind in the Republic of Belarus.

What to see nearby? The old fire tower and the Khreptovich Palace. The facade of the palace is decorated with knightly coats of arms, and on the fire tower there is a portrait of the Mona Lisa. Do you think I'm joking? Nothing like this. Come to Grodno and see for yourself how many comedians there are among Belarusian restorers. And I won't spoil the surprise for you. Believe me: it's quite funny.

Kolozha Church

You will have to walk a bit to get there (it’s about a kilometer from the Great Choral Synagogue). You will walk through the park and see a small church made of rough stone.

This is (if anything) one of the oldest churches in Belarus (12th century). By the way, its walls also offer a cool view of the Neman River. I think this is a great place to end our story. Further - several organizational issues. But for now, just enjoy the silence.

Do you feel the smell of grass and a gust of wind?..

How to organize a trip to Grodno?

In principle, you can travel to Grodno from Minsk in one day. However, in my opinion, it is best to choose this city as a weekend destination. I wrote in great detail about how to get to Grodno from Minsk. Therefore, I will not repeat myself today. And instead, I will focus on issues related to finding housing (this is Belarus, baby, there are some nuances here).

Firstly, it is worth noting that there are very few good hotels in Grodno. They are either too expensive, like the Semashko Hotel, or very Soviet, like the Neman Hotel. Look full list hotels in Grodno can be found on this website. Start with him. Maybe you will still be able to find a suitable option for yourself. In the meantime, I'll move on.

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Grodno is the most tourist city in Belarus. Literally every day here you can meet guests not only from all regions of the country, familiar neighbors from Lithuania and Poland, but also travelers from Western Europe, Asia and America. What attracts them all to the ancient city on the high bank of the Neman?

TUT.BY found five reasons why everyone should visit Grodno.

Reason one. Old city

Grodno is the only city in Belarus where the historical center has been preserved as an integral complex, despite wars, Soviet and post-Soviet destruction. Wherein Old city it is designed very conveniently for tourists - those who arrived by train, just like a hundred years ago, can walk along two central streets directly to the castles and the Neman River.


The intersection of Sovetskaya and Ozheshko streets. Photo: Yan Khvedchin, TUT.BY

Along the way you can walk along a street paved with cobblestones dating back to the late 1930s. If on Ozheshko there are only fragments of the “Brukavanka”, then Sovetskaya Street is completely in stone. And it is completely pedestrian - all year round, and not just on weekends.


The pedestrian street Sovetskaya (once Dominican) comes to life in the spring. Street musicians appear here, festivals, concerts and fairs take place. Photo: Vitaly Derneyko, TUT.BY

Several eras mixed together in the center of Grodno. Along the way you can see very small houses and entire palaces of the late 18th century, built by the headman Antony Tyzenhaus, a close friend of the last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, ordinary buildings of the 19th century, modernism of the 1910s, interesting Polish interwar constructivism and ridiculous Soviet department stores in the historical center and House of life.

The leader of the 1863 uprising, Konstantin Kalinovsky, the writer Eliza Ozheshko, the young Lev Bakst, who became a world-famous artist in Paris, the creator of Esperanto, Ludwig Zamenhof, the “father” of the literary Lithuanian language, and many, many others lived here. True, the memorial plaques in Grodno are not very good: without a good guide, you will only find out where Dzerzhinsky spent the night and that Stolypin worked here for two years. For some reason, there is very little information about really important personalities for the city.

In the Middle Ages, the Germans called Grodno in their own way - Garten, that is, garden. Today's Grodno residents complain that the city is rapidly losing its green appearance, but in the very center there remains a long-time favorite vacation spot for the townspeople - a park that a hundred years ago was called the Swiss Valley and which now bears the name of its founder Jean Gilibert. In the 18th century there was a real Botanical Garden, which today concerned citizens want to restore.

Reason two. Royal castles

No other city in Belarus has two royal castles at once. Moreover, those preserved in relatively good condition, and not in the form of ruins. True, both castles were greatly rebuilt: the kings of Poland and the Grand Dukes of Lithuania saw them completely differently.


Back in the spring, almost all the plaster was removed from the entrance gate of the Old Castle to examine the condition of the masonry. Now everyone can see the layers of different eras: from the time of Vytautas to the USSR. Photo: Alexey Shota, TUT.BY

The old castle has lost all its external decor - the project is currently being developed when King Stefan Batory built a beautiful Renaissance residence here. From the New Castle, only the entrance gate remains original. During last war the buildings were bombed and then rebuilt on the old foundations with some changes: they added a colonnade in the best traditions of Soviet gigantomania, a coat of arms with a hammer and sickle and a red star on the spire. They say that they wanted to remove the star in the 90s, but they didn’t have time - the authorities’ attitude towards communist symbols changed again.


The gateway is the only part of the castle that has not been rebuilt. Photo: Yan Lyalevich, TUT.BY


There are still rune-like marks on some 12th-century bricks. The most popular version says that these are brand marks of brick manufacturers.


Stone dedicated to the memory of David Gorodensky. Photo: Inna Severin, TUT.BY

Next to the temple since the early 90s there has been a modest memorial sign"Driving to Grunwald." According to legend, it was from this place that the banners of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania went with Prince Vytautas to the Battle of Grunwald. A little further is another place covered in legends. The huge boulder is dedicated to the memory of the castellan of the Grodno castle, David Gorodensky, who was a formidable enemy of the Teutonic Order. According to one of them, invented by the authoritative historian Mikhas Tkachev about 25 years ago, David is buried here. The story has proven to be enduring, and today you can even hear it from some serious tour guides.

The largest temple in Grodno is the majestic Catholic Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier, built near the old Market Square, and today Soviet Square. At the entrance, believers are greeted by a statue of Christ - a copy of the famous statue from the church on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw. They say that the Grodno Christ used to point his finger in the other direction, but in the end he was turned around, since it turned out that he was pointing the way to... prison.

Yes, in Grodno the prison is located in the very center of the city, in a former Jesuit monastery, literally behind the wall of the church. The question of moving it somewhere outside the city is not even raised - it’s too expensive. In the temple itself, it is worth seeing the huge three-story all-wooden central altar, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God Students in the altar on the right, and also climbing the choir for a closer look and better hearing.

In addition to today's prison, the Jesuits left in Grodno the first city pharmacy - the oldest operating in Belarus. Today they not only sell medicines, but also have a small, but worth visiting, store.


Pharmacy museum in Grodno. The oldest pharmacy in Belarus. Photo: Alexey Shota, TUT.BY

There are also houses of worship in Grodno that are unique for modern Belarus: a functioning Lutheran church and a Jewish synagogue. Both faiths are absolutely traditional for the city. The church was recently completely restored; now it hosts not only divine services, but also regular organ concerts by visiting musicians. The synagogue is also actively undergoing renovation work, and in addition to the beautiful prayer hall, you can also see a small museum.


June 2015, the final touch of the restoration of the church - the dismantling of the old and installation of a new spire. Photo: Vitaly Derneyko, TUT.BY
Organ concert in the Lutheran Church. Photo: Alexey Shota, TUT.BY

Reason four. Unique museums

Grodno is called a museum city. This statement is controversial, but the fact that this is a city of museums is more difficult to argue with. Most tourists only know about the historical and archaeological museum in castles. But there are no less interesting places.


Exhibition at the Museum of the History of Religion. Photo: Alexey Shota, TUT.BY

Next to the castles is the Museum of the History of Religion - the only one in Belarus. There is not only a rich permanent exhibition, but also regular exhibitions of interesting collections from other museums of the republic and neighboring countries.


Active fire station and Fire Service History Museum. Photo: German Sachuk, TUT.BY

There is a fire tower nearby - it was built a hundred years ago in order to quickly notice and eliminate fires. Today there is an active part and. True, like all departmental museums, it is not so easy to get here - you need to call and make arrangements in advance. If you are lucky, you will be able to boast that you have been where many native Grodno residents have not gone.


Exhibition at the Museum of Prison Life. Photo: Leonid Shcheglov, BELTA

There are plenty of departmental museums in Grodno. There is, for example, the Traffic Police Museum or. To visit the latter, you need to obtain permission from the Department of Corrections, but it is worth it - the exhibition is truly unique.


Opposite the Farny Church, in the so-called “Batory” (which in fact has nothing to do with King Batory), there is the Grodno Kunstkamera - a museum of anomalies in the development of the human body. The exhibition there is really not for the faint of heart.

It is also worth a look at the city's first private museum of the collector Janusz Parulis. At first glance, it may seem that this is just an old house full of rubbish, but the owner, a hereditary Grodno resident, can talk for a long time about each of the hundreds of exhibits.


Sometimes Pan Janusz organizes meetings in his yard, where you can learn, for example, about

The fifth reason. Augustow Canal

The main tourist attraction in the vicinity of Grodno is the Augustow Canal. Built in the 1820−30s. As a response to the repressive customs rates of Prussia, it was supposed to connect the Vistula and the Niemen and allow goods to be transported to the Baltic ports, bypassing Gdansk, Elbleng and other, at that time German, cities. True, it was never used for its intended purpose. But already at the beginning of the twentieth century, tourism potential was noticed in the canal. True, world wars, and then decades Soviet power turned an engineering gem into ruins.

Ten years ago, all the locks on the Belarusian side of the canal were restored, and today kayaking tourists can sail from Augustow, Poland, to Grodno by water and even go through passport control, literally. And next season, perhaps, someone will be able to continue their journey along the Neman and further - to Druskininkai. A checkpoint has already been installed on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border on the Neman.


During the summer, various events are held on the canal. This year was the first time
Manor in Radzivilki. Photo: Alexey Shota, TUT.BY

A steamboat runs along the canal, there are gazebos on the shore, and a couple of places to stay overnight in the surrounding area. Worth a visit, created in the village of Nemnovo by the heirs of the pre-war caretakers. In Radzivilki you can see a local entrepreneur, and in Svyatsk - for some reason, with the same task. The palace in Svyatsk, despite its sad state, attracts many weddings from Grodno every weekend - both the building itself and the park nearby are very beautiful. And in the vicinity of the canal there is a picturesque town called Sopotskin - a small piece of Poland, where very patriotic and religious people live, speaking a wonderful Polish-Belarusian-Russian Trasianka.


Palace in Svyatsk, near the Augustow Canal. Photo: Inna Severin, TUT.BY

For tourists

Grodno has plenty of hotels (there are even luxury ones) and good apartments for rent; in the very center there is a small and cheap hostel. You can figure it out” offers you comfortable conditions for relaxation, as well as fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. Come and get a huge charge of positive energy!