The old city of Grodno is a special world with its secrets, hidden corners and its unique rhythm of life. Here are the best city cafes, the most beautiful viewpoints and the most famous sights of the city. But you probably know about many of them without me. Therefore, there will not be a word about the Orthodox Church, the Old Castle above the Neman, the Borisoglebsky Church and other top attractions of Grodno.
Instead, I will talk about places that are more often left behind the scenes – about little-known palaces and mystical secrets, about colorful courtyards and the most interesting places in the city. If you came across this article, consider yourself lucky, like the lobsters in the kitchen of the Titanic. I am sure that the tips given here will help you take a fresh look at the old city of Grodno.
Little-known palace on Ozheshko Street
I lived in Grodno for 6 years, but I found out about its existence almost by accident. And this is despite the fact that the palace is located almost in the very center of the city. Once the Royal Medical Academy was located here (the oldest university in the Belarusian lands), and the palace itself belonged to the noble family of the Chetvertinskys.
Drawing of Napoleon the Horde (1861;1869)
During Soviet times, the complex was rebuilt to meet the needs of the military commandant’s office. And today the former palace is actually hidden behind one of the buildings of the GRSU. The passage to it is blocked, and construction debris is lying around the old walls. But the complex itself has survived. And the old features in him are still perfectly guessed.
Bonus. Another little-known Grodno palace is called Stanislavovo. It was once the residence of the last king of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Stanislaw August Poniatowski. And now the complex is under the jurisdiction of the local agrarian university.
Authorship: AsNory. Photo source — ru.wikipedia.org
Two old fireplaces, stucco ceilings and royal monograms have been preserved inside. But the palace itself is located at some distance from the old town (on Tereshkova Street). Therefore, in our article it will be only as a bonus.
Grodno ghosts or How to plunge into the atmosphere of mysticism?
Grodno, like any old city, keeps numerous legends about ghosts. For example, there is a popular story about a necromancer who was allegedly burned in front of the Orthodox Church in 1691 for harming a local tavern. And stories about a ghost that often appears to the actors of the local puppet theater.
According to one version, this is the spirit of a former actor named Lasetsky, who committed suicide in 1840. According to another, the ghost of one of the nuns of the Bernardine church, which stood in the same place as the theater.
Today, the mystical theme literally permeates the entire repertoire of the local troupe. The oldest theater in Belarus stages adaptations of Gogol, performances about werewolf bears and classic productions of Faust. Therefore, if you like the theme of mysticism, I highly recommend that you look here.
Another cool project, imbued with the mysticism of Grodno legends, is called “Secrets of the city“. In fact, this is something between an excursion quest and a theatrical performance, the scenery for which are the streets of Grodno.
The guests are greeted by people in raincoats and with lanterns in their hands. And then begins a great journey through the most hidden corners of the city. You will make your way behind the walls of the Brigitte Monastery and watch a knight’s show, listen to the legends of old wizards and immerse yourself for a short time in the world of magic and medieval mysteries.
You can read more about this quest tour here. In the meantime, I’ll move on.
Grodno observation decks
In the middle of 2023, was closed for reconstructionThe Roof of the World” is one of the most popular viewing platforms in Grodno. I bet it will be reopened next summer. In the meantime, I’ll tell you about other popular photo locations.
There is a paid viewing platform on the tower of the Old Castle. You can get there with a standard entrance ticket (for 10 BYN). But the view from it is not the coolest, so I personally recommend that you take a photo from the opposite side – from the hill near the New Castle. This place is free, and there is such a wonderful view from there.
Another viewing platform is located on the opposite side of the river – on a hill near Darwin Street.
Few people know, but you can also climb the tower of the Holy Protection Cathedral. The tours are conducted by the bell ringer Yulia Minchenko, but only bypre-recording. You can find out all the details by phone +375 (29) 78 79 114 or by e-mail juli.moroz@list.ru .
Grodno Cathedral on Ozheshko Street.
If you have not yet decided on a place to live, you can also pay attention to this studio in the heart of the old town. It is rented for a day, and as a bonus, it is accompanied by such a stunning view of the Orthodox Church and the historical quarters of Grodno.
Sometimes it is even specially rented for photo shoots.
Hotels in historical buildings
Continuing the topic of rental housing, I will write a few words about Grodno hotels. Moreover, many of them are equipped directly in historical buildings. Somewhere you can see old tiles on the stairs, original stucco, doors or wooden floors. Therefore, a night in such a place is a great opportunity to look at the old city from the inside, and not just from the outside.
A good example of this is the art hotel “At the Pear”. He works in a building dating back to 1883, and every room here is decorated with works by Belarusian artists.
Or this rental studio on Karl Marx Street. The apartment itself looks quite ordinary, but the building in which it is located dates back to 1870 and is known in the city as the Lisovsky house. On the stairwells and jambs in the entrance, you can still see the marks of old construction guilds from the time of the Russian Empire.
Another unique hotel can be found outside the city, in a small village called Radziwill.
The complex is located within the walls of the former palace of the Gursky family, built in the first half of the 19th century. The common rooms have preserved details from the 1820s – mirrors, candlesticks, furniture and interior items. And the park and the lake near the palace are even older. Back in the 17th century, the monks of the Kamaldul order, who owned these lands at that time, were engaged in their arrangement.
Imagine what it would be like to spend a night in such a place, literally imbued with the spirit of centuries?
Cafes and restaurants of the old town
The former building of merchant Muravyov, where the Semashko Hotel is located today, is also equipped for a hotel. But the rooms there are quite expensive, so personally, to get inside, I just come to a local restaurant. The prices on the menu here are quite adequate. And I’ve always really liked the atmosphere of this old mansion.
Restaurant «Muravyov», Sovetskaya Square, 2.
If you don’t mind combining lunch with a small excursion, you can also go to a cafe called “Culture” (at Sovetskaya 3). It is located in a 19th-century building, where fragments of brick walls and old wooden stairs are perfectly preserved.
A separate story is the coffee shop Strong White, located on Zamkova Street in a recreated 17th century house. This building can no longer be called historical, but it has its own atmosphere.
There is a cozy roof, where it is pleasant to drink coffee and look at the old town. That’s why I come here almost every time I return to Grodno. I think you’ll really like it here too.
Courtyards of the old city
Another popular coffee shop in the old town of Grodno is called “Dzhezva“. Delicious cappuccino is brewed here, and there is also a nice courtyard where it is very cool to spend summer evenings.
In general, it is possible to make a separate route for an excursion through the Grodno courtyards. Personally, I especially like it:
- The courtyard behind the Orthodox Church…
- And a courtyard at Bolshaya Troitskaya 37 (with a huge tree in the center and many pleasant establishments).
Each of them has always seemed very cozy and photogenic to me. Therefore, do not miss them when you walk around the old city of Grodno.
Three secrets of Grodno churches
Grodno ranks first in the whole of Belarus in terms of the number of preserved ancient monuments. It is located here:
- The oldest synagogue and the oldest church in the country;
- The oldest pharmacy;
- The oldest theater;
- And even the two oldest water towers are also located here.
The clock on the tower of the Church of Francis Xavier is older than the building itself. Back in the 16th century, they stood on the city hall and only in 1752 moved to the temple building. There is an opinion that the Grodno clock is older than the famous colleagues on the Old Town Square in Prague. There, the mechanism was replaced with a modern one, and ours (albeit intermittently) has been working for many centuries.
Other Grodno churches also keep their secrets. Within the walls of the Franciscan Church, you can listen for free to the oldest organ in Belarus (created back in 1884).
And on the territory of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you can see a 300-year-old house erected without a single nail (the so-called “Lamus”). It was originally built to store grain, but later a monastic dormitory and even a closed hospital for the mentally ill were located here.
I myself learned about it from my friend, a tour guide named Svetlana Ekimova. We have been friends with her for many years, so I can sincerely recommend her. If you want to walk around Grodno with a guide, you can safely contact her. I think she will tell you about the secrets of the old city much better than me. And now I just have to say goodbye. Bye, everyone! Thank you for reading to the end of my next multi-kilometer opus.
