To be honest, there are only three real attractions in Nesvizh. But 3 is not as interesting as 10. Therefore, seven more members of this list were dragged into it by the ears.
There will be everything here – monasteries, museums, and even good coffee shops (which are as rare in Nesvizh as unicorns in Sevastopol Park).
In general, I will try to show you that there is not only a famous castle in the city. Are you ready for a little trip? Then let’s start.
City Hall
The landmark of Nesvizh, which will catch your eye very first. It is located in the city center. The local Lenin points at her with his hand. Therefore, you will not miss it in any way.
The Nesvizh Town Hall was first built in 1596. Therefore, today it is considered one of the oldest in Belarus. To add a little sparkle to the gray days, the building burned regularly. Therefore, it often changed its appearance.
At the beginning of the 20th century, it looked like this…
But in the 1990s, the complex was still restored to its original appearance. The Town Hall was restored based on engravings from the 16th century, and in order for the complex not to seem too old-fashioned, it was decorated with the Mark Formelle store. You can go in there for a while. Where else will you find socks soaked in the spirit of centuries?
Address: Sovetskaya Street, 3. About a 5-minute walk from the bus station building.
Craftsman’s House
If you walk around the Nesvizh Town Hall, you can see such a nice building with a wavy roof.
This is “House on the Market” or “The Craftsman’s House” is one of the few fragments of the former old town. It is not known for certain who owned this building. But it is generally believed that its owner was someone from the wealthy townspeople – a merchant or a craftsman. There were warehouses and retail premises on the ground floor, and living rooms on the second floor. In the 21st century, the house was transferred to the children’s regional library. She stayed here until 2015.
Niasvizh Old Town and Mara Gallery
Walking through Nesvizh, I collected fragments of the old city, like Thanos – infinity stones. Most of them were found in the area of Leninskaya Street (which is located about 100 meters from the town hall building).
If I were the mayor of Nesvizh, I would make it pedestrian. It seems to me that a walking street with coffee shops and art objects would look great in this part of the city.
Now, of the interesting places here, only the D Grill restaurant (with shamelessly inflated prices) and the Mara Art Gallery can be noted. It was deserted, but personally it seemed to me a rather pleasant place. The museum is constantly updating its exhibitions. Among the paintings there are works by both Belarusian and foreign artists. And the gallery itself is located in a 19th-century building.
If time permits, be sure to look there. Tickets cost 10 rubles. All details about the exhibition schedule can be found on the website maragallery.art or on Instagram @maragalleryart.nesvizh.
Where to stay during your trip to Nesvizh?
They usually go to Nesvizh for half a day. And this is not surprising: Minsk is not far away, and there are not so many good housing options here. I found only two of them myself:
- Hotel “Bialystok” (at the intersection of the same Leninskaya Street);
- And an agricultural estate with the original name “Nesvizh”.
You can also stay at Nesvizh Castle (at the Palace Hotel). But, in my opinion, the prices there are a little too high (165 BYN for the simplest room is not friendly).
I liked the same Bialystok even more. And it cost one and a half times cheaper. If you haven’t decided on a choice yet, you can start your search with it.
Complex of buildings of the former Benedictine monastery (1591)
The landmark of Nesvizh, which at first glance seems to be a little forgotten. And at a second glance, too.
The monastery building now houses a pedagogical college. And in the former church there is an assembly hall. In 2012, the Holiday.wu wrote that burials of Benedictine nuns were found under the monastery building. But there have been no serious restoration works in the complex so far.
A similar story happened a little later, when ancient Turkish frescoes began to appear on the walls of student dormitories. The drawings were dated to the 19th century, but despite this, they were painted over quite quickly.
In a distant ideal world, the monastery and church of the 16th century could become one of the main attractions of Nesvizh. But so far everything is very sad. There is no way to get inside the complex. There is a guard at the entrance. Therefore, you can only photograph the entrance tower.
Monastery and church in the 16th century
The only hope remains for the local ghosts, who (sort of) began to prowl the walls of the college. There are no “ghostbusters” in Belarus. Therefore, the appearance of a huge marshmallow sailor in Nesvizh can really turn the situation around.
Address: 8 Chkalov Street.Approximately 5 minutes walk from the city hall.
Slutskaya brahma
One of the few pieces of the city fortifications that has survived in Nesvizh to the present day. Once there was a suspension bridge, a wall and a small customs office that collected money from everyone who came to the city. The Chapel of the Mother of God was located on the second floor.
Today there is a museum in the complex (though only in the warmer months). The ticket price is 1 BYN.
The Church of the Body of God
Even if there was no castle in Nesvizh, then it would be worth going to this city just for the sake of this church. He’s beautiful, like a young Mickey Rourke. He made a great impression on me.
The first time I saw it was in 2016, when the whole temple was standing in scaffolding. Now they are also in place, but the last 7 years have clearly not been in vain. The facade is decorated with images of saints. And inside, the entire space of the church is covered with frescoes.
The complex was designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Bernardoni and his student Giuseppe Brizio. The church was opened in 1593 (and at that time it was the first Baroque church in Eastern Europe).
In the middle of the 18th century, the altar part was rebuilt, and the interiors of the temple were painted with frescoes. The central element of the decoration was the painting “The Last Supper” (7 meters high). You can still see her behind the temple altar today. Entrance to the complex is free.
The address of the church: Geisika Street, right in front of the entrance to the English park.
Radziwill Castle
The landmark of Nesvizh, which you probably know about without me. He’s like Ronaldo in Al Nasr. The main star and the main hope.
The castle is surrounded by a cozy park. There is a beautiful lake all around. Therefore, it is very pleasant to walk here in good weather.
You can walk around the castle for free. You can also get into the courtyard of the complex for free. But museum tickets are quite expensive – 17 BYN. It is cheaper to get inside the castle on every third Monday of the month. During the grace days standard tickets cost 6 BYN.
Instrumental music concerts are also often held in the castle. Yes, it sounds boring, but in reality everything is exactly the opposite. On April 1, Queen, ABBA and Hans Zimmer played music in the castle. Messages about such concerts can be found on the website niasvizh.by (on the “News” tab).
I would not refuse to listen to a symphony concert in the walls of the old castle myself.
A few more words about concerts
Recently, Nesvizh has become the venue for one of the largest music festivals in the country – Wostrau Fest. This year it will be held for two days – on August 23 and 24. The organizers of the forum promise a mix of modern music, historical atmosphere, delicious food and summer vibe. You can view all the details on the websitewostraufest.by . Recently, this project has become another alternative attraction of Nesvizh.
Where to have a snack in Nesvizh?
Nesvizh is a stunning city with a gorgeous castle and a church, which I personally consider one of the most beautiful in the Republic of Belarus. But with the bar and restaurant culture, everything is very sad here. Looking for a good place here is like watching “Hachiko” to the songs of Tatyana Bulanova. Tears come on their own.
I’ve been to the D Grill bar, the Hetman restaurant and the Pon Pizza pizzeria – and I can’t recommend any of them, either in terms of prices or atmosphere.
I really liked only one of the local establishments – the coffee shop “Teplo” (at Sovetskaya 10; opposite the Lenin monument). There’s good coffee and delicious pastries. And there is also a small shop of scented candles and designer brooches (which also adds to the atmosphere).
In general… If you want to have a snack, go there. This is the best place I could find in Nesvizh.
BONUS. Mir Castle
Not far from Nesvizh there is another iconic landmark of Belarus – Mir Castle. There are only 30 kilometers between the cities. Therefore, if you travel by car, be sure to drop in there too.
It is impossible to organize such a trip on public transport. But there is an option to go to Mir and Nesvizh together with an excursion. You will be picked up from Minsk, taken, brought, fed and licked. The price of the trip includes all entrance tickets, and sometimes also a free lunch.
As an example, I’ll give you a couple of options:
- Excursion No.1
- And excursion No.2.
Both have very similar programs. But prices often swing, one way or the other. Therefore, choose the one that is cheaper for your specific dates.
And I’m going to say goodbye slowly. I hope my article helped you get to know Nesvizh a little better and was able to inspire you to travel to this city.
If yes, do not forget that I have another post with a detailed story about how to get to Nesvizh from Minsk. Here he is…
Read it. There is a lot of useful information there. And also bookmark the site and subscribe to my instagram. And let’s stay in touch.
