Novogrudok is a city of hills, the birthplace of Adam Mickiewicz and the place from which the formation of the Soviet Union began. I read about him in history books a long time ago. But I didn’t even know how multifaceted and different it could be. It’s worth coming here for the story of King Mindovg and the ancient castles lost among sleepy villages; for the legends of mermaids that hide in Svityaz, and the endless fields of wind turbines that They stretch all the way to the horizon.
Here an ancient organ sounds at night in an empty church, and the dark dungeons are full of stories about Dominican monks. Therefore, you need to look at the features of Novogrudok very carefully. And then this city will become a city of secrets for you, where even an ordinary hill can turn out to be a monument to a great poet.
In this article, I have collected 6 reasons for a trip to Novogrudok. Give me half an hour and I’ll show you how mysterious, cozy and soulful a small Belarusian city with 30,000 people can be.
Reason No. 1. Daniel Craig, Mindovg and a long history
Despite the fact that today the historical center of Novogrudok is quite small, the history behind it seems simply bottomless. Here are the remains of the Novogrudok Castle (13th century), which began the unification of the Belarusian lands.
And the orthodox church (14th century), where Grand Duke Jagiello was married to the young Sofia Golshanskaya (which marked the beginning of the powerful Jagiellonian dynasty).
The story of the Novogrudok nuns is also connected with the same temple, who in 1943 agreed to an agreement with the Nazis, exchanging their lives for the liberation of 120 townspeople. In 2000, John Paul II beatified them. And their relics themselves became one of the relics of the Orthodox Church in Novogrudok.
In general, the history of these places is an amazing cocktail, where the Middle Ages is mixed with the era of Romanticism and the period of the Second World War. For example, Mindovga Hill, where, according to legends (in 1263), the first king of the Inc. was buried.
And here the Museum of the Jewish resistance is 300 meters in front of it. The complex is built in an authentic barrack and is dedicated to the story of the escape that happened in 1943. At that time, more than 250 Jewish captives dug a tunnel on their own.and they managed to get out of the Nazi camp unnoticed. Subsequently, they formed the legendary partisan detachment of the Belsky brothers, which operated in the Nalibok forests and saved hundreds of lives. In 2008, a film about these events was shot in Hollywood (“The Challenge”) starring Daniel Craig. In the same year, the film even appeared at the Academy Awards (though only in one category).
«Defiance: The Bielski Partisans», Paramount Vantage, 2008.
Walking around Novogrudok, it is worth paying attention to the local temples. For example, on Borisoglebsky Church, built in 1519 on the foundation of an even more ancient temple of the 12th century. Over the years, she has managed to visit both Uniate, Catholic, and Orthodox churches, which largely reflects the entire long–term history of Belarus.
has a similar fate.St. Nicholas Cathedral (1780), which was once a church attached to a Franciscan monastery.
Its history is closely connected with the national uprising of 1830-1831. But it would be too long to talk about it now. Therefore, I’d better advise you to visit the local museum of local lore or just take a guided walk around the city. Interesting stories in Novogrudok are hidden around almost every corner.
You can find guides working in this city here.
Reason No.2. The city from the poems of Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz is usually called a Polish poet. But Novogrudok played a huge role in his life and work. His family (who came from among the impoverished Belarusian gentry) lived in this city. Adam himself was first baptized in the local Orthodox Church (1799), and then studied for eight years at the Dominican school at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel (1807-1815).
The action of his works also often took place here. In his ballads, the mermaid from Lake Svityaz punishes a young gunslinger for breaking his love vows. And the army of the Novogrudok Castle engages in battle with the Crusaders, when Princess Grazhina puts on her husband’s armor and leads the soldiers behind her.
Today, Adam Mickiewicz’s house Museum is operating in Novogrudok, where he once spent his childhood and adolescence.
The poet’s personal belongings are kept inside and the life of those years is carefully recreated. In the 90s, the museum’s wing was restored and an underground tunnel with several new halls was built. Nowadays, costume balls and poetry salons dedicated to Adam Mickiewicz are regularly held here.
There is also a monument to the writer in the city and another special place called The Mound of immortality“. It appeared here in the 1920s, when fans of the great poet began to bring a handful of land from their native places to Novogrudok.
So the mound grew for almost 7 years, and eventually reached a height of 17 meters. Today, this place is considered unique for Belarus and is included in the list of historical and cultural heritage of our country.
Reason No. 3. Coffee route, colorful cheeses and desserts of the Romantic era
In general, the legacy of the great poet manifests itself in Novogrudok in literally everything. For example, the name of his heroine is one of the best hotels in the city – “Grazhina”.
And in the coffee house AV (@kaviarnia_av), they brew Mickiewicz coffee, inspired by a recipe from Pan Tadeusz (“thick as old honey, and it’s like black coal”).
Here they also prepare poppy seed cake according to 19th century recipes. Its author is considered to be Maria Karpovich (the former owner of the Chombrovo estate, where Adam Mickiewicz’s mother, Barbara Majewska, was raised). I think all fans of coffee and delicious desserts should definitely add this place to their travel program. The address is Lenin Square, 4.
In continuation of the topic, I will write a couple of lines about the special coffee route, which was presented by the Novogrudok tourist center last year. Besides the “Kavarni AB” it includes:
- Kastus Kacan Gallery, where coffee is prepared in the “Vienna royal coffee maker”;
- and the small Saint Michel coffee house, operating in the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. Today, coffee is prepared here on the sand according to the recipes of Dominican monks and even lectures on history are given.
Coffee ceremony at Kastus Kachan Gallery. Photos from social media — @pawel_bulaty.
However, this is only a small part of the special world of Novogrudok gastronomy. In a small restaurant “Victory Gardens” (@vc.gardens) you can try “Sorcerers according to the recipe of Count Tyshkevich“. And the local enterprise Risovit produces rice kvass, which is quite rare in Belarus. You can try it (and buy a bottle as a souvenir at Mickiewicz 6).
As a final chord, I’ll tell you more about the dairy company “Novogrudok gifts“, which makes various interesting things out of cheese. There are cheese chips, soft cheeses from the Shevs line, as well as cheeses with olives, olives, rosemary, and even coffee-flavored cheeses. Colorful cheeses, such as Pesto Green and Pesto Red, have also become a peculiar symbol of the company. They are recommended to try them even at the local tourist center.
You can find the Novogrudsky Gifts brand store at 36 Mickiewicz Street.
Reason No. 4. Night mysteries and candlelit concerts
Earlier I wrote about the Dominican coffee in St. Michael’s Church. But of course, you can take a walk outside the walls of the 400-year-old monastery for more than just that.
First of all, the church itself is very beautiful. Sculptures of saints and elegant frescoes have been preserved inside. And there are still ancient crypts under the building, which have recently been restored and opened to tourists (you can get there for a small donation of 10 BYN).
Another feature of the temple is the atmospheric night tours, which are conducted by appointment. They tell about the history of coffee (which came to Novogrudok with the Dominican monks) and arrange candlelit concerts playing the 200-year-old organ.
It all looks absolutely magical. BUT (!) such “night mysteries” take place only a few times a month (and even then only in the warmer months). You can find out all the details on the church’s social media (@sandomenico), as well as at the local tourist center (by phone + 375 1597 60747).
Reason No. 5. “Fallen Angels”, steampunk and a bit of dark fantasy
Photos from social networks @litivka.by .
It is quite remarkable, but in a city where churches, churches and monasteries are found literally at every step, there was a place for one attraction filled with mystical and even slightly infernal energy. In fact, it is a private estate 4 km from the city, which was bought in 2015 by a local businessman named Sergey Koval. From that moment on, the simple country house began to be filled with dozens of strange sculptures and hidden meanings. There were metal dragons and horned dogs with scales, “fallen angels” and a horror bedroom with a witch hanging over the bed.
In the same year, 2015, the estate was named “Litovka” (in honor of the neighboring lake) and immediately reverberated throughout Belarus. It was called a “house of horrors” and a “dark fantasy manor”; publications wrote about Belarusian steampunk, and locals bombarded the complex with complaints, seriously suspecting its creator of having ties with dark forces.
It ended with the fact that in 2019, the creator of an unusual art object committed suicide, adding another dark page to the history of the mysterious estate. But the place itself continues to live and still attracts hundreds of tourists. Today, anyone can get here (for 10 BYN). The heirs of the project call the Lithuanian a “symbol of creative courage and love for the native land.”
You can read all the details (and sign up for a guided tour of the estate) on the website.litovka.by .
Reason No. 5. Mermaids, windmills and special nature
However, you can go on a trip to the surroundings of Novogrudok not only for the sake of the horror estate “Litovka”. 3 km from the city there is the largest wind farm in the country (which in reality looks much cooler than in my photos)…
And a little further south (20 km) is Lake Svityaz, known from the ballads of Mickiewicz.
Another local wonder is the so–called Smolchitsky glacial conglomerates, which lie in the forests near the village of Bolshye Tupoly (24 km from Novogrudok).
Photo from the website strada.by .
Outwardly, they resemble the fragments of a huge meteorite (or fabulous trolls who fell asleep in the middle of green moss). Today, their age is estimated at 15,000 years, and the boulders themselves have the status of a natural monument in Belarus.
If you have a car, then you can build an excellent route along the neighboring Nalibok Forest .
On the way to Minsk, it’s easy to look at, for example, Lake Kroman. Or go in search of the famous tarpan-shaped horses. This year, they were often seen near the village of Belokorets and the Syabrinsky Perekrestok eco-trail.
Reason No. 6. Poetry ruins and ancient heritage of the Novogrudok region
Belarus is a country where unusual discoveries are hidden literally at every turn. Therefore, on the way from Novogrudok to Minsk (or back) you will constantly come across different historical sites.
There are two main stars here:
- The oldest church in Belarus in the village of Vselyub (13 km from Novogrudok);
- And the very picturesque Lubchansky Castle (1581), standing on a high hill (25 km from Novogrudok).
For many years, the ancient bastion has been restored by the efforts of local residents and volunteers. Several walls and fortress towers were put in order in the complex, the roof and entrance gates were renovated. But the work is still far from being completed. Therefore, it is better to admire the castle at some distance. For example, from the pedestrian bridge over the Neman River.
Also, if you wish, you can send a small donation to the volunteer foundation, which is engaged in the restoration of the medieval complex. You can find all the details on the website.lubcza.by .
The foundation is run by an ordinary local resident named Ivan Pechinsky. It was he who undertook the restoration of the complex, making this project his life’s work.
The Raetski-Puttkamer Palace in the village of Raitsa has a similar story. Dying some time agoThe estate was bought by a couple of artists (Vera and Alexander Soldatov), who exchanged a Minsk apartment for a 200-year-old palace without amenities. Since then, the gradual restoration of the complex has begun. Today, there is a creative museum inside, and you can walk around the palace absolutely for free.
Photo author Kasia Syromolot (@palasatka).
In recent years, every major publication in the country has written about the pair of enthusiastic artists. For example, a great article was published on the website 34travel.
If you drive another 20 km south, right in the middle of the wheat fields you will see the ruins of the manor house in Shchorsy (1776). The restorers haven’t gotten here yet, but the sheer scale of the complex still makes an impression.
Once upon a time, many great poets were inspired by the poetry of ruins and the “melancholic atmosphere of decay.” I think the Khreptovich Palace in Shchorsy is a great place to understand what Mickiewicz and Byron, Victor Hugo and Vladimir Korotkevich admired so much.
Afterword: how to organize a trip to Novogrudok?
The ideal option for exploring the Novogrudok region is a ride in your own car. So, you can easily go around all the places that I wrote about above, and if you want, also take a look at Mir Castle, which is located approximately in the middle between Minsk and Novogrudok.
Almost the entire route runs along the good (mostly two-lane) highways R-1, R-11 and M-1. And in Novogrudok itself there are both regular gas stations and charging points for electric cars.
As for public transport, the best option here is Atlas minibuses and buses. Flights depart almost every hour. And you can view the schedule and buy tickets on the carrier’s website (atlasbus.by ).
Another useful platform is called ticketbus.by . There you can see the timetable of the state bus carriers. For example, flights from Novogrudok to Lyubcha, Shchorsy or Litovka.
In a separate line, I’ll tell you about the hotel world Novogrudok. Although in fact, there is very little choice here. There are several budget hotels in the city. For example…
- Grazhina (+375 29 125 — 10 — 68);
- and “Voyage Plus” (+375 29 699-10-26).
You can view photos of the rooms using the links above. But unfortunately, you can only book a room by phone.
The cost of accommodation ranges from 80 to 100 BYN per day. The only exceptions are single rooms without amenities. They are offered twice as cheap (for 45-50 BYN).
There are also several rental apartments available in the city.
- Here, for example, is an inexpensive one-bedroom apartment near the bus station.
- And here is a large 3-room apartment for large companies.
If you want to take a guided walk around Novogrudok some good excursions can be found here.
There is also a popular tour guide in the city named Pavel Bulaty. But you can only contact him through social media (@pawel_bulaty). Plus, he often travels around the country, so it’s better to book excursions in advance.
At the very end, I will share the contacts of the Novogrudok information and tourism center. It is located at 7 Lenin Street (+375 1597 60747). And there’s a lot of useful stuff inside. Local staff give out free brochures, share tips, and even arrange sightseeing quests around the city.
You can also buy nice souvenirs there (like scratch cards, coffee “Smak Radzima” and “pashparta Vandrojnika pa Belarussi”). Find a little more information on the websitenovtour.by . And that’s it for me. Thank you for reading this text to the end. If it’s not difficult, write me some nice comment.
