Traveling to the World was my first trip in a long time. And perhaps that’s why I liked this small town more than most of my friends and acquaintances. I missed traveling, and for this reason alone, every new street, church, or village post office (opened in the building of the former Hebrew University) was immediately perceived by me as something special.
The world has become a pleasant discovery for me. After all, there is something to see here, even apart from the famous castle. Therefore, I decided to divide my article today into three parts.
- The first one will be dedicated to the village itself;
- the other one will be dedicated to its main attraction (Mir Castle);
- and the third one will be dedicated to those interesting places that are located a short drive away from it.
But first, let’s briefly go over the organizational aspects. It is better to start any story from the beginning.
How to get to the World?
Every day, a couple dozen minibuses depart from the Central Bus Station and the Yugo-Zapad station to the Mir urban settlement. The flights are operated by Atlasbus. Tickets cost 20 BYN. And you can view the schedule on the carrier’s official website.
Various excursions to Mir Castle are also very popular. They cost significantly more (about 200 BYN), but this price includes both travel and many other bonuses (such as lunch, excursions and entrance tickets to the local museum).
In addition, almost all such tours continue with a trip to the neighboring Nesvizh Castle. Therefore, in 1 day you will be able to see two popular locations at once.
You can view all the details and sign up for the tour on website No. 1 and website No. 2. Their offers are very similar, so choose the one where trips are cheaper.
The church and the church
The first attraction that you will see when you arrive in the urban village of Mir is St. Nicholas Church (built in 1599-1605).
It stands in the very center of the city, surrounded by a small park and vegetable gardens. I went a little closer to him, looked into the courtyard, went inside…
But there was a ringing silence in the prayer hall and next to the church. Only the concrete grayness of the old walls, the voices of two old women behind the next fence, and the monument to Soviet soldiers a little behind.
The sun flashed on and off. Flocks of birds circled above the brick tower. And looking at them, for some reason I thought that I could immediately come up with a dozen beautiful (but dark) stories related to this place. Something about small towns and their mystical mysteries (like Gillian Flynn’s “Sharp Objects” or Stephen King’s “The Fate of Salem”).
Savoring this thought, I looked around and walked towards the cafe under the laconic sign “Cafe” (the real name is The Road of castles“). ThereThe school used to work, and therefore the halls of the institution are somewhat similar to what is usually called a “House Museum”. An old stove in the center, massive antique cabinets in the corners, and tables with Singer typewriters instead of legs.
The building itself is as old as the neighboring church. Therefore, you should definitely look here. This place is very atmospheric and colorful.
If you cross the road, you will see right in front of the churchSeptember 18 Square, which was once called the Market Square. There is a square in the middle, and old one–story buildings on the edges (badly damaged today with signs like “Berezka Department Store” or “Roksolana Cafe”).
Some of the buildings here date back to the 18th century, but most of the buildings were built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest building here is the local complexTrinity Church (built between 1533 and 1550).
Once the church was Uniate and belonged to the Basilian monastery. But since 1824 (and up to the present day), the church has been Orthodox.
Jewish history and the shadows of World War II
Another building with a long history stands on the neighboring Kirov Street. Today it houses the Mirsky Posad Hotel. But historically, the complex belonged to the local Jewish community and included two city synagogues (XVIII century).
In general, there is a lot connected with Jewish history in the World. There is a Jewish cemetery in the town (1731), and almost half of the buildings in the center were once a Jewish tavern, a Jewish school, or a Jewish pharmacy.
Belarusian guides often tell about the history of secular Jews ( here, for example). And on the website of the local tourist center there is even a special material called “The History of Jews in the World“. Read it if you have time. There are Jewish legends (about untold riches), and even stories about a weeping spirit in the local museum of local lore.
But personally, what I remember most of all is the history of the secular yeshiva (a higher educational institution in Judaism). It appeared in 1815 and for a long time was considered one of the most prestigious in Europe. Its history ended only in 1939, when, under pressure from the Soviet authorities, students and teachers were forced to emigrate to Vilna.
But even there, the yeshiva did not last long. In the early 40s, the threat of the Holocaust became absolutely clear. Most Jews tried to get away from the impending war, but most of Europe was already occupied by the Germans, and the remaining countries banned Jewish refugees from entering (not wanting to spoil relations with the Reich).
The salvation for thousands of Jews was the Japanese consul in Lithuania named Tiune Sugihara, who (without orders from Tokyo) began to massively issue Japanese visas to them. Thus, in the spring and summer of 1940, thousands of people moved first to Moscow, then to the Far East, and then to Shanghai (which was then under Japanese rule).
After World War II, Jews moved further overseas, where the Secular Yeshiva was recreated again. Today, the former building (on Kirova Street) houses a post office and a funeral home. And the yeshiva itself continues to exist, but already in New York and Jerusalem.
Mir Castle
An asphalt bridge led from the town to the castle, spanning a tiny river that was almost completely lost in the reeds in September. A lone donkey was grazing in the meadow. The autumn sky accentuated the blue tiled roofs of the castle. And right next to him was an endless sea of cars (which stretched to the horizon on Saturday).
The same endless stream of people stretched in the direction of the main gate of the castle, but (for some reason) almost immediately got lost behind the door with the inscription “Museum”. At some point, I also got lost behind it, but to be honest, I didn’t get any excitement from the castle exposition.
If you like luxurious interiors, it is better to pay attention to another Belarusian palace (in the agricultural town of Zhilichi).
There really are coffered ceilings, gilded columns, and frescoes in the ancient Greek style. But I’ve always liked the castle in the World more for its external power than the wealth of its interior rooms.
Therefore, after climbing around the castle casemates for a while, we returned to the courtyard again. Alice took a picture with the shields of the Scottish infantry…
Attempted to steal bicycles parked at the door of a local hotel…
And then she went to rinse the grass in the castle pond, while I told her the legends about local ghosts.
It was a sunny day, and we still had quite a long way to go. Therefore, I will not tell you the story of Sonechka’s ghost, the local tomb and the apple orchard that grew on the site of the pond today. If you want, read it at the link below. In the meantime, I’ll go ahead and tell you about the places that surround the urban settlement of Mir. After all, Belarus is a country where ancient monuments are found around almost every corner.
A few words about hotels…
To see all the interesting places located near Mir Castle, you will need a car, as well as a hotel that can be used as a “base camp”.
The easiest thing is to settle in the castle itself. There is also a own hotel. But (!) it’s not cheap, and the reviews are pretty mixed. Therefore, as an alternative, I will give here the contacts of other worldly hotels.
So there is in the city…
- Mirsky Posad Hotel (located in the former synagogue building);
- inexpensive guesthouse “Nicodemus”;
- and an old hotel “Mir“, which can only be booked by phone (8 01596 23-851).
You can also rent beautiful A-frame houses near the castle (for a romantic weekend) and the most budget hostels for 30 BYN per person.(@hostelmirbelarus).
You can already see for yourself which of these things you like best. And I’ll get to the main point…
What places to visit near Mir Castle?
The surroundings of the World are a real buffet for all fans of travel. Therefore, if you wish, you can create an interesting route for the whole weekend at once. Below I will give my 10 interesting places located within a short trip from Mir Castle – and you can choose the directions that you like.
Here and…
- “Classic” Nesvizh with its Picturesque Church, Radziwill crypts and stunning castle;
- And a less popish castle in Lyubce, which has not yet managed to turn into a full-fledged tourist attraction.
A small car route can be built along the ancient temples of Belarus, which are also in abundance here.
- In the village of Ishkold stands a unique 15th century Trinity Church. (This is the oldest temple in Belarus that has never burned or been rebuilt);
- And in the village Polonechka is the church of St. George (1899), the only wooden (!) church in our country in the Neo-Gothic style.
Photo author Kasia Syramalot (@palasatka); source 34travel.me .
Another special ancient monument can be found in the village of Raitsa. This is an unusual church of St. Barbara, built of brutal stone and looks like a small fortress. In 1817, a statue of the Virgin Mary crowned its tower, but lightning regularly struck it, so the image of the Mother of God was soon removed.
Interesting temples and ancient tombs can also be found in other villages and agro-towns near the Mir Castle. For example, in Volno, Valevka, Turce and Voronche. But it would be too long to talk about each of them now. Therefore, in continuation of the topic, I am simply leaving here a link to a large article from the 34travel website, where this temple route is described in great detail.
A little further…
All these places, which I wrote about above, can be reached by car in half an hour. But if your heart yearns for adventure, you can, of course, build a longer route around the surroundings of Mir Castle. For example, to follow in the footsteps of Adam Mickiewicz. In the village of Zaosye, where the poet was born, there is still his house museum. And in In Novogrudok, where he spent his youth, you can see the ruins of the famous castle, which appeared more than once in his poems.
Another beautiful place associated with the name of Mickiewicz is Lake Svityaz (53 km from Mir Castle). Once upon a time, according to legend, there was a beautiful city here under the rule of Prince Tugan. But a war broke out in neighboring Novogrudok and, taking all his knights with him, the local ruler moved to his aid. The battle was won, but, retreating, the remnants of the enemy besieged the city of Svityaz itself. At that moment, only women and children remained outside the walls. And realizing what awaits them in case of capture, they asked for help from higher powers. At that moment, the entire city collapsed into the ground, and in its place a clear lake with white flowers was formed (according to the number of dead residents).
The author of the photo is Yulia Krutsko.
Locals believe that at night ghostly silhouettes of girls appear near the water. The souls of the dead inhabitants of Svityaza. In calm weather, bells ring over the surface of the water. That’s why this lake is still considered one of the most romantic and mysterious places in Belarus.
And what places near the Mir Castle can you recommend? Leave your answers in the comments. And it’s time for me to say goodbye. Goodbye, friends. I hope my story will help you plan your ideal trip.
