Grodno – the city of Lithuanian dukes and Polish kings

Grodno is a unique city-monument, the most well-preserved architectural heritage of the past. This is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. Its history goes back for more than 800 years. For its amazing architectural appearance in the 16th century Grodno was included into Cologne encyclopedia of Brown as one of “the most beautiful cities in Europe”.

A sightseeing tour will show you the city’s skyline – the Old Castle on a steep hill on the bank of the Neman, the residence of King Stefan Batory, the palace of the New Castle – the former royal palace built in the 18th century during the reign of King and Grand Duke of Lithuania August III as a summer residence of Polish kings and the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, designed by Karl Friedrich Poppelmann. The General Sejm meetings were help there, and during the last General Sejm in 1793 there was signed the agreement on the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between Russia and Prussia, in 1795 King and Grand Duke of Lithuania Stanislaw August Poniatowski signed the act of abdication.

You will see the Borisoglebsk (Kalozha) Church – one of the oldest Eastern European churches, a monument to the Grodno architectural school of the 12th century, Farny Church of Francisc Kseveri – the cathedral of Grodno diocese, an outstanding architectural monument of the 16th-17th centuries being in the past the richest church of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth erected for the Jesuits. The interior of the Church includes 13 altars, the temple is decorated with frescoes, sculptures. The Church of the Mother of God of Angels and the monastery of Franciscan, known for its miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Angels of the 17th century.

Before you will appear the largest architectural complex of the city of the 16th-17th centuries, combining the techniques and forms of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, -. the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross and the monastery of Bernardine. The interior of the church preserved unique Renaissance sculptures and organ of the 17th century.

You will see preserved buildings of Gorodnitsa Tizengauza – the administrative, cultural and industrial center of Grodno in the 18th century (among them “curve ofitsina”, the administrator’s palace, home of the vice-admiral, etc.). You will have the opportunity to see the streets of the Old Town (the historical center of Grodno) which preserved the historical layout of the 18th-19th centuries, where on small territory about 400 historical objects of different eras and styles, Zhiliber picturesque park are located, and to visit the Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum.