Sights in Hrodna
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Stari Zamak
Two castles face each other in the city centre, and although not overly impressive, are still worth a look. The Novi Zamak (New Castle) is to the southeast and the Stari Zamak (Old Castle) to the northwest and each houses a branch of the Historical and Architectural Museum. Between the castles is a wooden carving of Vytautas the Great, the Lithuanian leader responsible for Stari Zamak, which was built in the 14th century on a site the Kyivan Rus settlers had established a few centuries earlier.
The only original remains are the sections of wall to the left as you enter, from which there are nice views across the river. The rest was cheaply refurnished in a pseudomodern st…
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A
Catholic Farny Cathedral
The sight in Hrodna is the Catholic Farny Cathedral, one of Belarus' most impressive churches. Inside is a row of splendidly ornate altars leading to a huge main altarpiece constructed of multiple columns interspersed with sculpted saints. The sense of space and history inside is almost dizzying. It was built up from the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century, as foreign masters (especially Kristof Peykher from Königsberg) designed altars and drew frescoes.
Another church once stood on the opposite side of the square. It was damaged in WWII and later razed by the Soviet regime; fragmented foundation ruins now mark the spot.
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Church of SS Boris & Hlib
On a hillside by the riverbank you'll find the very attractive Church of SS Boris & Hlib, a small, unassuming church, unusual looking as half of it is made of stone, half of wood. The stone sections date from the 12th century, making it the second-oldest surviving structure in the country after St Sophia Cathedral in Polatsk. It's a candidate for Unesco World Heritage List. There are weekend services.
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Novi Zamak
On the opposite side of the bluff to Stari Zamak (Old Castle), and overlooking the river is the Novi Zamak (New Castle), built in 1737 as the royal palace for the Polish king August III. Originally built in opulent rococo-style, it was gutted by fire when the Soviets retook Hrodna from the Germans in 1944 and rebuilt in a yawn-inspiring classical style (notice the Soviet emblem above the columns).
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B
Bernadine Church & Seminary
The 16th-century Catholic Bernadine Church & Seminary was built predominantly in the Renaissance style, and the bell tower was redone with a defiant baroque flair 250 years later, and again after WWII. It stands atop a hill opposite the bizarre, spiderlike Drama Theatre, looking much like a spacecraft about to lift off.
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Obelisk
Just to the north of the synagogue on vul Vjalikaja Traetskaja, take a left turn down a shaded lane and across a wooden bridge through the park, which will take you to an obelisk marking Hrodna's 850th anniversary.
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C
Pobrigitski Monastery
About 400m west of the bus station is the Pobrigitski Monastery, built in 1651, which has some lovely ornaments on its façade, as well as some 18th-century wooden buildings inside the complex.
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D
Museum of Garadnitsa History
This tiny city history museum has almost nothing in it, but it's pleasant to walk around the 18th-century wooden home it's housed in, and they sell curious handcrafted items and souvenirs.
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E
Pokrovsky Cathedral
Near the train station is the attractive 1904-05 Pokrovsky Cathedral, a candy-striped house with blue-and-gold domes.
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F
Synagogue
Along vul Vjalikaja Traetskaja is a dilapidated 19th-century synagogue, the largest still standing in Belarus.
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G
Drama Theatre
The spiderlike Drama Theatre looks much like a spacecraft about to lift off.
reviewed
