Nesvizh Castle
Nesvizh Castle is a fortification complex located in the Minsk region, in the town of Nesvizh, on a hill surrounded by picturesque lakes. Romantics and lovers of stories about knights do not have to go to Western Europe for fresh impressions: a bright representative of this fairy-tale era is lurking just next door – in Belarus. Nesvizh Castle is a unique architectural monument, which for centuries belonged to the greatest family of rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – the Radziwills.
Video: Nesvizh Castle
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen> Contents- Highlights
- History
- What to look out for when visiting Niasvizh Castle
- A tourist’s note
- How to get there
Highlights
Remarkably, the very terrain on which the palace and park complex sits offered little or no military advantage. The 22-meter hill and the surrounding moat were created artificially to improve the strategic position of the castle. Nesvizh was built in the best traditions of the Middle Ages, known to everyone from chivalric epics: an impregnable fortress surrounded by a deep moat with a single bridge, which was raised in case of approaching enemies. There were also several secret passages that were used during sieges. Around the hexagonal courtyard was located everything necessary for life: the palace itself (consisting of 12 rooms, a family museum and a large library), the parish church, household buildings to meet the needs of the lords and even a foundry, where cannonballs were made. Today the palace complex consists of 10 interconnected buildings.
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In the second half of the 17th century, Nesvizh Castle withstood two major sieges by Russian troops, but never fell at their feet, although it suffered significant damage. This was the reason for a thorough reconstruction and improvement of the fortress in 1660 according to the project of the architect and famous expert of military craft Theophilus Spinowski.
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What to look out for when visiting Nesvizh Castle
Visiting the castle, one can never ignore the adjacent landscape parks, which are recognized as the cultural and historical heritage of Belarus and are the largest garden and park complex in the country. Several stylistically different zones – the Old, English, Japanese, Marysin Park – reflect the changing fashion of garden art of the 18th-20th centuries. The territory around the Nesvizh complex abounds with small lakes, shady alleys, benches in secluded corners of the park, as well as bright examples of garden and park sculpture.
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For the tourist
The main flow of tourists in Nesvizh falls on weekends, so visitors sometimes have to wait in line, and tours are shortened in time. But on weekdays there are no such inconveniences, and the entrance fee is a bit less.
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In addition to traditional excursions around the castle and its surroundings in Nesvizh regularly hold theatrical performances illustrating the most interesting episodes of its history, all kinds of festivals and art projects (for example, “Evenings of the Bolshoi Theater in Radziwill Castle” and “Art Fest Urszuli Radziwill”). It also organizes wedding ceremonies and even exciting quests, in which, traveling through the castle, participants solve the hidden secrets of its inhabitants.
.How to get there
