According to Wholevehicles, the picturesque Neman River flows through the territory of Russia, Lithuania and Belarus. Numerous cities sprawled along its banks. And one of them is Grodno, located almost at the very border with Poland and Lithuania. Known since the time of The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, it has always been a major center of trade, crafts, and arts; visited both the capital of the principalities and the regional center. Now Grodno is also the administrative center of the region, an important crossing point for transport routes and an interesting tourist attraction.
How to get to Grodno
The time when Grodno could only be reached on horseback or in a carriage is long gone. We offer trains, buses and planes. The airport is located 18 km southeast of the city, from Moscow to Grodno you can fly with one or two transfers.
By train
From Minsk, trains leave for Grodno at least five times a day (counting those that are formed in the capital of the country and those that pass through it) and go to the end point for about 6 hours. Travel time from Vitebsk to Grodno will be 11 hours, from Brest – 12, and almost 14 if you leave Gomel. But the proximity of the Polish border leads to the fact that the train from Warsaw reaches its destination in just 7 hours, but with transfers, at best, only in Bialystok. Lithuania (Vilnius, Kaunas) can also be reached only with transfers. There is a direct railway connection with Moscow (the fast branded train “Old Neman” runs) and St. Petersburg.
By bus
You can get to Grodno by bus not only in 4-5 hours from Minsk (departure from the Vostochny bus station and Druzhnaya station, which is right behind the railway station), but also from Brest (4-6 hours on the way), Pinsk (on average 10 hours on the way) and other cities of Belarus.
Transportation
You can get to the center by public transport, which is represented by trolleybuses, buses and fixed-route taxis.
There are information centers for tourists in the city, on the street. Gorky, 52, and on the street. Ozheshko, 38. There you can pick up excursions and accommodation, get the necessary advice.
Cuisine and restaurants in Grodno
Grodno is no exception to the general trend: it will not be difficult for a tourist to find where to eat tasty and inexpensive. More expensive, but a higher level is also possible, for this it is worth honoring with your presence “Old Lyamus” on the street. Dzerzhinsky, 1a, “White Roses” on the street. Derzhinsky, 98, where live music plays from 20:00, Golden Calf (BLK, 29a), specializing in Belarusian cuisine, Restaurant (Vrublevsky St., 44) and others.
A more democratic atmosphere reigns in the cafe-bar “Korchma near the pier” (Zavodskaya str., 14), which should not be confused with another wonderful bar “Karchma”, on the street. Sovetskoy, 31. Good confectionery “Salodki pachastunak”, which serves wonderful cakes and desserts (located on Ozheshko St., 25/3, the Moskovsky store will serve as a reference point), cafe “Moka” on the street. Gorky, 53, “Arena” (st. Kommunalnaya, 3) and many others. Pizza lovers should not pass by “Retro” (ul. Sovetskaya, 31) and a pizzeria on the street. Gornovykh, 17.
Shopping and stores
Shopping centers, where you can buy goods from household appliances to food (by the way, very, very tasty) and clothes, are quite standard for the entire territory of the country. Among them “Grandichi” on the street. Gorky, 55, hypermarket “Almi” on the street. Cosmonauts, 81, covered market “Crown” on the street. Gorky, 91 (mondays off).
If you want something unusual, with a national flavor, then go to the city’s railway station, opposite which there is a wonderful shop with authentic souvenirs. There are the same on the square. Tizenhausen, on the street. Kirov, but the most unusual can be called a branded alcohol store on the street. B. Troitskaya, where you can buy originally designed drinks as souvenirs.
Entertainment and attractions in Grodno
If you thought that there were no castles in Belarus, you were wrong. In Grodno, for example, there are two of them, the Old one (Zamkovaya street, 22) and the New one (Zamkovaya street, 20). The old one, proudly towering over the river, looks impressive, but the New one, built like a royal palace, is more elegant. The castles are well preserved, however, the same can be said about almost all the architectural objects of the city. Among them are beautiful churches: the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross, the Church of the Annunciation in the Brigitok Monastery, the Church of the Virgin Mary of Angels in the Franciscan Monastery and the pearl among them is the Cathedral Church of St. Francis Xavier (it is also called Farny).
Grodno is a multi-religious city, so there are enough Orthodox churches and synagogues (the Great Choral Synagogue deserves attention). Borisoglebskaya Church, which is also called Kalozhskaya, is an example of stone architecture, and hides wonderful frescoes under its walls. Of interest are the Cathedral of the Holy Intercession Cathedral, St. Vladimir’s Church and Lutheran churches.
Enough and historical objects not related to religion. There is a fire tower, and the Kasovsky Merchants’ House, and monasteries: Jesuits, Carmelites, Basilians, etc. Take a look at the warehouse and the ruined Grodno fortress, go to the zoo. Take a walk along the embankment, admire the views of the Neman and the graffiti of young talents. Visit numerous local museums: House-museums of E. Ozheshko or M. Bogdanovich, the museum of the history of Gorodnitsa, the history of religion, or the creepy Teratological Museum, the only one in Belarus. If after such a spectacle you want something soothing, go for a boat trip along the Augustow Canal, a unique hydraulic engineering structure created back in the 19th century. Picturesque shores, estates and observation of the locking process will surely be of interest to both adults and children.
