Grodno is a large city in western part of Belarus. Grodno is known from the year 1005, and it started as a small fort. The city’s official foundation was in 1127, when it was established on the region’s trade routes. Grodno, together with Novgorodok, was the leading city in the historical landscape, Black Ruthenia, which lay in the Lithuanian borderland, where there were frequent attacks from the Teutonic Order.

The city belonged to Lithuania and the later union between Lithuania and Poland. Grand Duke Vytautas was Prince of Grodno from 1376, and he stayed in the city before the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410. In 1441, the city obtained Magdeburg rights, and it became a residence city and so-called royal city in Poland-Lithuania.

In the 18th century, the Great Nordic War broke out, and Grodno became the scene of major battles in both 1706 and 1708. The city remained in Poland-Lithuania until 1795, when Grodno became part of the Russian Empire, and when the Polish king and Lithuanian Grand Duke abdicated. Russia made Grodno a regional administrative city, and from the end of the 18th century an industrialization of the city started. Through the 19th century, Grodno grew to around 50,000 inhabitants.

During World War II, Germany occupied Grodno, and until 1920 the city changed hands several times, before the city became part of Poland, which placed a significant garrison here. In 1939, Grodno became part of the Belarusian Soviet Republic, and from 1941 Germany occupied the city, which was liberated by the Red Army in 1944. Since 1945, Grodno has been part of Belarus.

Today you can explore the city along the banks of the river Neman, where there are many sights. In the center are the Old Castle and the New Castle, which belong to the city’s historically best-known buildings. The Old Castle mainly dates from the 1670s, and it was here that the city’s first fort of its time was built.

The castle is open as a historical and archaeological museum. From here you can walk over a bridge to the New Castle, which was built in the 18th century. The New Castle was the site of the last parliamentary session of Poland-Lithuania in 1793. Both castles are located on ridges above the Neman, and from here you can enjoy a stroll along the river or in Lalozhski Park, where you can notice the monument to Grodno’s 850th anniversary.

In the center of Grodno, you can go for a walk to the city’s other sights, starting from Sovetskaya Ploshad, where you can see a palace of culture from the Soviet era and the impressive Francisco Xavier Cathedral, which was built as a Jesuit church in Baroque style at the end of the 17th century. At the dedication of the church, both Tsar Peter the Great and the King of Poland participated, which says something about the importance of the church.

Close by, you can visit another of the city’s baroque churches, the Discovery of the Holy Cross Church with an associated monastery. Opposite this church is Grodno’s drama theatre, which belongs to the most significant buildings from the 20th century. In the northern part of the center is Lenin Square, which as an urban space from the time of the Soviet Union also worth visiting.