Once the residence of the powerful princely family of the Radziwills, today Nesvizh Castle is one of the main attractions of Belarus and at the same time a hotel.
Founded in 1583, the castle still retains the atmosphere of many historical eras. A combination of Renaissance and classicism, baroque and modern, beautiful interiors, a rich museum collection, a magnificent park with lakes and shady alleys – the Nesvizh palace and park ensemble is rightfully one of the five main attractions of the republic. And in 2006 it was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage.
Initially, the castle was conceived as a defensive citadel and was built according to a classic scheme for its time. It was surrounded by an earthen rampart with bastions at the corners and a water ditch. Along the main axis there were a stone gate with a drawbridge and a 3-story palace. To the left of the gate was a utility building, to the right was a barracks with a watch tower. Russian troops repeatedly tried to take the citadel in the middle of the 17th century, but only the Swedes succeeded in doing so in 1706. Subsequently, the owners of the castle – representatives of the richest princely family of the Radziwills – repeatedly rebuilt the building, sparing no expense. The palace style became predominant in the decoration of residential buildings; by 1939 there were 34 magnificent halls. In the middle of the 19th century, parks were laid out around the castle: Old, Castle, New, English, as well as the Japanese Garden – a total of more than 90 hectares. In 2012, restoration work was completed at the castle; now the palace is open to visitors as a museum (site). Here you can see a lavishly decorated interior, painted ceilings, pieces of antique furniture and decorative arts, a collection of medieval weapons and armor, as well as a rich library that belonged to the Radziwill family, numbering more than 20 thousand ancient volumes.
The Palace Hotel is located directly in the castle building (translated from Belarusian as “palace”),
or rather VIP hotel rooms. And the usual ones are in the next building in the immediate vicinity of the castle. The 100-meter suite has a hall, living room, bedroom; From the windows there is a beautiful view of the castle and lakes. A night in such a room will cost almost 11 thousand rubles. In double rooms of a lower category – from 3.8 thousand rubles. Guests of the “Palace” and visitors of the Nesvizh Castle can enjoy the “Hetman” restaurant and the “Strana” cafe.
Take the time to visit the small town of Nesvizh. In addition to the castle, here you can see the Jesuit Church of the Body of God (1587-1593) – the first building in the Baroque style in the entire territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In addition, the church is the ancestral tomb of the Radziwills, in which their bodies have been buried for hundreds of years. Nesvizh Town Hall is the oldest town hall building preserved on the territory of modern Belarus. The former Benedictine monastery (1590-1595) is the first convent on the territory of modern Belarus.
