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Grodno Travel & Sightseeing Guide

January 10, 2008 |

A trip to Grodno

The city of Grodno, also known as Hrodna, is located in Belarus on the Neman River, near the borders with Lithuania and Poland. Records indicate that Grodno has existed for over 900 years and due to its location, it administers a considerable Lithuanian and Polish heritage and is the heart of Polish culture in Belarus. The city is renowned for its significant Medical University where a number of foreign students are enrolled. Grodno is also home to a couple of sights including some medieval and Baroque churches, castles and monasteries.

Flights to Grodno
Grodno’s municipal airport (GNA) is located about 10 miles from the city centre, close to the city of Abuhaya. During the days of the USSR, not only Grodno but all the regional centres in Grodno province were accessible by air on a daily basis. However, since the beginning of ‘Perestroika’, regular flights to Grodno have ceased due to fuel restrictions and the locals’ inability to meet the expenses. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Grodno try Thomas Cook.

At present, the most convenient and safest means of transport to get around Belarus is the intercity buses. Every day, between 60 and 85 of these buses depart from Grodno to Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Grodno’s busy railway station handles some 65 trains daily to and from Moscow, St Petersburg, Minsk, Warsaw and other destinations.
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Sightseeing in Grodno
One of Grodno’s most impressive landmarks is the Cathedral of St Franciscus Xavier which was built around the 17th century and exceeds 164 feet in height. Other tourist draws include the magnificent Kolozha Church of Saints Boris and Gleb, the city’s oldest monument, as well as the polychrome Orthodox Cathedral. Several monasteries and cloisters are scattered in and around Grodno, above all the 17th century Bernardine monastery and the old Franciscan cloister.

Another uniquely designed structure is the Grodno TV Tower which is over 820 feet tall and has a strange shaped top. Visitors to Grodno should go to see the area’s historical castles like the Red Castle and Mir Castle, or the popular Novogrudok Castle ruins. The city also features the only zoo in the republic and the Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Fun by night – eating, drinking and partying
In Belarus, the restaurants are modest and inefficient but the local dishes are really good, particularly pork creations, fried potatoes and pancakes. Belarusian vodka is also known to be celestial. Those with an inkling for international cuisine will be happy to know Chinese, Italian and Japanese cooking is fast becoming popular.

Nightlife entertainment is somewhat restricted; there are a number of bars such as Bar Metro where you can play pool, Russian billiards and bowl. A couple of descent nightclubs include Epolet, which is probably the best establishment. A different possibility for after-dark amusement is the relatively expensive Drama Theatre which presents various performances, while the surrounding area of the theatre is used as a hang-out spot for the local youth.

Fun by day – shopping and activities
There are various types of shopping available in Grodno; visitors will find department stores, antique shops as well as the popular indoor and outdoor markets. Vulitsa Savetskaya is the main shopping street, with the Magazin being the city’s main department store.


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