The Mir Castle Complex in Belarus is an wonderful example of a central European castle. Construction of the castle began at the end of the 15th century and was subsequently extend and reconstructed in Renaissance styles by Duke Ilinich in the early 16th century and once more in Baroque style around 1568 when the castle passed into the hands of Mikolaj Krzysztof “the Orphan” Radziwill. The three architectural styles blend harmoniously to create an impressive monument to the history of this region. Although abandoned for nearly a century and suffering major damage from multiple sieges during the Napoleonic periods, the castle was sold to Nikolai Sviatopolk-Mirski and Nikolai’s son Miochail completed restoring the castle to its original luster near the end of the 19th century. The castle was owned by the Sviatopolk-Mirski family until 1939 when it was taken over by the Nazi occupying force and served as a ghetto for the local Jewish population.
The castle is a square shaped building with towers at the corners, with its fifth tower holding a drawbridge and protective forged grille to impede any sudden attacks. One of Mir Castles amazing features is the unique and ornamental construction on its towers with each having been made in its own unique way. A beautiful three story palace with forty rooms was added along the eastern and northern walls of the castle during its Renaissance reconstruction. An Italian garden was planted to the north of the walls and an artificial lake was created to its south. Since 1992, the castle has been home to a subsidiary of the National Museum of the Republic of Belarus. Renovation work on the castle is currently underway and plans call for the addition of a museum, hotel and restaurant complex on the site.
In 2000, UNESCO added the Mir Castle Complex to its World Heritage Site list and today it is one of the most important tourist attractions in Belarus. In addition to the complex itself there are other sights to take in during your visit including the Jewish war memorial and burial site, Mir town square and market, the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Nicholas dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries as well as the Orthodox Trinity Church which dates back to the 16th century. The Mir Castle Complex is about fifty five miles south-west of Minsk, making it the perfect destination for a daytrip. Hotels are also available in Novogrudok which is only about 25 miles from the castle.
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