Location: Grodno
Top Things to do in Grodno
What to do and see in Grodno, Belarus: The Best Places and Tips
Grodno or Hrodna (Belarusian: Гродна, Hrodna [ˈɣrɔdna]; Russian: Гродно, tr. Grodno, IPA: [ˈɡrodnə], see also other names) is a city in western Belarus. It is located on the Neman close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania (about 20 km (12 mi) and 30 km (19 mi) away respectively). It has 365,610 inhabitants (2016 census). It is the capital of Grodno Region and Grodno District.
Restaurants in Grodno
1. The Jesuit Catholic Church
Overall Ratings
5 based on 126 reviews
Reviewed By Luv2Tour2 - Ann Arbor, Michigan
Beautiful church. It is under restoration at the moment. According to the security guard it is the first time it is getting a makeover in over 300 years. It is an acting Catholic church with three services in the morning one midday and two in the afternoon during the week. There are additional services on Sunday. The art work inside is beautiful, lots of gold, richly adorned. Definitely worth visiting.
2. Kalozha Church Boris-Gleb Church
Overall Ratings
5 based on 180 reviews
Reviewed By Dzeikob - Kaunas, Lithuania
So unique both, from inside and from outside. Extraordinary location of the church, mystic view of the castle and the river Nemunas can hypnotize you easily.
3. Sovetskaya Street
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 116 reviews
Reviewed By Johnny_Goode - Brussels, Belgium
It's a nice street with European style 3-4 story buildings, free of cars, with quite a few restaurants and shops. Even when walking with a baby in a stroller you can find a place to have a meal or just a cup of coffee as most of the restaurants are "designed" for it having a ramp or a backyard access.
Given its location (downtown Grodno) it's perfect for walking on a summer day.
4. Zhiliber's Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 73 reviews
Reviewed By Yaraslau - Minsk, Belarus
Pretty beautiful park, it is a attraction by itself. Some of a plants are here since 18th century, when it was a botanic garden. Now there is a small valley around a river with beatiful benches and some sculptures and installations. A good place to make a bunch of pretty and interesting photos, also there is a restaraunt in a old building there and some other important historical attractions such as theater. Worth a visit.
5. The Pakrouskaya Orthodox Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By Alex T
Black & Blue was granted to me by the church where I was baptized . That took place in the beginning of the summer of 2015 . I also had a confession .
6. Grodno Zoo
Overall Ratings
4 based on 111 reviews
Reviewed By Alexei P
Visited this place with my nephews from London, they were excited about one feature of this zoo. You can play with young foxes, wolves and other animals! That was really great, of course this is not available for the whole year, only when they have them. The rest of the zoo is ok as well. Without option of playing with young wild animals would give it 3 of 5.
7. The Watchtower of the fire department and a Fire Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 51 reviews
Reviewed By daviddocklands - London, United Kingdom
I'm not sure you can go inside-- but it is well worth taking a picture. Probably one of the most unusual fire stations in the world!
8. The Old Castle
Overall Ratings
4 based on 90 reviews
Reviewed By woaqzo - Lyngby, Danmark
Just adianced to the new castle is the old castle. The castle it self is borring, but you have a good view of the river Neman from here as well as a small souvenirshop (the only i found in the city)
9. Pharmacy Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 62 reviews
10. Great Choral Synagogue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 45 reviews
Reviewed By rm1003 - Manchester, United Kingdom
The Great Synagogue of Grodna was built from 1576 to 1580 by Italian architect Santi Gucci—the court artist of King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland, who designed a shul at Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe's invitation. Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, known widely as “the Levush” for his 10-volumn sefer, 'Levush Hamalchus'.
There has been several fires in the past and each time the Synagogue was rebuilt. In 1899 the shul was heavily damaged by fire. It was rebuilt in 1907 in a mix of eclectic and Moorish styles, serving this important center of European Jewry until the Nazi surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
Before World War II, Grodno’s Jewish community numbered 25,000—half of the city’s overall population—and had scores of Jewish institutions and schools, such as Yavneh, Tarbut and Talmud Torah.
Until 1939, Grodno was also home to Yeshivas Shaar HaTorah, led by the renowned Talmudic genius Reb Shimon Shkop, who transformed the Yeshiva into one of the most influential Lithuanian-style yeshivas in pre-war Europe. Reb Shimon Shkop wrote the Shaarei Yosher. He is buried in the Grodno Beis Olom. Also buried there is Reb Alexander Ziskind the mechaber of the Yesod Ve'shoresh Ha'avodah.
During World War II the Nazis established a Jewish Ghetto in Grodno and then transferred many thousands of Jews to the Great Synagogue of Grodna where they were abused etc prior to transporting to concentration camps where they were killed HYD.
The shul and the Grodno Community is now led by the energetic Chabad Shliach Rabbi Yitzchok Kofman who came to Grodno 13 years ago and is doing his best to bring Yidishkeit to Grodno. He is also overseeing the restoration of this historic shul which is a massive task due to the size of the shul complex. It was ruined in a big fire in 2013 and as can be seen in the photos is slowly returning to its former glory.
Rabbi Yitzchok Kofman is also building a Mikve Tehara in the shul complex. Rabbi Yitzchok Kofman is a very helpful person and kindly opened the shul to allow our tour group to daven shacharis mid week in the side shul. We came on the Yahrzeit of the Yesod Ve'shoresh Ha'avodah and we made a small Kidush after shacharis in his memory before going to the Beis Olom.
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