Lida Castle

Lida Castle. The Grodno region

Lida Castle, in the Grodno region, is one of the oldest of all Belarus castles

History of Lida Castle

Medieval Lida castle, a fine archeological monument that is officially protected by the state, lies 112km north-east of Grodno in the Grodno region of Belarus.

Lida Castle (Lidskiy zamok) was built in the early 14th century by Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania.

Famously built on sand, Lida Castle has withstood 7 centuries of battles and occupations of the surrounding land.

Lida Castle is similar in layout to another famous place in Belarus, Mir Castle. Boulder walls constructed in the early 14th century were later faced with red brick.

The castle dominates the town of Lida, which was badly damaged in a fire in 1891. Stones from the south-western tower and parts of the western wall of the castle were used to repair fire-damaged houses.

In the 1920s work began to restore some of the castle walls. On January 22, 1940 the Castle of Lida was awarded the status of an archeological monument and in 1953 the castle was taken under state protection.

Lida Castle today

Lida castle today is an all-season tourist attraction, drawing thousands of visitors every year.

During the summer, knights’ tournaments are regularly held in this Belarus castle. In the winter time the inner yard of the castle, an area 80m by 80m, is converted into an ice-skating rink.

Getting to Lida Castle and where to stay

Lida Castle is 160km from Grodno and a similar distance from Minsk.

The best way to get to Lida is by car. The town is a turn-off from the main M6 motorway from Grodno.

Lida has a train station and buses also run here from Grodno and Minsk.

Organised tours to Lida are recommended, and can be arranged through one of the tourist agencies in Grodno.

As Lida is quite a small town, there are only 2 hotels in it. It may be better to stay in a hotel in Grodno and visit the town and castle from there.

Tourist attractions in Belarus near Lida Castle

If you are visiting Lida Castle, other attractions in the town include:

• Exultation of the Cross Roman Catholic church (1760-1765)
• Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic church

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