| Duration: | 1 Day(s) - 0 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Half Day Tour |
For centuries the Nesvizh Palace used to be the residence of the Radziwills, one of the richest dynasties in Europe. Today the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve Nesvizh is a superb restored castle and a landmark of Belarus.
It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Belarus
Nesvizh Palace is located in one oldest settlements and most famous places in Belarus Nesvizh is in the Minsk region of Belarus, around 120km south-west of Minsk.
In 2012 Nesvizh was named Belarus Capital of Culture and became the third Belarusian town after Polotsk and Gomel which had been given the honorary status.
The estate and town was acquired by the Radziwil family in the middle of the 16th century, and they stayed there until 1939 when they were expelled by the invading Red Army.
The foundation stone of Nesvizh Palace was laid in 1584. It was rebuilt many times and as a consequence has features of various architectural styles , such as :
In 1770 Nesvizh Palace was seized by Russian forces and the Lithuanian Archive removed and sent to Saint Petersburg where it remains to this day. Much of the artwork was distributed among Russian nobility.
In the late 19th century Nesvizh Palace was restored by the Radziwil family who also designed one of largest landscape gardens in Europe on the estate.
After World War 2 Nesvizh Palace was used as a Sanatorium and the gardens were neglected.
In 1994 the estate was designated the national historical and cultural reserve and in 2006 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Nesvizh Palace receives thousands of visitors every year. The gardens are a particular attraction, with ornamental lakes, and beautifully landscaped gardens.
Nesvizh Palace went through an extensive renovation programme to restore it to its former glory.
After intensive restoration works performed since 2004, Nesvizh Palace reopened its doors for visitors in June 2012.
During summer time the Evenings of the Bolshoi Theatre with the performance of the best ballets and operas are held at Radziwill Castle in Nesvizh.
