The British online site femalefirst.co.uk has compiled a list of the top 23 castles in Europe, featuring Belarus’ architectural pearl of Mir Castle.
The site notes Mir Castle’s turbulent history and its near century long abandonment. It was restored in the late 19th century but retains elements of the Renaissance and Baroque style, as well as beautiful parklands and waterways.
The website also commends Bojnice Castle in Slovakia, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Edinburgh Castle in the UK, Dracula Castle (Bran) in Romania, Trakai Castle in Lithuania, Prague Castle in the Czech Republic and Vianden Castle in Luxembourg.
The Grodno Region’s Mir Castle is a unique and exceptional example of 16th century defensive architecture, combining successive elements of European style: Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance. In 2000, it was registered on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List and, in December 2010, opened to tourists after renovation.
The castle complex comprises a family vault, an Italian Renaissance garden, an English garden and a pond, as well as the castle itself. It traditionally hosts concerts and knights’ festivals, as well as art and craft fairs.
The tradition of Christmas balls was resumed at Mir Castle in 2013, reviving the grand and glamorous receptions once hosted by the noble Radziwills and Svyatopolk-Mirskie.
