CHÂTEAU DE MIR (ЗАМОК МИРСКИЙ)

Situated at the entrance to the city, Mir Castle appears on the lake, surrounded by a pretty park. Its elegant, majestic silhouette dominates the town, which is separated by a watercourse. The construction of the castle began between 1522 and 1527, when Mir belonged to Prince Yuri Ilyinich. In 1568, he returned to the Radziwill family and finished construction with an Italian park. The exterior of the castle has four impressive towers 25 metres high. The fifth tower is the main entrance to the castle. It was built in front of the old road leading to Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The upper part of the ramparts and towers is made of bricks, planted according to a Gothic decorative motif. It is possible to climb on the south-west tower, which is also the best preserved. At its summit, there is a breathtaking panorama of the town and the countryside around it. On the north side and east of the castle stretches the palace, Renaissance style. After the war of 1812, the castle underwent a long phase of decadence, linked to the death of the last Prince of Mir, Dominique Radziwill. In 1891, the castle was bought by Prince Nikolaj Svjatopolk-Mirski, who began the restoration work and built a small chapel and a family cave. After 1939 the castle was completely abandoned. During the Second World War, it even welcomed the ghetto of the city. In the early 1980 s, restoration works were initiated, they will last until 2013. Mir Castle is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.