Movies and historical books have taught us that castles can only be found in Western Europe. That's where on every corner there are gloomy towers with sharp spike-needles. It is there that at night the echoes from clanking of military armor are heard - the souls of knights can not find peace.

The most important castles ±​​$ The

In fact, in order to plunge into the romance of castles, you do not need to go to England or Germany .Take a ticket to Belarus: today in the territory of this country there are several dozen castles that were created for the defense of cities .Few have survived for many centuries, but the surviving ones reveal to us little-known pages of the history of this state .Contained in 2005 in the UNESCO World Heritage List Nesvizh Castle survived several wars and assaults, was destroyed, was exposed to fire and more than once recovered .Today, Nesvizh Castle continues to be actively restored and even becomes a venue for knight festivals .

A lot has seen in his lifetime and Kreva Castle .Within its walls the Grand Duke Keystut was killed, the Creva Unia was signed on the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland, and in the 16th century he was repeatedly attacked by the Tatar and Moscow troops .Over the long years of its existence, the Kreva Castle, like a self-respecting medieval fortress, acquired romantic legends .One legend says that in the walls of the castle a girl of dazzling beauty was immured, according to another, an underground tunnel passes through the castle, which leads up to Vilno .In memory of the glorious times at the Kreva Castle, solemn events are held every year with the participation of folklore ensembles of Belarus and Lithuania..

History of Belarusian castles

Locks of Belarus - the successors of fortifications - were erected usually on the site of important trade routes. Their construction began in the 13th century with the erection of stone fortifications, after several centuries the castle building on the territory of the Grand Duchy became ubiquitous. The castles were then considered all types of fortifications, palace ensembles, settlements of feudal lords.

The art of building Belarusian castles can be divided into wooden and stone according to the type of materials used .Unfortunately, wooden locks to this day have not reached .Until the 15th century, to ensure maximum protection and inaccessibility, the construction of fortresses was carried out on high ground, and since the 16th century castles began to be erected in the lowlands and acquired powerful fortress walls and towers .The oldest Belarusian castles made of stone were preserved in Lida, Krevo, Novogrudok and Grodno .The castles in Lida and Krevo are examples of uncomplicated buildings dating back to the 14th century and built on an artificial hill; they are distinguished by massive walls and low towers .Novogrudok and Grodno castles were built in the 12th and 13th centuries, and several centuries later they were rebuilt .These locks are erected on large hills and have strong and high towers .

In addition to protecting state borders, Belarusian fortresses also became defenders of participants in the Western Crusades.

Restoration of the Belarusian castles began not so long ago. Perhaps this is due to the fact that, unlike Western Europe, local castles were not considered luxurious and prestigious structures, and were erected only with a defensive purpose, performing utilitarian functions. Today, the restored castles impress with their grandeur, originality and, of course, the grandeur of the work done.

In the castles of Belarus, everything is imbued with a medieval atmosphere, the breath of antiquity is felt especially sharply. Walking through spacious old buildings filled with a centuries-old history, tourists, a word in a time machine, are in the distant past, where everyone can imagine who he wants: a wise monk, a formidable prince, a charming lady, or a worn servant. ±​​$ br >