Village of Mir, and town of Nyeswizh, BELARUS

The little village of Mir, 85 kilometers southwest of the national capital Minsk, is known for its well preserved late medieval castle. The construction of the castle started during the 15th century in the Gothic architecture style. Building of the castle was completed by Duke Ilinich in early 16th century. It has been in the hands of several private families, including those of the famous Duke Radzivil. However, during WWII it came under the dominion of the Nazi occupying force and served as a ghetto for the local Jewish population prior to their liquidation.

Nyeswizh, one hour drive from Mir, has lots of historical buildings, including a magnificent castle and fortress. Laid back small town life prevails and as the sun sets (22h30), the youth congregate in the squares and parks for their daily ritual of beer drinking and cruising.

Oh....is my writing getting boring now?! Something better happen soon or I won't have any amazing stories. Ok well, this is Eastern Europe - not South America or Asia where I had lots more to write about.

I'm off to Minsk!