Lyubcha - is a large village of Navahrudak district, Grodno region of Belarus. The main attraction of the town of Lyubcha is the castle. The construction of the Lyubcha Castle was started in the second half of the 16th century. In 1581, the construction of the first stone tower, which crowned the entrance to the castle in the village of Lyubcha, was completed. The rest of the castle buildings at that time were wooden. But in the following decades, the construction and rapid development of the castle continued and by the middle of the 17th century the castle in the village of Lyubcha included four stone towers, while other constructions of the castle also became stone.

For these times came the era of the heyday of the Lyubcha Castle. This rectangular in the plan castle consisted of four corner towers connected by stone walls of meter thickness. Along the walls there were inhabited buildings. On one side, the Lyubcha Castle was protected by the Neman River, on the other side it was flooded with a deep moat. The castle in the village of Lyubcha was privately owned, belonged to representatives of the Radziwiłł family, and was thus not only a military fortification, but also a magnate residence. The following images depict a modern reconstruction of the external appearance of the Lyubcha Castle, surrounding its buildings and territory at the beginning of the 17th century. Apparently, the castle in the town of Lyubcha was a very beautiful European castle.

Unfortunately, the era of the heyday of the Lyubcha castle lasted literally several decades. After all, in 1655 the Zaporozhye Cossacks seized and almost completely destroyed the Lyubcha Castle. From the whole castle only the ruins of the two towers and the foundations of the remaining buildings were preserved. After that, the castle in the village of Lyubcha, although partially restored, however completely lost its former importance both as a military fortification and as a magnate residence. In the following centuries, the castle in the village of Lyubcha, together with the whole town and the surrounding lands, often changed from one owners to another. For a long time, no one paid due attention to the fragments of the castle in the village of Lyubcha, and actually only the master's house located on the territory of the castle was used.

And it was only in the middle of the 19th century that the next owners of the Lyubcha Castle revived it. In those days, the ruins of the two surviving towers were restored, and, partly on the foundations of old buildings and castle walls, a new beautiful stone palace and a side building, located next to the entrance tower, were erected. And around the castle in the village of Lyubcha was laid a beautiful park. On the following photos - Lyubcha castle in the early 20th century. However, unfortunately, during the First and Second World Wars, the castle in the village of Lyubcha was again severely damaged. The main damage was done to the beautiful palace, from which by 1945 there were only ruins.

After the Second World War, a new building was erected on the site of the palace in the village of Lyubcha, using the remaining fragments of its walls and foundations. In this building there is a school. And it is this building that has survived to this day. True, in our time the school moved from here, and in this two-story administrative building is located training and production plant. But lateral, it is a guest, the building of the middle of the 19th century survived the military hard times. In the Soviet era, this building was adapted for housing for several families. In our time, this guest building of the Lyubcha Castle, located directly under its main tower, still remains residential. Two towers of the castle in the village of Lyubcha also survived the war, but during the Soviet era stood in desolation and slowly collapsed.

As a result, by the end of the 20th century, the castle in the village of Lyubcha again represented only ruins. However, since the beginning of the 2000s, restoration work has been underway here. Noteworthy is the fact that the restoration of the castle in the village of Lyubcha is conducted solely by the forces of volunteers and financed by private sponsors and benefactors. According to some sources, the Lyubcha Castle is the only castle in the world that is being restored in this way. Volunteers plan to turn this historic landmark into an international tourism destination. At the moment, the two surviving towers of the Lyubcha castle are already in excellent condition. Also between these towers was perfectly restored part of ​​the fortress wall. Lyubcha Castle slowly continues to restore. Work is slow, but the main thing is that it continues to be conducted.

The castle in the village of Lyubcha is an outstanding sight, very important historical value and one of the most important architectural monuments of all Belarus. And although the village of Lyubcha is located away from busy trails, nevertheless this place should be visited by every tourist who is actively interested in the history and culture of Belarus. The earthen ramparts and moats surrounding the former castle complex in the village of Lyubcha are a kind of architectural and archaeological reserve, because here on a small square there are preserved buildings dating from such different epochs: from the castle tower of the late 16th century, to the administrative building of the middle 20th century.

There is in the village of Lyubcha and one more interesting landmark, namely the Orthodox church of St. Elijah, built here in 1914. This church is made in the style very typical for the Russian cult construction of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. The church in the village of Lyubcha is an interesting architectural monument of the beginning of the 20th century, a cultural and historical value and a landmark of Belarus. The church in the village of Lyubcha is in good condition and is operational.

The village of Lyubcha is located on the banks of the Neman River, which is not very full in this place. Nevertheless, from the Lyubcha Castle, which is located directly on the high bank of this river, its beautiful panorama opens. Walking around the castle in the village of Lyubcha, it will be nice to stop for a while and looking at how slowly the river flows, to think about the inexorable time that this castle did not spare. In addition, it should be noted that, firstly, in the village of Lyubcha there are several buildings of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, forming a quarter of remarkable historical buildings that may be of interest to some tourists. And secondly, the village of Lyubcha is relatively large, officially - it's an urban village, and there are many elements of basic infrastructure, for example, a bank branch and shops, as well as a well-arranged central square with a monument dedicated to the events of World War II.