Krevo Castle

The many colourful stories surrounding Krevo Castle ruins, from secret tunnels to trapped princesses, make it one of the most popular tourist attraction in Belarus.

History of Krevo Castle ruins

The Krevo Castle ruins are situated near the town of Smorgon in the Grodno region of Belarus

Krevo Castle is one of the oldest Belarus castles and dates from the early 14th century. It is an important place in Belarus because it was the first all-stone castle to be built in the region. The stone walls were 2.5m thick and 13m high. The castle had two towers which guarded the rest of the fortress.

Grand Duke Keistut was murdered in the castle in 1381, and in 1385 the famous Krevo Union (between Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) was signed here.

During the 16th century the Tatars and the Russians tried to capture the castle but it remained intact.

By the early 19th century the castle was abandoned and the buildings were mostly destroyed during World War 1.

Krevo Castle ruins today

Today only the ruins of the castle remain. The perimeter walls can still be seen, but only a few fragments of the towers are still intact.

There is a magnificent view of the ruins from the top of nearby Yuryeva Mountain.

Many legends surround the Krevo Castle ruins, including tales of an underground tunnel from the castle to Vilnius, and a beautiful princess who was bricked up alive in the castle walls.

There is a pagan temple on Yuryeva Mountain and 1 of 4 amulet boulders, which used to lie at the entrance of Krevo to protect the town against trouble and disease, still remains.

Ghost in the castle Krevo.

There is an implication that a beautiful girl once lived in this place. And she liked the two princes from the castle. Then, in order to decide who she would stay with, they decided to duel. But the stubborn girl refused the winner. He was angry and ordered to bury the girl with her beloved dog in the castle wall. Since then, her ghost has been walking along with her four-legged pet along the castle.