In Grodno District, natural areas and lakes sit alongside routes in a wide range of formats. The area also has the history of the Augustow Canal, with several historic locks. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth considering which landscapes and activities interest you most.
Nature and routes in different formats
Grodno District is home to the Ozyory State Landscape Reserve. At 557 hectares, White Lake is one of the largest lakes in the district. Near Ozyory, there is also a 259-hectare area where rare and endangered plants grow.
The Ozyory Reserve has six tourist routes and an ecological trail. Route No. 1 is a 10-kilometre water ecotourism route. The Zapovedny Path ecological trail is a 10-kilometre tourist narrow-gauge railway route through a protected area. A description from September 2024 gives the journey on the Zapovedny Path as taking about 2.5 to 3 hours. Along the way, you can enjoy views of ancient marshes, rare plants, forests and meadows. The bridge at the start of the route is considered the country’s second-longest engineering structure and the only construction of its kind to span a lake.
Porechye offers a different format: a 5 to 7-kilometre walking route is available to visitors to the sanatorium. Grodno District also has a 30-kilometre bus-and-walking route themed “The Augustow Canal – the Pearl of the Neman Region”. These options differ considerably in length and format, ranging from the walking route in Porechye to the 10-kilometre water route and the combined bus-and-walking route.
The Augustow Canal and its lock history
The Belarusian section of the Augustow Canal lies in what is now Hrodna District. Construction of the canal was completed in 1839; several of its locks had already been built in 1829. The canal is used for water tourism and is also the subject of one of the bus-and-walking routes in the district.
The Vaukushak Lock, built in 1829, is located at kilometre 85 of the canal. The Dambruwka Lock was also built in 1829 and has retained its original form, including the foundations of a drawbridge. The Nemnava Lock was built in 1829 as well; it has three chambers and is located at kilometre 101 of the canal. Together, these details illustrate different aspects of the canal’s history: its construction date, locations along the route and surviving structural elements.
Another historical topic is the specific defensive bunkers dating from 1940, which are associated with Grodno District and linked to the so-called Molotov Line.
Activities and practical information
Tourist activities featured for Grodno District include workshops on painting pisanki and straw weaving. If you plan to take part, check the dates and arrangements in advance. Tastings of national cuisine were also presented as a tourist activity at the Euroregion Neman exhibition.
Porechye is associated with honey products from Myadovy Shlyakh. If you are specifically looking for these, check the products’ availability and the provider’s current status in advance. An airport is located in Obukhovo in Grodno District; check which services are available there before your trip. A tourist information centre opened in Sopotskin in 2012. It is best to check in advance whether it is still operating.
When looking for a holiday apartment, choosing the focus of your trip can be a good place to start: nature and lakes, a route in a particular format, or the history of the locks.
Discover more destinations: Novaja Ruda, Karelichy District, Lida District, Ashmiany District, Masty District, Navahrudak District.
Go to the overview of the wider region: Grodno Region.
