Mir Castle

Mir Castle stands at the edge of the town of Mir next to its own peaceful pond. It was originally built in the mid-1520s as a Gothic fortress of five towers linked by thick stone walls. The Radziwiłłs took it over and finished the job in Renaissance style using red brick, with a pale stone banding running across the towers. UNESCO listed it in 2000, and it is now a museum now after a long restoration period. The pond sits on the south side of the castle, dug out by a later owner, and will let you experiment with capturing the whole south wall reflected on still water. The sun slowly moved over the pond throughout the day, so you're front lit from the south shore whenever you turn up. There is lots of space around the grounds to experiment with various views of the ramparts, earth banks and corner bastions. Tucked away in the park there's the Svyatopolk-Mirsky chapel-tomb with an intricate mosaic set over the entrance. Plus the ruins of the family's palace are in there too. Admission is charged to explore the interior of the castle and museum, by the grounds and park are free to explore. There's a hotel and a restaurant on site if you want to be out there at first light. (Mir, Grodno Region, Belarus)