The closest Russian neighbor is always popular with domestic tourists. A visa is not required here, an ordinary passport is enough for a trip, and prices for excursions, hotels and services will delight even the most economical traveler. Interested in what to see in Belarus? The tourists will see world-famous national parks, memorials of the Great Patriotic War, and architectural masterpieces that the Belarusians were able to preserve despite all the horrors of the past war, and museums with interesting expositions.
Top 15 interesting places in Belarus
Bialowieza Forest
The largest relict forest in Europe is preserved in the Bialowieza region on the territory of Belarus and Poland. The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program has created a biosphere reserve where dozens of species of endangered plants and animals are protected.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha is considered to be a unique array of ancient forests in which bison reign. Other inhabitants include red deer and elk, roe deer and lynxes, martens and otters, as well as white-tailed eagles, black storks and gray cranes - a total of at least 60 species of mammals and more than 220 species of birds.
The nearest settlement to Belovezhskaya Pushcha is the village of Kamenyuki. Minibuses leave here from the Brest bus station. Buses run regularly between the village of Kamenyuki and the entrance to the national park
The working hours of the Museum of Nature in the park are from 9.00 to 18.00 seven days a week. The guided enclosures are open until 8 pm
Bicycles can be rented in the park. The rental hours are from 9.00 to 20.00. The price of the issue is about 8 euros for a four-hour journey along a special route
The cost of a sightseeing tour of the park is about 4.5 euros. The price includes a visit to the Museum of Folk Life. A visit to the estate of Santa Claus will cost a little less
Brest Fortress
The inhabitants of Belarus and Russia rightfully consider the Brest Fortress to be synonymous with military glory and heroism. Its garrison took the attack of the invaders in the first hours after Nazi Germany declared war on the USSR, and the history of the defense of the fortress formed the basis of many films and books.
The fortress was founded in 1836, and the citadel more than once became the site of fierce battles during the First World War, and after the outbreak of World War II, and, especially, in the early days of the Great Patriotic War. The Brest Fortress was awarded the title of Hero Fortress. In 1971 it became a memorial complex.
- The fortress is located in Brest, which you can reach by train from Minsk and other cities of Belarus. You will have to walk or take a taxi to get to the memorial from the railway station. In the first case, the trip will take about 40 minutes, in the second, the trip will cost about 2-3 euros. If you arrived in Brest by bus, right at the bus station, take a fixed-route taxi N5 and warn the driver to take you to the Northern Gate.
- The memorial is open from 8.00 to 24.00 except June 22. The entrance to the fortress is free. You will have to buy tickets only if you are going to visit the museum exposition.
- The complex has developed a program for conducting several dozen thematic excursions for both organized groups and individuals. You will be offered to book a tour of the Museum of the Defense of the Brest Fortress (from 8 euros), visit an exhibition of small arms with a guide (from 1 euro), get acquainted with the exposition of the 5 Fort Museum memorial (from 10 euros).
The official website of the museum contains a lot of important information for visitors. The memorial opening hours, ticket prices and news can be found at www.brest-fortress.by.
Museum of the history of the Great Patriotic War in Minsk
Any trip around the country usually begins with an acquaintance with the capital, and Belarus is no exception. The exposition of the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War was collected back in the war 1942, when the funds were replenished directly from the front line. In a modern building on Victory Avenue, you will see front-line diaries, home-made weapons, personal belongings of partisans and genuine photos of those years. The nearest metro station in Minsk is "Nemiga", entrance to the museum is paid (from 1.5 euros per ticket), closed on Monday. Details on the website www.warmuseum.by.
Museum complex "Dudutki"
The most popular museum of folk life in Belarus was opened in 1993 on the banks of the Ptich River. You can get here from the capital by bus from the Vostochny bus station. The journey takes about an hour and a half. The complex presents the atmosphere of rural life of the century before last. You can learn the basics of the blacksmith's craft, try baking your own bread, or master the potter's wheel. Children will love the small petting zoo, and the employees of the local fleet will help to complete the excursion: the excursion on a light-engine plane will delight lovers of beautiful landscapes.
Museum of Folk Architecture and Life
In the ethnographic complex near the village of Ozertso, you can plunge into the past and get acquainted with the customs and way of life of your ancestors. More than two dozen architectural objects recreate the look of a Belarusian village. You will see a windmill and a church, a tavern and a barn. The museum exhibits clothes, shoes, books and utensils. The easiest way to get to Ozertso is by fixed-route taxis departing several times a day from the Minsk bus station "Yugo-Zapadnaya". The price of a museum entrance ticket is about 2.5 euros.
Memorial complex "Khatyn"
This memorial was built on the site of a Belarusian village burned to the ground by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War. The main monument is called "The Unconquered Man" and is a symbol of the resilience of the Belarusian people. You can get to the Khatyn complex by buses departing from the main bus station in Minsk. Travel time is about an hour, visiting the complex is free. On the official website of the memorial www.khatyn.by you will find the opening hours and other useful information for visitors.
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Archcathedral, erected at the beginning of the 18th century, is the main Catholic church in Minsk. It is also called the Church of the Jesuits. The frescoes of the cathedral, plastered in the middle of the last century and restored today, are of particular historical and artistic value. Temple address: Freedom Square, 9.
Spaso-Euphrosyne monastery in Polotsk
Do you know where the geographic center of Europe is? It turns out, in the provincial Belarusian city of Polotsk, whose history keeps many battles and wars. One of the oldest buildings preserved here is the Spaso-Euphrosyne Monastery, founded in the 12th century. Its main relics are the relics of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk. No less unique is the St. Sophia Cathedral, the construction of which dates back to the 11th century. Near the temple there is a Borisov stone with the initials of the Polotsk prince carved on it. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus about the purpose of the stone, and perhaps you can guess what the huge boulder was used for.
Grodno castle
The majestic building appeared in the XI century on the site of an older fortress. Since then, the castle has undergone many alterations and rebuilding. It was destroyed by the crusaders, a prince's residence was arranged in it, and today the castle carefully keeps the exposition of the Grodno Historical and Archaeological Museum.
Pedestrian street Grodno
Not many old buildings have survived in Belarus, because the war destroyed most of the architectural sights. Sovetskaya Street in Grodno is a rare exception, and almost all the houses on it were built in the period from the 15th to the 17th century.
Palace and park ensemble of Gomel
This landmark of Belarus is a magnificent example of architecture and landscape design. The complex is located on the banks of the Sozh River in Gomel. Its pearl is the Rumyantsev-Paraskevich Palace, built in the style of early classicism in the 18th-19th centuries. The palace belonged to Count Peter Rumyantsev, and later passed into the possession of the Russian commander Paraskevich. Today it exhibits collections of ancient coins and books, once collected by the owners of the building.
Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk
Belarusian painter Marc Chagall is called one of the most famous representatives of the artistic avant-garde of the 20th century. His canvases today adorn the best museums in the world, and murals and stained-glass windows are the most famous theaters and temples in Europe. The museum in Vitebsk hosts exhibitions of Chagall's works. The house-museum is located at st. Pokrovskaya, 11. The building was built by the artist's father, and the museum carefully keeps the family's original belongings and copies of archival documents.
Lida Castle
The ancient fortress in the city of Lida was part of the line of defensive structures during the time of the Crusaders. The castle was built in the first third of the XIV century from rubble stone and bricks on a bulk sandy hill. It was taken by storm and destroyed many times, but the fortress was preserved. Knight's festivals are held here today.
Farny church in Nesvizh
You can finish your trip across Belarus and look at the old city buildings in Nesvizh. Ancient buildings of the 17th-18th centuries have been preserved here in the historic center of the city. The Farny Church, erected by an Italian architect in the last third of the 16th century, is also called a famous landmark of Nesvizh. The building is an architectural monument of the early Baroque. Its main altar is decorated with the "Last Supper" by Gesky, and the entire ensemble of murals occupies an important place among the examples of monumental painting of the 18th century.
Nesvizh Castle
The palace and castle complex, included by UNESCO in the lists of the World Heritage of Humanity, was founded in 1583. It served as the residence of its owners - the richest Radzvil family in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Nesvizh Museum-Reserve also includes the Corpus Christi Church, the Nesvizh Town Hall of the 16th century, a craftsman's house, a former Benedictine monastery and the Slutsk Barma - a gate that once served as part of the city fortifications.
