Interesting tourist routes in Belarus. What to see in Belarus - an overview of interesting sights of Belarus for an independent trip. Brest Fortress - the citadel of courage

Dear Belarusians, hello! There is an idea to visit Belarus in August. Baseline data: adult and adolescent 15 years. What I would like to see: Brest, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Khatyn, Mir, Nesvizh, Minsk. Maybe something to remove from the list or vice versa to add? How to plan a route, where to start a trip to Belarus, where to end? Let's go from Moscow. How much to lay on a trip? I don’t even know how to approach planning. I would be grateful to all for your advice.

Sections: Belarus

1. Start your journey from Minsk, where you can visit many museums and just walk around the city.
  2. Peace and Nesvizh, on these castles you need to lay at least two days on each castle.
  3. Khatyn also needs at least half a day.
  4. But Brest and Belovezhskaya Pushcha, I think you need at least 4 days to explore Brest and the Brest Fortress, and you need to allocate one full day to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to visit the Museum of Nature, the estate with Santa Claus Belorussian and aviaries with animals.
  Travel must be planned for at least 7 to 10 days.
  How do you travel by train, airplane or car?

About locks. These locks are considered a highlight of Belarus, they need to be seen. They are very beautiful, what is outside, what is inside. I went to them, I really liked them. Although I am from Moscow, I saw a lot ...
  The distance between Minsk and Mir-100km, Mir-Nesvizh is 30 km.
  In Minsk you can see the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and, accordingly, in the central part of the city of Minsk, there are many museums in Minsk. If you are not interested in shopping, then you can devote from 2 to 3 days to the city.
  And where will you stay for the night?

Forgot about Grodno, one of the most beautiful cities.
  But Minsk does not need much time, it was all destroyed during the war, there is practically nothing historical there.
  If you go to the castles by buses, they are ambushed, they walk very poorly between Mir and Nesvizh, it is impossible to cover 2 castles in one day.

Peace and Nesvizh, these castles need to be laid for at least two days for each castle.

Minsk can really be seen in one day, and maybe a week is not enough for everything. Depends on the weather and interests. The historical center is small, on weekends at the town hall in the summer there are various concerts, shows, historical reconstructions, holidays of national cultures, evenings of classical, jazz music in the open. Last year, events were sold out, we were at some of them - we liked the atmosphere and the program. An announcement of the planned events is on the website of the Minsk City Executive Committee in the "Upper City Invites" section (http://minsk.gov.by/ru/freepage/other/verxnii_gorod/). The main attractions are located along the two main avenues of Independence and the Winners - after passing along the routes of buses 1 (from the station to the Minsk Arena) and 100 (from Independence Square to the National Library), you will see them all. There are special sightseeing flights when audio excursions are broadcast in Russian, English, the schedule is on the website of the Minsktrans enterprise. A little away is the beautiful temple-monument to All Saints (you need to drive a few stops from the National Library. If time permits, you should go there), the Loshitsky estate and park complex, a zoo with a dolphinarium and a dinopark are more for families with small children. A teenager may be interested in the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, pokatushki along the bike path in Victory Park and further to the recreation area of \u200b\u200bDrozdy (there are bicycle rental stations on the promenade), a water park (a popular place, and therefore there are lines. Last August we were about 300 who wanted to swim. If it weren’t for the child (with children under 3 years of age, a separate queue), you would have to wait a few hours to enter the aquazone).

What is interesting outside the city? Mir and Nesvizh (I have already mentioned them, I support the opinion that it is most convenient to book an excursion and see both castles in a day), the museum complex "Dudutki" (there is a public transport schedule on the site of the complex), the historical and cultural complex "Stalin Line" (to get there it is possible on a minibus that goes towards Molodechno from the Druzhnaya control station with an interval of 20 minutes), Khatyn, the museum of folk architecture and life "Strochitsy", the aviation museum, the Minsk Sea ...
As for the route, it seems to me better to start with Minsk, then go to Brest. Trains run frequently. From there - to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. I would advise you to stay there for a few days, and look at Brest and the Brest Fortress on the days of arrival and departure. If you want to add Grodno to the route, then there are buses from the Brest bus station, here is the schedule: http://av.brest.by/mezgorod.htm. One day is enough on Grodno.

It is an amazing fact that a month ago the sights of Belarus were not even considered in my life rhythm, and I did not even think about traveling by car in Belarus to its monuments and interesting places.

But circumstances so happened that in early April I decided to go on a weekend to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on. And already in the process of preparing for this trip, the thought came about the sights of Belarus, and about the possibility of traveling by car in this country.

Suddenly, school memories of the beauties of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the legendary Brest Fortress surfaced in my memory. After analyzing the route Minsk-Brest, I found many more interesting places that could easily be seen along the route by car.

This is how my excursion route gradually developed, in which in just one week I was able to visit many amazing historical and modern places, walk through ancient parks and climb narrow stone stairs in the ancient towers of knight's castles, see many unusual representatives of the animal world, and even meet with a fairy tale in the face of such an unusual character as Santa Claus! 🙂

Well now about everything in order ... To find out more about any excursion or tourist site, you can follow the link.

It was in the spring. Nature gradually came to its senses after a winter sleepy state. In the suburbs in the early April gloomy morning, it was raining. The airfield of Vnukovo Airport and airplanes soaking on it also looked sad.

UT835 flight Moscow-Minsk from UTair departed on schedule. At 10 o’clock in the morning we were aboard a small plane. Outside the windows, Moscow morning was still frowning, and in my heart, oddly enough, it was sunny and a little exciting before the unknown.

This always happens at the very beginning of the trip. And this is the feeling that, probably, is so beckoning in every journey.

The flight lasted only 1 hour 20 minutes, and I took up a more detailed study of the details of the preliminary route of my independent trip. Initial actions, such as transfer from the airport, renting an apartment in Minsk, booking a car, I carried out at home. But the whole excursion program was still not completely thought out.

What can I see in Belarus by car? In front of me were interesting sights of Belarus and the general direction where I would like to go. And where I will stop, how long it will take to inspect each object, on which day I will be in which place - it was still very foggy.

Day 1-4. Hello, Minsk city

First impressions

And here I am already in place, at the international airport of the Belarusian capital, in Minsk. It is also cloudy here, but drier and warmer.

First of all, I decide to get local currency. Money in Belarus is generally a special conversation. To receive full-fledged millions for your Russian rubles ... that's cool! Immediately you feel if not Rockefeller, then at least his relative. 😀

Having given 10 thousand Russian rubles, in return I received almost 3 million Belarusian rubles.

It turned out to be a very pleasant experience - to "rustle" millions. 😆

Good to have friends! Especially in the places where you plan to come. My old friend met me at the airport and drove me very quickly to the capital, telling no worse than any guide about the main subtleties and secrets of Belarusian life. 🙂

The first impression of the view outside the windows is amazing cleanliness! And this despite the fact that there is also an off-season, that is, fresh grass does not cover the winter garbage. There is simply nothing to close here. In contrast with the Russian tracks - it looks amazing!

Very comfortable we got to Minsk, and I went to get acquainted with the owner of my rented apartment. I will tell you a little more about rental housing and cars, as well as about traveling by public transport and taxi at the end of this article.

The first 4 days I spent in Minsk: 2 of them were mainly devoted to training, and the rest of the time I just walked around the city. I came to the apartment in the evening, only to spend the night. I wanted to see so many things that I said to myself: “I’ll have a rest already at home.”

Now go to the sights. Additionally, all of them are indicated on the map at the bottom of this article, it will be easier to navigate through it, what and where is located and how easier it is to get to each attraction.

And I will begin my review of the trip with a trip to.

City walks

Independence of Belarus

Perhaps it would be more logical to start it with the main square of the city - Independence Square (or, as it is funny to call it in Belarusian, Independence). What a beauty around!

Over the long history, the square changed its name 14 times. Until 1991, it was, like all central city squares, Lenin Square. Now, decorated with fountains, it attracts the attention of tourists with its unique beauty. And the locals love to take a walk here in the evening, when the lights turn on, and the square is lit up with delightful light.

A huge shopping center with parking is rebuilt here underground. Independence Square gives rise to Independence Avenue, which runs almost across the city. Here is the main building of the country - the Government House.

The first Belarusian skyscraper - as the people of Minsk proudly and respectfully call this building. There is still a seven-meter monument to V.I. Lenin in front of the entrance. During the war years, the monument was destroyed, but after the surrender of the Germans it was quickly restored. And the building itself, as well as the nearby Catholic Church of Saints Simon and Elena, became one of the few buildings that survived the war years without much damage.

Catholic Church with a sad history

Nearby stands the Church of Saints Simeon and Helena, built entirely of red brick.

In memory of two children who died early from the disease, it was built on their own money by inconsolable parents - Edward and Olympia Voynilovichi. Once Elena saw in a dream this beautiful building, and in the morning she painted it. And now it is rightfully considered one of the decorations of the Belarusian capital.

If you are near, be sure to go inside. It is very beautiful and a little mysterious. Beautiful sculptures, bronze details of the temple, beautifully painted walls and vaults, amazing stained glass windows - all this creates a festive atmosphere. And in combination with organ music, one of the oldest in Europe, it’s just an amazing impression.

The temple houses one of the seven copies of the Shroud of Turin. An extensive library of ancient books has been compiled. Here lies the remains of the founder of the church - Edward Voinilovich. A statue is installed right at the entrance, where Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Belarus, pierces the winged serpent of darkness with his sword.

Here, right next to another monument is the Nagasaki Bell, it is erected in memory of those killed in nuclear disasters. Very dramatic!

Belorussian Bastille

Now it carries out the death penalty for criminals - execution. Quite unusual: the shooting in the center of the metropolis ... though! “Crosses” in St. Petersburg, Lubyanka with its basements in the center of Moscow ...

Blessed place

Next, white stone will surely attract your attention.

This magnificent building was originally built as a Catholic church. But over time, after a little repair, it became Orthodox. In addition to other Orthodox shrines, the Cathedral houses the icon of the Mother of God, now called Minsk.

It was once written by the holy Apostle Luke. Many events happened in the life of the icon; she visited many churches. According to legend, the river Svisloch sailed to Minsk and was placed, not immediately of course, in the Holy Spirit Cathedral. And now this miraculous Image helps everyone who turned to him for help in difficult life situations.

And so I went to the bungee embankment (that’s how the word “beauty” will sound in Belarusian) Svisloch! How beautiful it is here!

Birds are singing, the sun is shining, forcing the water surface to overflow with all the colors of the rainbow. Seagulls fly and shout, ducks swim near the shore. If there is a desire and a bun in a purse, then you can feed them, then they will swim closer.

Beautiful weather and, which is immediately noticeable, around perfect cleanliness and order! And not only here! It is immediately clear that the janitors conscientiously carry out their work, and Minskers, of course, care about the cleanliness of their hometown. Well done!

Bright memory to the heroes!

A small figured bridge leads to an artificial island, located near the coast. Recently, a monument to soldiers who died on the battlefields has been unveiled here. At first, this monument was conceived as a tribute to the victims of Afghanistan.

But, unfortunately, there were many more terrible events in the world where Belarus warriors participated. This monument is dedicated to all of them.

The figure of a little Crying Angel, who inconsolably cries about those who died, who could not return to their beloved and loving wife, mother or bride, was very movingly made.

Trinity Suburb - history and legends

Directly opposite is a very beautiful place, in which the spirit of old Minsk is still preserved. This Trinity Suburb is the historical center of the city.

There are a lot of benches to sit, breathe fresh air and a large number of various cafes and restaurants. And yet such beauty is hiding in the greenery of trees.

"Girl with an Owl" is considered a symbol of the Trinity Suburb. The girl holds an owl, and she stands on a branch of a blooming fern, and a lizard sits near her legs. The entire sculpture is located on a large stone, and two more lie nearby. Only three - a little place Trinity.

According to existing legend, it is at this place that every poet or artist must make a choice for himself, which is more important to him:

• a girl personifying a muse;
• owl - a symbol of wisdom;
• flowering branch - a symbol of glory;
• the lizard is a symbol of money wealth.

What choice would you make?

And here's another ... Not far away is the first public toilet in the city. Yes, yes, sorry. I will now tell you why he attracts special attention. According to the existing legend, in 1912 a very famous architect Senkevich built a palace for a noble count. But he refused to pay, and did not pay a penny for his work.

Then the angry architect decided to take revenge on the greedy count and built a public toilet in the Alexander Square with his own money. An exact reduced copy of that castle. Now they are selling tickets to the Yanka Kupala Theater in this small house. But from 1912 to 2012 - exactly one hundred years - it was used for its original purpose.

Pride of contemporaries - Belarusian “Diamond of knowledge”

Of course, I really wanted to look closely at the famous National Library of Belarus. I was very interested in this unusual structure.

Indeed, the shape of the library building resembles a faceted diamond. The “Diamond of Knowledge," as Belarusians also call it, contains 9 million book volumes. This unique building is equipped with the latest technology.

For children there is a games room, and for adults - a special room for relaxation, there are gyms, a cafe and a restaurant.

At an altitude of 73 meters, an observation deck is equipped from where you can admire the beautiful views of Minsk.

In the evening, the backlight turns on, and the building's facade turns into a huge multi-colored screen. The sight is amazing!

Day 5. On the way to Brest

My training is completed, and the main attractions of Minsk are studied. Now you can safely go for new adventures! The issue of car rental was resolved very well the day before, and she expects me under the windows of my rented apartment.

Details about rental housing, cars and other necessary things, I will tell at the end of the article.

In the morning, picking up things, throwing a farewell glance at the awakening Minsk

and saying goodbye to the mistress, I leave Minsk in a rented car in the direction of Brest. The main goal of today is Belovezhskaya Pushcha, about which so much has been heard over the years of life in the Soviet Union.

And just now, my old dream is to take a walk in the protected forest, to look at the living bison, and it begins to come true. I described my route in more detail in.

In total, today I traveled 447 kilometers. And here are the sights that were able to peek along the road.

Nesvizh - the estate of the Radziwills

Nesvizh Castle

Moving along an excellent highway, I turn to Nesvizh, about which many reviews have been read.

And now, having overcome 120 km from Minsk, I am on the spot. In the city, I am met by beautiful swans and a clock at the city tower in the city center. Every 15 minutes they remind of the past tense.

The small town of Nesvizh has been known for a very long time. But it began to develop especially rapidly when it began to belong in 1533 to Jan Radziwill, a representative of the majestic, influential and very wealthy family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Over the centuries, the Radziwills owned vast lands, they owned towns and cities. Kings without a crown - this is what their compatriots called them.

And indeed, the Radziwills held the highest state and military posts. The opinion of representatives of this clan influenced the fate of the entire state. And their infinite wealth could be envied by the king himself.

4 parks are surrounded by the Nesvizh Castle of the Radziwills. And each has its own story, its own, in a special way, decorated territory, its monuments, original sculptures, its legends.

So I walked around these parks.

Very beautiful, young leaves on the trees bloom, birds sing.

But cold…

Brest Fortress - the citadel of courage

On June 22, 1941, the soldiers of the Brest Fortress were the first to be fired upon by the Nazis and, for more than a month, were completely surrounded, without food and water, without drugs and ammunition, keeping the Nazis on.

After the war, the fortress was not completely restored. For an eternal reminder to descendants of the feat of the defenders of the motherland, a whole memorial complex has been created here, and the Eternal Flame burns without fading.

November 3-4, 2016 the memorial complex celebrated memorable dates. Museum of Defense is 60 years old! And to the Memorial complex “Brest Fortress Hero!” - 45!

Brest - a city of unusual museums

And about 900 plant species grow in the reserve, including rare and endangered species. Some trees are over 500 years old. 227 species of birds delight visitors with their beauty and iridescent singing.

But the biggest Bialowieza pride is the bison living here.

Today, there is the largest population of these forest giants in Europe. And I, among other things, was surprised by the fantastically clean air in Pushcha. I haven’t seen such an amount of oxygen anywhere else! Just a fairy tale!

Belarusian Santa Claus lives here

By the way, there is a fairy tale here too! If you want - believe it, but better - check it, but here, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Santa Claus lives with pleasure and receives numerous guests with his assistants in his wonderful residence.

The estate of the good wizard includes the house of the owner himself with workshops where gifts are made; the house where the Snow Maiden lives; a magic well that fulfills wishes; a windmill, grinding everything bad, sculptural figures of the heroes of your favorite tales and much, much more.

At any time of the year, guests are always welcome here. Previously, an incomparable spruce grew here for more than 120 years. Her height was 40 meters. Unfortunately, she died a few years ago. But in her place a new young beauty was planted. Children and adults enjoy dancing around her.

In the residence of Santa Claus, you can participate in fun games and contests, taste the most delicious pancakes and other national dishes.

You will definitely not be bored! So, if you are in these parts, be sure to check out! Santa Claus lives about 10 km from the main entrance to the protected forest!

The way of the Belarusian family in the museum of the village of Pererov

The Museum of Folk Life and Old Technologies is another interesting place that I managed to visit here. It is located in the village of Pererov. This museum complex was created on the basis of an old manor of the 19th century, which was restored in the spirit of that time and filled with things that no rural family could do without.

Each corner of the house used to have its purpose. Necessarily in the house there were icons - the image of the Savior and the image of the Virgin. Each family member had their rights and obligations. Men and women have their own crafts. For example, in a museum your attention will be attracted by an old loom for weaving. This art is currently on the list of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus.

And here you will be treated with real moonshine. This is one of the few places in Belarus where moonshine is officially allowed, and there is a license for the moonshine installed here.

Here you will learn about all this, about the traditions and customs of our ancestors.

Day 8. Belovezhskaya Pushcha-Kossovo-Ruzhany-Synkovichi-Zhirovichi-Baranovichi

So the time has come for my departure from an amazing natural reserve. Belovezhskaya Pushcha did not disappoint, but, on the contrary, fascinated me even more. And now with even greater desire I want to go back there.

Well, my path now lies towards Minsk. But on the way Belarus has prepared for me many more attractions. These are amazing and Orthodox shrines. It’s hard to manage everything in one day, so I plan to stretch my road to the capital for 2 days.

For this day, I traveled 389 km from Belovezhskaya Pushcha to the place of my overnight stay in the city of Baranovichi.

Kossovsky Palace “Knightly Dreams”

And in Kossovo there is a castle that once belonged to the magnates of Puslowski. For his luxurious interior and outward grandeur he was called the “Knightly Dream”.

The palace possessed some features that made it unique. For example, in the Main Hall, the floor was glass. And you could see the fish swimming under it. Under the floor was a huge aquarium.

There was a lion in the castle. At night, the owners let him out, and he freely moved throughout the palace.

Over the entire history of its existence, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times. He suffered very severe damage in a multi-day fire during the Great Patriotic War. Now it is under reconstruction, which they plan to complete in 2018. But now!

Directly opposite, on the shore of the lake is the estate of Tadeusz Kosciuszko - the national hero of four countries in which he visited: Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and the USA, and also an honorary citizen of France. Now he would be called a professional revolutionary. The house in which he was born and lived for some time was made by the museum of the hero.

This is a two-story house of 8 rooms. At the house there is a huge stone with a commemorative plaque in honor of Tadeusz Kosciuszko. The museum stores things found during excavations in this place, once owned by the Kosciuszko family.

A collection of stamps dedicated to Tadeusz, a copy of his saber and other values. Here you can buy souvenirs for memory, participate in various events and ... get married. Yes, marriage can now be officially registered here.

By the way, this place is just wonderful! Welcome to visit at.

Ruzhany and its castle-fortress

But the town of Ruzhany, known since the 15th century. In 1598, it was bought by the famous politician, creator of the Statute - the code of laws of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Lev Sapega. He built a grand palace here, which combined elements of a fortress and a magnificent castle.

In the huge cellars of the palace, the entire treasury of the ON, the weapons arsenal, documents of national importance, food supplies and barrels of wine were stored.

Many times the castle was rebuilt and changed owners. At one time, the pride of the palace was the presence of a theater within its walls. The theater troupe consisted of 60 actors and 40 musicians. Theater performances were famous throughout Europe. The palace often received notable guests: kings, ambassadors of distant lands and other celebrities. According to legend, there was an underground passage that connected the Ruzhany castle and Kossovsky.

Zhirovichi monastery

For more than 500 years, the Holy Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi has existed. And his story began with a small icon on a stone, which is currently one of the most revered in the world of Orthodoxy.

According to legend, once upon a time, shepherds saw an unusual radiance in the crown of trees. It was a small Image of the Mother of God, which the shepherds attributed to the owner of the land. A little later a temple was built on this site. Thus began the history of the monastery.

Today it is a whole architectural complex, famous not only in Belarus, but also far beyond its borders. Never in its entire long history has the temple closed its doors for pilgrims.

Now the complex combines 2 churches, a bell tower, the Theological Academy and a seminary and other buildings adjacent to them. A pilgrim house was also built, where people who came to pray a miraculous icon can rest and spend the night if necessary.

Well, my tonight's stay is planned in the city of Borovichi, where I booked an apartment. Tomorrow I will continue my route with renewed vigor.

Day 9. Mir Castle - history and modernity

In the Grodno region of Belarus rises, built in the 16th century, Mir Castle.

Construction began by the rich landowner Yuri Ilyinich. But after his death, 4 of his son also did not live long. One was poisoned, the other died of an illness - so the family of Ilyinich died away. And the castle began to be owned by the Radziwills. But they, after some time, sold it. The last owner of the castle died in 1938, and since then he has been in a state of desolation.

A whole train of fantastic legends and scary stories directly envelops a beautiful castle. This is the legend of a stone similar to the head of a ram, which, according to some laws of magic, is called to protect the castle and its owners; the story of a cut down garden and brutal reprisal for it; ghost stories, yes, there are more than one; and of course about the countless treasures hidden somewhere here. Here is such a mysterious place in Belarus.

Dudutki - this is from the word "dutki"?

In the afternoon I part with a car that I rented and which for a whole week was my faithful assistant. Therefore, the next tour I go as part of a tourist group.

While our bus travels to the museum complex, the guide talks about Minsk and other sights of Belarus. How interesting it is to listen to it now, when I have just visited many objects in person, and my impressions are still so fresh! I am delighted to plunge into my memories of an independent trip.

40 km from Minsk, in the Pukhovichi district is the Museum complex "Dudutki". Here you can get acquainted with the crafts of our ancestors, try dishes according to old recipes, ride horses and even fly on an airplane.

So much is presented here that in the 2 hours allotted to us by the guide, it is impossible to catch everything! Read the details on how you can have fun at.

So the time that I could devote to a trip to Belarus has ended. It's time to go home. A little sorry, I would also like to stay here for a few days - so much more interesting could be seen! But nothing prevents me from coming here again, and maybe not just one.

What passport is needed

Do I need a passport to travel to Belarus? This is the first question that is probably asked by everyone who is planning to visit Belarus for the first time.

The very good news is that for Russians, a foreign passport is not needed to enter Belarus. Enough Russian. A visa when crossing the border is also not needed, even a stamp is not put in the passport.

The only important point. If you issue tickets, for example, for an airplane, and indicate the data of a foreign document, then in this case you will need to present it upon landing. If the data are indicated from the Russian passport, then other identification documents will not be required for Russian citizens.

And for citizens of other countries, a visa can be obtained directly at the National Airport of Minsk, after sending your documents here. But, of course, all these questions are best clarified in advance.

Where and how to rent a house in Belarus

It turned out that renting an apartment in Minsk is very simple. Through you can book a room in numerous hotels, and on the service you can choose accommodation in any area of \u200b\u200bthe city. By the way, this is much cheaper than a hotel room. And if you travel not alone, but with the company, then the benefit is very substantial.

I rented a very comfortable apartment in Minsk near the metro.

From here it was possible to get to any point of the city by any means of transport, and within 20 minutes walk to the center. Hotels in the area cost significantly more.

But, having returned back to Minsk from my car trip, I booked the hotel ““. It was located far from the center, but its location and cost, I was quite satisfied, since I could easily get around in a rented car.

In other cities of Belarus, you can also rent a house, but there will already be less choice. Here is my apartment in the city of Baranavichy.

I liked her location: not far from the highway. It was very convenient to spend the night and hit the road again in the morning.

Details about the amazing hotel complex on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha I wrote in detail in.

Transport in Minsk

Transport links in the capital of Belarus are excellent. Buses and trolleybuses, numerous minibuses go around the city. There is also a long-distance service. But I didn’t have “communication” with this type of transport.

I enjoyed using the metro, with which it was easiest to get to any desired point in the city.

For a tourist who got into the Belarusian subway for the first time, it’s very easy to navigate: there are only 2 branches: red and blue. All stations are quite clearly called, although they are written in the local language.

It is also very convenient to use a taxi. They work on the counter, and if you go for short distances, you get 1 trip around the city within 200-300 Russian rubles.

I also ordered a return transfer to the airport. In this case, a taxi cost me 390,000 Belarusian rubles. (this is 1320 Russian rubles or $ 20)

To get to the Minsk National Airport and vice versa can be done more on a budget by train (for only 25,000 Belarusian rubles). This is reported by an advertising poster.

In this case, you will arrive from the airport to the railway station of Minsk, from where you can get to the desired place in the city by public transport. The big minus is that these trains go infrequently.

Car rental in Minsk

Of course, it is most convenient to travel by car, and in Minsk you can easily rent a car for any convenient period. Having studied the prices in different rental offices, I stopped at a company with an optimistic name: "Maya Bee."

Why car rental is called so unusual, it turned out later, when I signed the lease. It turned out that this office was registered at IP Pchelka Denis Viktorovich. These are the positive names in Belarus. 🙂

To get the car, it is enough to have a driver’s license, make a copy of the Russian passport, sign the contract! Yes, and don’t forget, of course, pay! But not only the amount specified in the contract. Another additional deposit, which in my case amounted to 10,000 Russian rubles (at the end of the lease it was returned).

And here are the keys to the silver Peugeot 206 in my hands.

When renting a car, there were some surprises: the condition is to drive no more than 350 km per day. The first time I hear this! Well, that suited me, in general. I can’t drive so much in a week. After all, the greatest distances are from Minsk to Brest and vice versa, all other attractions can be seen along the way, only for a short time deviating from the main route.

If, as a result, you couldn’t meet these limits, you would have to pay extra $ 10 for every extra 350 km per day.

The cost of 95th gasoline in the country, on average, amounted to 40 Russian rubles per 1 liter ($ 0.6).

There was still unexpected news about rental conditions that had not been encountered before when booking a car abroad.

It turns out that the car must be returned perfectly clean or you have to pay extra $ 25 to the rental price. Fortunately, there was a car wash near the hotel where I spent the last days. And for $ 5 there, the car was washed perfectly. 🙂

How much is the rest (results and prices)

This time, according to my subjective feelings, the total cost of the trip was quite high. No, prices in Belarus are quite acceptable, and in some places even lower than European and even more so Russian. Just this time I traveled alone, so all the costs were solely at my expense.

Indeed, for example, living and renting a car are almost the same: for one, for two people. And the costs in the 2nd case are easily divided in half.

Excursion program:

1. Entrance tickets to all the sights cost me 1,620 rubles.
2. Booked tours, including audio guides - 4320 rubles.

And here are the results:

Money came and went, now it is no longer remembered. But the impressions of a great time remained! And after all, this is the most important thing, why do people strive for travel! 🙂

The map below shows all the sights of Belarus, where I managed to visit. More details about each of them can be seen.

On World Tourism Day, we prepared five routes in Belarus: budget, one-day, accessible for trips with children and ideal for autumn. The routes were drawn up by the winners of the Republican contest “Know Belarus” of different years. These people traveled almost the whole of Belarus, submitted photographs to the contest against the backdrop of historical objects and learned from their experience what we should be proud of.

Minsk - Kosovo - Ruzhany - Synkovichi - Slonim - Zhirovichi - Minsk

Deputy Director for Economics and Finance, Our Idea Publishing House Dmitry Kostyukevich  with his wife and two children became winners of the Know Belarus contest in 2009; in 2008, they took second place in the same competition. For two years they visited more than 200 historical sites of the country. As a trip by car, Dmitry suggests taking the route Minsk - Kossovo - Ruzhany - Synkovichi - Slonim - Zhirovichi - Minsk.

The round-trip road is about 527 kilometers and takes more than six hours of time. In autumn, it is best to go on such a trip at six in the morning to have time to see all the objects in the daytime. In about three hours, on the Moscow-Brest highway from Minsk, you can reach the city of Ivatsevichi and there turn towards the city of Kossovo, and then the town of Merechevschina. Two sites are worth visiting here: the Puslowski Palace and the Tadeusz Kosciuszko Museum-Estate.

The palace was built by the governor Kazimir Puslovsky. It began to be erected in 1838. The building was created in the Neo-Gothic style and consists of 12 towers that symbolize the months of the year. They say that the building had a glass floor, and underneath it was an aquarium with fish, a living lion guarded the building.

After the uprising of Kastus Kalinovsky was suppressed in 1863, the palace was confiscated and given to Moscow aristocrats. After the First World War, it was severely destroyed, then reconstructed and used as administrative premises. During the Second World War, the Nazis in the palace made a ghetto, at the end of the war a part of the building was destroyed by a fire.

Not far from the palace is the manor of the leader of the national liberation movement Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who was restored in 2004.

The next point of travel - Ruzhany. At the beginning of the XVII century, the city of Ruzhany belonged to Leo Sapege and had the Magdeburg Law. Not far from the city is the Ruzhany Palace, where the Sapieha family lived. Today there is a restoration. Interestingly, the restoration of the palace began under the Soviets. But then the outbuilding began to spread out of ordinary brick, which is unacceptable for restoration. Then these structures were dismantled, the necessary bricks were made and the outbuilding was redone.

After visiting this attraction, we head to the Zelvensky district in the Synkovichi church. This is the defensive church of St. Michael the Archangel, built in the style of Belarusian Gothic.

Another religious site on the route is the Holy Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi. After his visit, you can stop in Slonim near the Church of St. Andrew the Apostle, built in the Rococo style. During the Second World War, the church was destroyed, since the beginning of the 90s of the XX century it began to be restored.

Holy Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi. Photo: Andrey Dybovsky, 2010, globus.tut.by.

According to Dmitry, this route is ideal for a day trip. Firstly, a road with good coverage leads to all the facilities. Secondly, in one day you can see a large number of architectural monuments.

Read also:

Minsk - Begoml - Dokshitsy - Glubokoe - Departure - Mosar - Sharkovshchina - Germanovichi - Polotsk - Minsk

In 2010, the Vodnev family became the winner of the competition. Irina Vodneva, head of the museum of local lore, a branch of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, says that they visited so many objects that they didn’t even count. Today, the family traveled about 300 places.

Irina understood from her own experience that before traveling abroad, one needs to see the sights in his native Belarus.

In the photo on the top left is the Efrosinievsky Monastery in Polotsk, on the top right - the Church of St. Anne in Mosar, on the bottom left - the Church of the Virgin Mary in Udelo, on the bottom right - the museum-estate of Yazep Drozdovich. Photo: Andrey Dybovsky, globus.tut.by.

The interlocutor suggested the following as a one-day route: Minsk - Begoml - Dokshitsy - Glubokoe - Udelo - Mosar - Sharkovschina - Germanovichi - Polotsk - Minsk.

The route takes more than 560 kilometers and eight hours of travel time. In Dokshitsky district, Irina suggests visiting the village of Shunevka, where the Curse of Fascism memorial complex is located, in Glubokoye - the Trinity Church and the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, the churches in Udelo and Mosar, the church in Sharkovshchina and the Yazep Drozdovich Museum of Art and Ethnography in Germanovichi. Then see the shrines in Polotsk and return to Minsk.

Minsk - Kushlyany - Soly - Vornyany - Ostrovets - Mikhalishki - Gervyaty

Manager of the travel company "Viapol" Daria Leshchenko  won the competition "Know Belarus" as a student in 2011. The interlocutor hails from the Beshenkovichi district of the Vitebsk region. She says that thanks to the competition she discovered not only Belarus, but also her small Motherland, having traveled all the historical sites of the region. As part of the competition, she visited 57 places.

Daria advises visiting Western Belarus as part of a one-day tour and taking the Minsk-Kushlyany-Soly-Vornyany-Ostrovets-Mikhalishki-Gervyaty-Minsk route. This route is called the Ostrovets Round-the-World. The road takes more than 400 kilometers and almost seven hours of time.

In the photo on the top left - the Church of Our Lady of Ruzhentsova in Solah, Smorgon district, Grodno region, on the top right - the church of Saints Kozma and Demyan in Ostrovets, on the bottom left - the church of St. Michael the Archangel in Mikhalishki of the Ostrovets district, on the bottom right - the museum-estate of Frantisk Bogushevich in Kushlyany, Smorgon district . Photo: Andrey Dybovsky, globus.tut.by.

The remaining points on the route are devoted to religious subjects. In Solah, we call in a church built in the style of postmodern, in Ostrovets - in a church whose appearance resembles the House of Culture. In the days of the Soviets, it was indeed converted into a House of Culture. There are many icons in this church that are considered miraculous. The church of St. George is in the Vornjany, and in the Mikhalishki - the Archangel Michael. And, perhaps, the pearl of the route is the Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Gervyaty. If you are lucky, you can enjoy an organ concert there. Around the church there is a well-groomed park.

According to Daria, you can stop and have a snack along the route in Ostrovets. There are several inexpensive cafes.

  Minsk - Pershai - Ivenets - Vselub - Potters - Belogruda - Murovanka - Vasilishki - Rozhanka - Minsk

Lawyer Dmitry Shevchuk won the competition "Know Belarus" in 2012, visiting 59 historical sites. Dmitry prefers to travel around Belarus without the help of travel companies. He says that in this case, the route and attractions are better remembered.

He advises tourists to spend one day on the route Minsk - Pershay - Ivenets - Vselub - Potters - Belogruda - Murovanka - Vasilishki - Old Vasilishki - Schuchin - Rozhanka - Minsk.

The route is about 600 kilometers and almost nine hours on the road. The direction is full of churches and churches. In the village of Pershai of the Volozhinsky district there is a church of St. George, in the village of Ivenets there is a church of St. Michael the Archangel.

In the photo on the top left is the Church of St. Alexei in Ivyanets, on the top right is the Church of St. Theresa in Schuchin, on the bottom left is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Vselyub, on the bottom right is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Ivyanets. Photo: Dmitry Shevchuk.

In the photo on the top left - the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Rozhanka, on the top right - the Church of St. George in Pershay, on the bottom left - the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Murovanka, on the bottom right - the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belogrud. Photo: Dmitry Shevchuk.

Many travelers planning to travel to Belarus for the first time are wondering if they need a passport to enter. To travel to the Republic of Belarus, citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a passport. You can enter Belarus by presenting a passport, but they will not put any marks on it. The Western European architecture of the cities of Belarus will allow you to plunge into the atmosphere of old Europe, even those travelers who do not have a passport issued.

Usually, excursions in Belarus start from the capital, Minsk. A trip to Minsk from Moscow by private car will take about 12 hours. It is also possible to get from Moscow by train, it will take you about 9 - 10 hours to travel. The fastest way to travel from Moscow to Minsk is by plane. Direct flights are operated daily by several airlines at once.
You can exchange Russian rubles for Belarusian rubles at any bank branch or currency exchange office. You will need to present a passport or passport for which you entered the country. One Russian ruble is approximately 275 Belarusian rubles.

A trip by car to Belarus will be especially interesting. You can rent a car in Minsk. This will give you complete freedom of movement and the opportunity to travel to any part of Belarus. The cost of renting a car at the airport depends on the rental period and starts from 350 000 rubles per day.

Cheap hotels in most cities are located near the train station. In a budget hotel, you can check in from 140,000 rubles per bed. Hotels offer private rooms from 350 000 rubles.

The most interesting objects of Minsk are:

• Town Hall
• Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
• Catholic church of St. Simeon and St. Helena, Virgin Mary, St. Roch.
• The ensemble of former Bernardine and Bernardine monasteries, St. Elizabeth Monastery.

• Trinity suburb.
• Churches of Peter and Paul, Alexander Nevsky, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist and the chapel of all Belarusian saints.
• Pishchalovsky castle.
• National Library of Belarus.

Where to go in Minsk in winter is to go to the skating rink, which is poured in front of the Palace of the Republic, as well as visit the Silichi ski resort 30 km from Minsk. In addition, the Khatyn memorial complex is located 50 km north of Minsk. The cost of visiting is 40,000 rubles for adults, 25,000 for students.

Mir Castle is one of those places you should definitely go, especially if you travel around Belarus by car. It is located 90 km from Minsk. Mir Castle is the easternmost architectural complex in Europe in the Gothic style. Since 2000, it has been part of the UNESCO cultural heritage.

To enter the Mir Castle you need a ticket, its cost is 200,000 rubles. There is a restaurant and a hotel on the territory of the castle with a room rate of one million rubles, so those who want to save money should go here for one day, returning to a hotel in Minsk in the evening or continue their journey towards the city of Nesvizh.

The next place you should call by car is Nesvizh Castle. This castle complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located 30 km from Mir Castle, so both castles can be explored in one day. Visiting the Nesvizh castle, you can stay in the city of Nesvizh. A small private hotel will cost from 180 000 rubles for a single room. Nesvizh Castle also has a hotel on its territory.

The castle is open to visitors daily in the summer from 9.30 to 18.30, in the winter from 9.00 to 18.00. You will also need a ticket, ticket prices: 50,000 rubles for children, 100,000 for adults. It is possible to visit Nesvizh Castle for free, on the last Monday of any month. Nesvizh Castle is also famous for the oldest town hall in Belarus, entrance to it is paid separately, and the Church of God’s Body.

If you are considering where to go next, you decide to move west, then you should visit Grodno. It’s quite easy to travel to Grodno by car from anywhere in Belarus, the roads here are good. There will be no problem finding a hotel. At the station there are many offers from individuals, the prices offered there are very loyal. Hotel on average will cost 350,000 rubles.

Where to go to Grodno is to museums. There are seven of them, the average price of an admission ticket for adults is 15,000-30,000 rubles, for schoolchildren 10,000-20,000. In general, the main sights of Grodno can be seen in one day. These include:

• The old castle is a medieval palace.
• New Castle - located opposite the Old Castle.
• St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is a baroque Catholic church.

The historical center of Grodno is a pleasant place for walking. Many different European styles are intertwined in the architectural ensembles of the center of Grodno, so a trip to Belarus can present a unique opportunity to feel the atmosphere of old Europe, but you do not even need a passport.

Brest is located on the border with Poland and is one of the five oldest cities in Belarus. If you have a Schengen visa and taking your passport with you, tourists get the opportunity to go to Poland. Here is what to see in Brest will be most interesting:

• Brest Hero Fortress. To examine it, you need a ticket, admission prices: 30,000 rubles for adults, 15,000 for students.
• Archaeological Museum "Berestye". Entrance ticket for adults - 20,000 rubles, for schoolchildren - 10,000. Every second Wednesday of the month the museum is open to visitors for free.
• Holy Simeonovsky Cathedral.
• Holy Cross Exaltation Church.

Budget hotels in Brest offer beds from 200 000 rubles. In an inexpensive hotel, it is possible to check in from 250,000 rubles per room.

Another place to go visiting Brest is the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are hotels and guest houses on the territory of the reserve. The cost of rooms is an average of 500 000 rubles. In winter, the house of Santa Claus functions for children.

In the north of Belarus it is worth visiting the city of Vitebsk - the cultural capital of the country. From what to see in Vitebsk and where to go, it is worth highlighting such objects as:

• City Hall.
• Governor's Palace.
• Art Museum.
• Museum and Exhibition Complex Chagall.
• The building of the regional executive committee, which previously housed the female diocesan school.
• Victory Square is the largest in Belarus.
• Churches and cathedrals of the XVIII - XIX centuries.

To rent a hotel in the city is quite simple, but the prices in Vitebsk are somewhat overpriced. Choosing a budget hotel, you should count on a bed from 180 000 rubles.

DAY 1: MINSK
We arrived in Minsk on a rainy morning in May and immediately headed to VIVA wanted to leave things. A huge plus of the hostel is that it is located within walking distance from the station, in a fairly convenient location. We booked places in advance, as during the May holidays everything is usually occupied. At a cost of about 600 rubles per person in a quadruple room.

Check-in before 12 may be left in the luggage room.
The main minus of the hostel is very little space. There is no separate kitchen, a fridge and microwave are right in the hallway, and breakfast is served at low uncomfortable coffee tables near the entrance and reception.

The bunk beds are very low, you cannot sit on the ground floor, just lie down. The whole hostel has only two showers combined with toilets, so getting into the toilet in the morning is quite difficult. Of the pluses are very good comfortable mattresses and friendly staff.
Last year, I was also in Minsk, but we stayed at the Jazz hostel. There is much more space in Jazz, a spacious cozy kitchen, at a cost we got about 350 rubles. per person in a 9-bed room (it was not season and we lived in a 9-bed room alone). But there is one significant minus that covers all the pluses - it is very far from the center. First you need to go for 20-30 minutes by tram to the final one, then go through the private sector for another 10-15 minutes.

Leaving things, we went for a walk around the city with Zmitser. He is just a wonderful person and an excellent guide who knows almost everything about Belarus. Zmitser (and in Russian Dima) studies at the Belarusian State University with a degree in History of Belarus, knows all the most interesting places, can answer any question about Belarus and loves his country so much that it infects others :-) It was he who invited me look at Belarus last year (then we went along the route Minsk-Gomel-Polotsk-Vitebsk), and I liked it so much that I wanted to return in this. Here is a link to his page: http://by.holiday.by/gid/111

Since it was raining on the first day of our trip, Dima suggested a route that runs as much as possible indoors.
Leaving the railway station to the gates of Minsk and turning left, we ended up at the Belarusian State University at the faculty of international relations. Entrance to all Belarusian universities is free, and we calmly went up to the very last floor (it seems the 12th), where a wonderful panorama opens up at the Railway Station Square (on the right is the railway station, on the left is the gate of Minsk):

And below the gates of Minsk look like this:

The gate was built in 1954, on each tower there are 4 sculptures: a worker, a collective farmer, an engineer and a soldier (the sculptures were dismantled in the 70s)

From the gate it is convenient to walk to the main square of the city - Nezalezhnosti Square (Independence). On the square there are the Government House, the Belarusian State Pedagogical University, Lenin (and how could it be without it!), The General Post Office, the Red Church, and the underground shopping center "Capital", very reminiscent of the Okhotny Ryad in Moscow.
BSPU building:

One of the unusual places in Minsk is the National Library of Belarus. According to the Village of Joy website, which evaluates the most amazing, interesting, fantastic and incomprehensible things in the world, the National Library in Minsk entered the TOP 50 of the most unusual buildings in the world and took 24th place. And according to the American magazineThe Travel + Leisure library is on the list of the ugliest buildings in the world.

The books inside the library move in small train drawers under the ceiling. When you come in, you don’t even believe that you are in the library. Travelers need to issue a one-time pass by passport. The building hosts many exhibitions, guided tours to the observation deck. But there’s nothing special to look at - the building is located on the outskirts (Vostok metro station), there are only gray residential areas around it. But the exhibitions are quite interesting. Now Belarus is going through a year of frugality, so there are posters everywhere:

In the evening, the library building looks rather unusual, like a big Christmas toy:

DAY 2: MINSK
Walking in the center of Minsk is great - wherever you turn, you will find something interesting everywhere.

It is especially interesting to walk along the Trinity Suburb, the historical center of Minsk. And although all the houses here have been restored and do not impress the old ones, the atmosphere is still somehow special, not the same as in other parts of the city:

Near the Trinity suburb, you can ride a catamaran on the Svisloch River, it’s inexpensive, however, there are restrictions on where you can go and where you can’t. And when we began to explore the route, it turned out that practically anywhere except around the Island of Tears, you can’t swim.

The ducks pursued us in the hope that we would treat them with something

And the fishermen were happy to be photographed

We hit Easter

In Minsk, Orthodox churches are adjacent to Catholic ones, it seems that Catholics and Orthodox are approximately the same, although according to official figures in Belarus, 80% are Orthodox and 14% are Catholics

In the shopping center on Nemiga (Nemiga is an underground river), the Soviet atmosphere still remains, as if from childhood. But for shopping, in my opinion, Belarus is not the best place. And although it is generally accepted that Belarusian things are quite high-quality (this is really so), but the models are most often some outdated ones, as if from the Soviet Union, and finding something really beautiful is quite difficult (but if you set yourself such a goal, you can) .