Travelling to Belarus

The Republic of Belarus is a state with a long history, the roots of which go back to the Old Russian state. Today Belarus is a country where the territory is 40% covered with forests and people are famous for their creative talents. Moreover, there is a visa-free entry regime for representatives of a number of countries.

National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus (Minsk)

The largest museum in the country, founded in 1939. By 2024, its collection contains more than 37,000 exhibits, which were brought from more than 130 countries and are hundreds of years old.

In addition to classical excursions and self-guided tours of the museum's expositions, visitors can also take part in various master classes, listen to lectures or musical groups, and after a busy programme relax in the coffee house located in the same museum complex.

National Library of Belarus (Minsk)

Besides the fact that this library from the very beginning (namely since 1921) was the largest in the republic, it has a rather complicated and interesting fate.

During the first 2 decades of its work, it collected about 2 million documents in its own funds. However, during the Second World War, 83 per cent of all accumulations were destroyed. And in spite of everything, by 1947 the library staff managed to return to the previous figures of 2 million books and documents on its shelves and even exceed this "bar".

Towards the end of the XX century, having experienced the lack of free space for new book additions, it was decided to build a new building, which later became a separate visiting card of the city and the country as a whole. Today, the renovated National Library of Belarus is a complex that includes a 23-storey building, which looks like a diamond and has 17 reading rooms, 4 conference halls, an observation deck and even a fitness centre and a children's zone!

Mir and Nesvizh Castles (the towns of Mir and Nesvizh)

Two beautiful architectural buildings with a long history and many secrets kept within their walls. They also have the status of UNESCO world heritage.

Mir Castle was built in the early 16th century and was originally a defence fortress. However, later, when the need for defence disappeared and representatives of the Radziwill family built a new fortress in the town of Nesvizh, it became something like a country house. Now this structure has the status of a castle museum and is available to visitors at any time of the year.

Nesvizh Castle was built in the late XVI - early XVII centuries, taking into account all the requirements for defence. Moreover, over time there have been many architectural changes, and today the tourist can see not just a castle, but a whole palace and castle ensemble, which you can walk around for hours.

Polotsk (Vitebsk region)

Polotsk is one of the smallest and oldest cities in Belarus, located on the banks of the Western Dvina River. The city was founded in the IX century and became one of the largest trade and cultural centres in the territory of modern Belarus.

Polotsk was the capital of the Polotsk Principality and played an important role in the history of Eastern Europe. A powerful princely dynasty existed here, which ruled not only in Polotsk, but also in other cities and principalities.

Many historical monuments have been preserved here, including the High Castle, St Sophia Cathedral, the Princely Court and other buildings.

Mogilev

Mogilev is a city in the Eastern part of Belarus, the administrative centre of the Mogilev region. It is located on the banks of the Dnieper River and has a rich history going back to antiquity.

The city was founded in the XII century and was an important trade and cultural centre in the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In different periods of time Mogilev belonged to Poland, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War the city was severely destroyed, but after the war it was rebuilt.

Today Mogilev is a large industrial centre, where machine building, chemical, light and food industries are developed. The city also has a university, theatre, museums, parks and other attractions.

Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace (Gomel)

Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace, also known as Rumyantsev Palace, is one of the most beautiful and majestic architectural structures in Belarus. It is located in the city of Gomel and belongs to the historical and cultural heritage of the country.

The palace was built in the late 18th century for the rich and noble Rumyantsev-Paskevich family. It combines elements of classicism and baroque, which gives it a special luxury and elegance. The interior decoration of the palace is also marvellous, with beautiful frescoes, cornices and furniture.

Currently, the Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace is a museum and is open to tourists. Here you can see a collection of works of art, jewellery, furniture and other valuables that belonged to Princes Rumyantsev-Paskevich.

The Old Castle - a branch of the Grodno Historical and Archaeological Museum (Grodno)

Today the Grodno Historical and Archaeological Museum is a complex in which even the buildings themselves are exhibits. For example, the Old Castle - a monument of Renaissance architecture, built by the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Stefan Batory in 1580s, and on the territory of which the ruins of stone buildings of XII-XVII centuries have also been discovered. In addition to the Old Castle, guests can visit the New Castle, the Museum of Gorodnica and the Maksim Gorky Museum. In total there are about 30 exhibition halls and 8000 exhibits on the territory of the complex.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Brest)

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a unique natural object located on the territory of Belarus and Poland. It is one of the largest forested areas in Europe and is recognised as one of the last areas of pristine forest, which has still preserved its wild and virgin nature with its diverse flora and fauna.

Of particular note is the rehabilitation centre for bison, where work is being carried out to restore and increase the number of this amazing animal.

In 1992 Belovezhskaya Pushcha was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural heritage of mankind and has become a popular destination for tourists wishing to enjoy the beauty of wildlife and see animals in their natural habitat.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is also of historical significance, as it was here that the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Agreement on the Termination of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States was signed in 1991.

Brest Hero Fortress Memorial Complex (Brest)

The fortress was the first place on the territory of the USSR, where the war began with the attack of German troops on 22 June 1941. Here the Soviet defenders fought against the superior forces of the enemy and held the defence for 9 days, despite the harsh conditions.

The memorial complex was opened in 1971 and includes the museum "Brest Fortress-Hero", the monument "Candle of Memory", the stele "Glory to the Warriors", as well as other objects of memory. The museum features expositions devoted to the defence of the fortress, the participation of Belarusian residents in the Great Patriotic War, and the history of the Belarusian partisan struggle.

Culinary traditions of different countries of the world are an important aspect of the culture and heritage of every nation. And Belarus is not an exception. Below we present a list of dishes that you should try while travelling:

Draniki. A simple dish, the main ingredient of which is grated potatoes. However, if you find it too trivial, you can add meat stuffing to them, and then you will get another Belarusian dish - Kolduny.

Mochanka. Another simple but very interesting dish. Mochanka exists in two variants: meat and milk. In the first case, the dish resembles chopped cutlets, as it is prepared from meat scraps (to which then add onions, mushrooms and various spices to taste), and serve such machanka with pancakes. The second variant is prepared from a combination of cottage cheese, milk and cream (proportions, by the way, can be completely different depending on the desired result); potatoes, onions, dill and cumin are added to the resulting mixture.

Kulaga. A dish that does not contain any sweeteners, not even sugar or honey (otherwise it turns out to be another dish - malt loaf). Its main ingredients are rye malt, flour and kalina. It is traditionally served on the day of Ivan Kupala.

Klysh. A small round pie, inside of which various fillings are baked, for example, cottage cheese or porridge with sauteed onions and scallions.

Bankuha. For dessert you can order this cake, and its main feature is the method of cooking - on a spit over an open fire.