Belarus Tour Guide: Ideas for Your Trip!

Minsk post-war residential development in atmospheric photos
The post-war Minsk was a sad sight: only a fifth of the city development remained; the downtown was in ruins. The future of Minsk hang in the balance. There were proposals to build a new city a few kilometers from the old one. But the viewpoint about building Minsk back in the previous place won...

One-of-a-kind: Minsk from above
Minsk is a city with almost a thousand-year history, the capital and the largest city in Belarus. Despite the huge destruction during World War II, it has preserved many interesting historical monuments, which, in combination with the Soviet heritage and modern architecture, creates a unique vibe of the city...

Smorgon, a place of Napoleon’s bivouac, WWI ‘dead town’
On the banks of the Oksna River (the left tributary of the Vilia) and the Gervyatka flowing into it, in the north-west of Belarus stands the town of Smorgon. It has been known since the early 16th century and has been owned by the influential families of Zenovichis, Radziwills, Przezdzieckis. In the 17th century, it earned fame for an unusual educational institution - "a bear academy", the most famous bear training school not only in the Belarusian lands but also in Europe...

Things to see in Vetka, an Old Believers refuge, major iconographic center
In the east of the Belarusian Polesie near the Sozh River stands the town of Vetka, once the abode of the Old Believers. The town traces its origins back to 1685 when believers from different parts of the Russian Tsardom (later the Empire), who did not accept Patriarch Nikon’s church reform, sought shelter on the outskirts and outside the state. That was how a new settlement emerged on the border lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth near Gomel...

Landmarks of Bobruisk: Unique charm of the ‘Jewish capital’ of Belarus
Bobruisk has become widely known far beyond the borders of Belarus thanks to the satirical novel The Little Golden Calf by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov. The literary "children of Lieutenant Schmidt" were prepared to go to Bobruisk immediately as it was considered ‘a wonderful, highly civilized place’. Today the city welcomes its guests with a bronze sculpture of Shura Balaganov, one of the characters of the novel, the impostor and ‘foster brother’ of the ‘great combinator’ Ostap Bender...

What to see in Loyev: Geological outcrop, old town, Battle of the Dnieper memorial and museum
On the edge of the Polesie lands, where the Sozh flows into the Dnieper, stands the town of Loyev, well known to connoisseurs of military history. Originating on the site of an ancient settlement of the Dregovichi, it has preserved many artifacts of the past. In the old days, the town was on the way of the legendary trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks". It was one of the frontier strongholds of the Kievan Rus. Later Loyev was the "apple of discord" between the Muscovite State and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. During the Great Patriotic War, Loyev witnessed the incredible feat of Soviet soldiers...

Rechitsa landmarks: A metal chapel on the bank of the Dnieper, an oil museum and paintings by Belarus’ most mysterious artist
The town of Rechitsa – the center of Belarus’ oil industry – stands on the banks of the dignified Dnieper River. Rechitsa was first mentioned in the Hustyn Chronicle in 1213. The Novgorod Chronicle mentions the capture of the town by Prince Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny in 1214 during the war with Kiev Prince Vsevolod Svyatoslavich...

What to see in Mozyr: Streets running through ravines, a temple-museum and a unique tram service
Sprawling on the banks of the Pripyat River, Mozyr is one of the oldest cities in the Polesie region, with streets running through deep ravines. It is home to the largest river port in Belarus. Romantically called "a city on seven hills"...

Things to see in Braslav: ‘Mosaic’ church, lakes, architecture hailing from the Tatra Mountains and beach festivals
The town of Braslav, the center of the Belarusian Lake District, is located on a narrow strip of land between the lakes of Drivyaty and Novyaty. It was first mentioned in chronicles in 1065. The Chronicles of Bykhovets mentioned it as Braslavl, the Chronicle of Maciej Stryjkowski as Braslaw...

Things to see in Novogrudok, the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the homeland of Adam Mickiewicz
A cozy town with a very common name had a truly unusual, interesting past. Many centuries ago, it was the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, one of the largest states of medieval Europe. Later, a stone castle was built there, which remained the most formidable fortress for a long time. King Jahajla married the young Princess Sophia of Golshany in the main church of Novogrudok in 1422 and thus started the famous Jagiellonian dynasty...