Belorussian castle belt by car. Autumn trip to Belarus by car

Belarus is a country located in the eastern part of Europe. The famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located here, the famous “Pesnyary” comes from here, and only here you can buy products manufactured in accordance with GOST of the USSR. This power is famous beautiful nature, magnificent castles and unsurpassed architectural sites. It is best to explore by car, because this is the only way to fully enjoy their splendor. All excursions in the state begin from its capital - Minsk. The hero city, like a Phoenix, was reborn after the almost complete destruction that overtook it during the Second World War. Today there is something to pay attention to and where to go.

Yes we ask or Welcome

A tour of Minsk begins from its airport or railway station. It all depends on how exactly you got here. If you are planning to go around the sights of Belarus by car, then start from here anyway.

National Airport Minsk 2 is located 42 kilometers from the city. On its territory there is an open-air museum, which displays aircraft from the times Soviet Union. Models of such aircraft as Tu-134A, Yak-40 and An-2 are exhibited here.

The main cultural and architectural object of Minsk is the railway station and the “Minsk Gate”, located on Station Square. The railway station building is incredibly functional and beautiful. Here you can exchange money, buy medicines and souvenirs, and have a snack.

“Minsk Gate” is two towers, each eleven meters high. They were built in the manner of Stalinist classicism. The towers are included in the list of the most recognizable city landmarks and are considered a calling card. The object was built during 1947-1953. The left tower is decorated with a clock, the diameter of which reaches four meters, and the right one is decorated with the coat of arms of the Belarusian SSR.

Conquer Belarus

Let's go further to see the sights of Belarus by car. The Khatyn memorial complex, located in the village of the same name, evokes both sadness and delight. The village itself was burned to the ground along with all its inhabitants in March 1943. Only three people from the village were able to survive - an elderly man and two boys.

The authorities of the Soviet Union considered it their duty to perpetuate the memory of the victims of that terrible event and similar horrors of the war period. Therefore, in 1969 they opened the Khatyn memorial complex. It includes a sculpture of a surviving village elder carrying a dying child in his arms. Sculpting conveys enormous emotional power. The prototype of the artifact was Joseph Kaminsky, a blacksmith who found his dying son under a pile of corpses. Every half minute, bells ring in Khatyn, enhancing the effect of what you see.

Castle Country

The sights of Belarus, photos of which are shown in our review, include a huge number of palaces. Each of them received separate praise and description. For example, it is a monument of defensive architecture of the 16th-17th centuries. It is located in the village of Golshany and was built by order of Pavel Stefan Sapieha in 1610. Once upon a time it was a majestic rectangular building with an area of ​​89 meters * 69 meters. And today it has turned into ruins, overgrown with bushes. The dungeons, where the history of the country was made in the old days, are covered with earth and are not of particular interest. The east wing and a couple of towers boast slightly better condition.

The sights of Belarus, especially castles, arouse great interest among tourists. The state can be proud of another fortress. This is Borisov Castle. It was built for quite a long time: from the end of the 12th century until the beginning of the 14th century. The object played a significant strategic role, because under its control there was a shipping route passing from Baltic Sea to Chernoe. Little has survived to the present day, but Belarus can truly admire such a “hero.”

Lida

This is the name of a city in Belarus. It is located 160 kilometers from the capital. Here you can also explore some of the sights of Belarus. The best way to get around is by car. The settlement is located on the Lydia River and was founded in 1323. At one time it was the largest center in the country. True, this was a long time ago, but still... In the 14th century, the great Lithuanian Duke Gediminas founded a castle near Lydia. A settlement began to form around it, which soon became a large and powerful city. The owners of Lida changed several times, which left an imprint on its culture, architecture and history.

What to see here

Lida (Belarus), whose attractions are the monument to Adam Mickiewicz, the Mound of Immortality and other objects, is an ancient city, and therefore there is a lot of interesting things here. For example, Lida Gediminas Castle, which is built of gravel and sand on a piece island. Or the Church of the Immaculate Conception, created at the turn of the past and present centuries. Here you can also visit the sundial monument and other amazing objects.

And finally

After admiring the beauty of the country and already leaving it, pay a little more attention to the Dudutki Museum of Ancient Folk Crafts, the path to which will be indicated by a map of Belarus with attractions. Previously, it was a farm-type farm. And now it has turned into a huge tourist complex, on the territory of which there is a forge, a bakery, a menagerie and a mill.

At the beginning of September, Nina, Evgeniy and I went by car to Belarus. We had five full days, during which we managed to see a huge number of sights, live in a castle, shoot with a machine gun, taste delicious Belarusian cuisine and drive more than 2000 kilometers along excellent roads.

Traveling around Belarus

How Nina and Natasha, greedy for sights, planned the route

Castles of Belarus

It turned out to be the easiest thing to agree on where and for how many days to go, because as soon as we opened the guidebook and other sources, it immediately became clear that it would be very difficult to satisfy our appetites in five days. Nina was ready to cover 800 km a day, but still have time to look both to the north of Belarus and to the southwest. I wanted to create a more optimal route so that I could travel less per day and see more. As a result, we decided that we would choose attractions that are located along our route, which will start from Nesvizh Castle and continue north around Minsk. To make it clearer, we can figuratively imagine our route like this. If you mentally put a compass on the map at the point “Minsk” and draw a radius of approximately 150 km from north to northwest, we will get approximately our route.

You can read more about our travel preparations, hotel bookings, and so on in separate article.
This is what our route looked like on the map.

View Route around Belarus on a larger map

After studying information about the sights of Belarus, we made a trip plan that covers some of the must-see places in the country.

Plan a trip to Belarus by car

1 day. Road by car Moscow - Nesvizh. Overnight at Nesvizh Castle (See. first day of traveling around Belarus).
Day 2. Nesvizh palace and park complex - Mir Castle. Overnight at Nesvizh Castle (See. second day of travel around Belarus)
Day 3. Kossovo, Ruzhany, Slonim, Synkovichi, Novogrudok, Lida. Overnight in Lida (See. third day of the trip around Belarus).
Day 4 Lida Castle, Zaslavl and the Day of Belarusian Literature (more details here), Stalin Line, Smolensk. Overnight in Smolensk.
Day 5 A short walk around Smolensk and the road to Moscow (See how to see Smolensk in half a day).

Belarusian national costume

Fields, roads and Belarusian open spaces

Before the trip, we read on the Internet that Belarus has very good roads, which were vehemently opposed to ours. As soon as we crossed the border, we were a little surprised, because the road surface was old and not particularly smooth. But, in fact, we did not come as road service inspectors, so we began to look around.

We moved along the M1 highway, constantly passing signs with information about paid areas roads. There is no need to be alarmed; since 2012, all roads have become free, but for some reason the signs have not been removed. The speed limit is 120, which is very comfortable.
The first thing that catches your eye is the sown fields and a huge number of tractors. Perhaps they see tractors on the road with the same frequency as Infinity jeeps in Moscow.

Tractor Belarus

On the roads you can even see a horse harnessed.

In Belarus

Since it was September outside, most The harvest had already been harvested, the fields were watered with natural fertilizers... the aromas were simply “magical”.
Along the road we constantly came across fields sown with fodder corn and turnips, and once we passed a field of sunflowers, but Nina and Zhenya didn’t really let us get into it. Well, at least they gave me corn to pick, and thank you for that.
By the way, after we drove a few kilometers from the border with Russia, the road became very good, both the highway and secondary roads.

And everywhere there is perfect cleanliness. It's as if the streets are being washed with shampoo.
It can be seen that agriculture is well developed in Belarus. The fields are cultivated, livestock graze in the villages, locally produced products are sold in shops, and there are many trucks driving along the road carrying milk, meat, sausages, etc.

Belarusian cows

The decorations made of straw, sacks and other improvised materials displayed along the road look funny, glorifying farmers, telling about how many tons of crops were harvested here this year.

Traveling around Belarus

In general, folk art is very developed, even in cities you can find such compositions... Cheap, but beautiful?

Composition

The signs along the road are almost all written in Belarusian. In general, everything is clear, although a little unusual, because in the Belarusian language almost everywhere we put “A” where we have “O”, “E” - where “E” is. For example, “dvarets” - is it clear? The only time we had a misunderstanding with the Belarusian language was the search for the city of Zaslavl. It turned out that in Belarusian it is spelled Zaslaue, so we drove past the sign. In addition to signs, price lists and work schedules are posted in Belarusian in museums, but people speak absolutely everything in Russian.

We saw commercial signs, such as posters, almost always in Russian. Once we were walking through one of the towns, and on the fence of a private house there was a large banner advertising a concert by the Belarusian singer Koldun. Zhenya was very surprised that psychics earn so well here that they can afford to buy such advertising space. And then I was surprised again when I found out that this was such a surname.

Along the roads, as in Europe, brown tourist signs are placed everywhere for each attraction, and the more significant the attraction, the more often and at a greater distance from it the signs appear.
Photo
We had a road map of Belarus, a guidebook with a poor description of how to get to interesting places, this was quite enough. The Garmin navigator, despite updating the maps before the trip, only knew Minsk and a couple more major cities that we didn't need.

A story about the M1 road to Belarus is here.

Nature of Belarus

A trip around Belarus can be a great anti-stress adventure. There is fresh air in the country, beautiful nature, many kilometers of fields creating a feeling of complete freedom, delicious high-calorie and natural food, a sea of ​​architectural and natural attractions, as well as opportunities for active recreation: fishing, hunting, rafting, horse riding, hiking, cycling, walking along routes in national parks. This topic is endless; it is impossible to talk about everything in one note.

Nature of Belarus

As part of this journey, we chose for ourselves cultural tourism, but next time we will definitely come for fishing and visiting national parks.
If you love outdoor recreation, then Belarus is perfect for this and can be an excellent alternative to Finland and other European lake countries. Especially in financial terms, because prices in the country are one and a half times lower. If we talk about service, what kind of service do you need for outdoor recreation?

In Belarus there is a large number of Agricultural estates are something between a holiday home and the private sector. Agricultural estates come in different levels; you can live in a real village with all the ensuing consequences, or you can choose a comfortable house. Typically, farmsteads offer Additional services in the form of homemade meals, horseback riding, organization of fishing, hunting and various excursions.
Next time I plan to stay at an agricultural estate; I think it’s very interesting and unusual.

About the sights of Belarus

The sights of Belarus deserve to be told about them separately, since you can’t fit everything into one small paragraph. Interesting places in this country can be divided into several large groups: natural (for example, Belovezhskaya Pushcha), architectural (castles, estates, palaces), ethnographic (Dududki Museum near Minsk), memorable places, associated with the Great Patriotic War (Khatyn, Brest Fortress), pilgrimage and religious places (Cathedral in Polotsk, etc.). We did not set out to cover the immensity, so we strictly followed the planned route. Looking ahead, I will say that this was more than enough, since we were overwhelmed with impressions at the end of the trip.

Once upon a time, Belarus was called the “country of castles,” of which there were a lot. But even today one can be surprised by the special beauty of the castles of Belarus; first of all, one should highlight the Mir Castle (included in the list world heritage UNESCO) and Nesvizh Castle.

Mir Castle

A whole tourist route has been developed for tourists, including both restored castles (for example, Lida Castle) and picturesque ruins.

Ruins of Novogrudok Castle

We independently visited the ruins of the Kossovo Castle, the ruins of the Palace in Ruzhany and saw the remains of the towers of the Novogrudok Castle. All these places are covered with interesting legends, historical events. Overall, we were impressed and eager to return.

Having driven through Belarus, we got the impression that tourists were clearly welcome here. I haven’t noticed any advertising of the country here, but it is clear that the state program for the restoration of architectural values ​​and the preservation of natural attractions is working effectively. Funds are being invested in the restoration of castles and palaces, ethno-museums have been created, ancient churches and other churches are in operation.

Some towns in the country are similar to Poland and the Baltic countries, especially churches, Catholic churches, palaces.

Town Hall in the center of Nesvizh

The urban development of the historical part of the cities dates back mainly to the 18th and 19th centuries, and, of course, the hand of the Bolsheviks is visible everywhere: gray Khrushchev buildings of the working class, factories, administrative buildings.

In the city of Slonim

Since Belarus suffered greatly during the Second World War, its echo can still be heard. Along the road we constantly saw monuments to soldiers and their mothers, fresh flowers near them. I can imagine how you can hear the echo if you visit Brest and Khatyn. We visited the military museum “Stalin Line”, located not far from Minsk. The defense line, which was built during the years of Soviet power to hold back enemy troops in the event of an attack, has been recreated in the open air. Taking individual tour, we went down to the bunker, which housed machine guns and a periscope, then walked past the anti-tank defense, along the ditch and saw a lot more. I will tell you about visiting the museum separately.

Stalin line

Stalin line

There are few tourists on weekdays, but there are even foreigners among them. We also saw companies of Belarusians traveling by car around their country, and we saw Ukrainian and Russian cars.

Belly festival and Belarusian food

Belarusian cuisine

Many people come to Belarus to eat tasty and cheap food. I know one person who goes there exclusively for this. I think many have already tried Belarusian products, of which there are a lot on our shelves, and can imagine what a variety of delicacies is found within the country. The fields are fertilized with manure, the cattle are well fed - everything indicates that Belarusians produce a natural product.

Many people associate Belarus with potatoes, and for good reason. The potatoes there are extremely tasty, and the national dish made from them called “pancakes” is beyond praise. In addition, various sauces and ingredients are added to pancakes: wild mushrooms in a creamy sauce, meat, etc., they are served in a frying pan, a pot, on a plate - whatever the cook’s imagination allows. In all restaurants. Aimed at tourists, they serve potato pancakes, mochanka with pancakes, rich fatty soups and a lot of other tasty and unhealthy dishes. The portions are large, the cost is low, so we constantly overeat. Each time we told ourselves that we wouldn’t order so much again, and each time we rolled out from the table. The average check per person after a very hearty lunch or three-course dinner is 300 rubles with our money, in expensive restaurants 500-700 rubles, which by our standards is very cheap. In general, control yourself).

About Belarusians

I can characterize Belarusians as leisurely and rather modest people who don’t smile too much. At the same time, if you start communicating with them, they gradually open up and feel much more free; almost all the people we met were very nice and responsive. They always helped us find our way when we tried to leave the city on the right road, and explained how to get to the castles. But the Belarusian ladies working in the service sector were an unpleasant surprise. Hotel administrators and waitresses do not bother to treat clients politely; we constantly had to put up with Soviet service. At first it was shocking, but then we got used to it.

A masterpiece from the hotel

For example, we stayed at a hotel on the territory of the Nesvizh Castle, so the administrator did not even want to explain to us where the cafe was located, where a paid breakfast would be waiting for us in the morning. But she quickly taught us to be smart.
In small towns you can feel that the population is not rich. People are dressed very modestly, there are a lot of drunk men on the streets on a weekday, strange young people, a lot of gopniks. But dacha palaces have been built near Minsk, and you can feel that many people there are doing well with money.

On bicycles

Shopping, gifts, souvenirs

When planning the trip, we didn’t think much about shopping, but we still brought half a trunk of purchases. Nina and I should not be allowed into the store at all; only the owners of the establishment benefit from this.
When I got to the festival of Belarusian writing, I bought all sorts of fairy-tale characters in the person of a hedgehog grandmother, a brownie and another cute little person who should bring happiness to the house.
Here we bought 5 books about the sights of Belarus, and received two as a gift.
But that’s not enough for me, I grabbed three more sets of linen bed linen: for myself and as a gift for my parents.
In Nesvizh, Nina and I made a deal with a woman who was selling tablecloths with hand embroidery and lace. We stripped her tent, buying a total of 6 tablecloths.
In Slonim we went to a Belarusian cosmetics store and picked up a large bag of all sorts of jars and bottles. After spending 1000 rubles, at home we realized that you can only use hand cream, toothpaste and soap, and all kinds of masks and hair emulsions are complete nonsense. At least, after Israeli and American cosmetics costing at least 1000 rubles. For one means, of course, the Belarusian one does not sell. If you use Shamtu, Elseve and similar brands, then Belarusian cosmetics could be a good alternative and much cheaper.

Belarusian cosmetics

For edibles, we bought Belarusian chocolate and Lida beer. Many people still bring tinctures and vodka, but I can’t say anything, I haven’t tried it.
Initially, we planned to stop at the supermarket and buy food for home at Belarusian prices, but there were no shops along the road, and we no longer had time to go into the city.

I can say that for myself I decided to definitely go to Belarus again to see the rest interesting cities, castles, churches and fortresses. For example, ancient Polotsk, Vitebsk and Grodno, Belovezhskaya Pushcha and others National parks, Brest Fortress.

Prices and reviews for hotels in Minsk

Prices and reviews of hotels in Brest

All hotels in Belarus

The distance from Moscow to the neighboring state is only about 700 kilometers. The easiest way to get there is by car.

It is worth leaving the capital early in the morning, and if the trip is planned on the weekend, it is better before dawn. This is due to the possibility of quickly passing the highway to leave Moscow without traffic jams and with a minimum of problems.

The nuances of traveling in this direction:

The roads in Belarus are very good, there are few cars on them, so many drivers accelerate to the maximum possible speed. But it is worth remembering that a fine for exceeding the speed limit by only 30 km/h will cost 7,000 rubles, and repeated detention is a reason for deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle. The permitted speed on the highway from the border to Minsk is 120 km/h, the entire road without significant settlements.

Minsk is the capital of Belarus, Every tourist initially strives here. There are really a lot of places that guests of Minsk should definitely visit:

• . It was founded back in 1880 and has many paths, sculptures and small clearings with fountains. On the territory there are attractions, a planetarium, several cafes and sports complex in a modern design. The park is located along the Svisloch River, on the bank there is a bronze monument to Gorky, and a small but very elegant bridge spans the waters.
• Many people are delighted with local ducks; at the end of July you can already look at their offspring.
  Central children's park named after M. Gorky
• National Library. It is best to visit it in the evening; at night, the facade is illuminated with multi-colored rays, and even some paintings and drawings are displayed on it. From 18 o'clock the upper one starts working Observation deck. Entrance ticket is 3500 Belarusian rubles, the impressions will be truly unforgettable. The site is located on the 23rd floor, offering views of the entire city; guests are given binoculars that can only be used for 3 minutes.
  National Library
• Red Church, located on Independence Square. This is a fully functioning Catholic church. People of different religions are allowed to enter here, but photography and video recording are prohibited. It is believed that the Red Church is one of the most striking attractions of the capital; it is very beautifully decorated inside. Directly near the church there are interesting sculptures - St. Michael the Archangel and the Nagasaki bell.
• A little further away there is a monument to Minsk architects, who, in the shortest possible time after the war of 1941-1945, were able to completely rebuild the capital. In church, women must cover their heads. There's no talking inside.
  Red Church
• Central Botanical Garden. Located on Kalinin Square, founded in 1932, it is an amazing collection of various exotic and not so exotic plants. Inside the park there is an area with attractions, cafes are scattered chaotically, and there is also a miniature Railway for children. Directly to Botanical Garden adjoins Chelyuskin Square.
  Central Botanical Garden

A must visit at the monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers during the Great Patriotic War. Numerous tourists claim that here the earth seems to breathe and groan. Recognized as a curious place Island of courage and sadness. It often rains here and the sky is covered with clouds. Large stones-boulders are scattered throughout the territory, on which are inscribed the names of Afghan cities in which Belarusians died, and there is a separate monument to Soviet soldiers.

Also deserves attention 17-kilometer Independence Avenue, and the Upper Town with amazing architecture of churches and Orthodox churches, And Loshchinsky Park, and the Palace of the Republic.

Island of Courage and Sorrow

Mir and Nesvizh are ancient castles. Excursions are regularly organized here, but you can also make an independent trip. You won't be able to see both castles in one day. Mir Castle is open from 9-00 to 22-00, the entrance ticket costs 3,500 Belarusian rubles, for video and photography you will have to pay an additional 1,000 Belarusian rubles, and it is better to do this in advance - the views there are really beautiful, which makes it possible to conduct a luxurious photo shoot.

Mir Castle was founded in 1832, a noble family of princes lived here, and a chapel has been preserved that served as a crypt for the masters. There is a café nearby that serves simple but satisfying dishes. The cost of a full meal per person is unlikely to exceed 2000 Belarusian rubles. The main gate of the castle, on which the image of the coat of arms has been preserved, is subject to inspection.

Castle Mir

Tour guides work in museums. The town of the same name near the Nesvizh castle is a cozy town with many ancient buildings, inexpensive cafes and a park.

Dudutki - a complex about the history of Belarusian crafts, Museum of Material Culture, which consists of several workshops. They demonstrate various crafts, the entrance ticket costs only 2000 Belarusian rubles (photo and video shooting are free ). Where to go here:

• pottery. The master talks about the types of clay processing and demonstrates ready-made products that can be purchased at a low price;
• weaving workshop. Amazing place, in which there is a real antique loom on which craftswomen work, and the products immediately hit the shelves;
• ethnographic gallery. Imitation of Belarusian life, demonstration of dishes and household accessories, exhibition of folk art products.

On the territory of Dudutka you can visit the stables and barnyard. There is a cheese factory nearby. Product tasting is included in the ticket price, and there is also an original cafe “Shynok”, where they sell sandwiches with honey and pickled cucumber, moonshine and native Belarusian dishes.

Dudutki in Belarus

Belarus is rich in beautiful and interesting places: Brest with its military past and a huge memorial complex, Zaslavl with museums and churches, small farms and villages, Belovezhskaya Pushcha. You can come here an infinite number of times and it will still not be enough.

Hotels for tourists exists in Minsk, and even on the territory of some historical attractions. In the first case, you can use modern 4 and 5 star complexes or hostels, which periodically host various interesting parties (for example, viewing paintings by local artists, meeting and talking with them).

Near the ancient castles of Mir and Nesvizh there is a hotel with 30 rooms, which is located in the building of a former guest house. The cost of living in hotels, hostels and inns ranges from 10 to 300 dollars per day per room.

If the trip is not limited to Minsk, but the path lies further, then it is worth paying attention to private offers. In villages and towns, people rent out rooms in their houses for a very small fee. For example, a room for 2 people with amenities and full meals can be rented for $10 per day.

If a stop is planned in the area of ​​Brest, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, then local residents will definitely act as a guide through the forest, and in some populated areas Holidays imitating weddings and name days according to ancient rites are held especially for guests.

Along most routes there are small cafes with a few hotel rooms. It will be convenient to use them if the road is tiring and the driver just needs to get some sleep. The car will be parked in a guarded parking lot during your vacation. The price for such a vacation will be $7 per person per day, meals are paid separately.

Read more in our article about how to travel to Belarus by car.

Features of a trip from Moscow to Belarus

The distance from Moscow to the neighboring state is only 700 kilometers and a little, and the easiest way to get there is by car.

Experienced travelers warn that it is worth leaving the capital early in the morning, and if the trip is planned on the weekend, it is better before dawn. This is due to the possibility of quickly passing the highway to leave Moscow, because summer residents vacationing at bases in the nearest Moscow region create traffic jams on these days.

Minsk is the capital of Belarus

Belarus is a foreign country, albeit one that is close and dear. Therefore, it is worth studying and remembering some of the nuances of traveling in this direction in advance:

• When crossing the border, Russians will need to present documents that confirm their right to drive a car: driver’s license, registration documents vehicle and insurance. You also need to have a domestic or foreign Russian passport with you.
• If you go on a trip with children, you need their birth certificate. Russian customs officers require a power of attorney from the second parent for a child to travel abroad if he is traveling only with his mother or father.
• Before crossing the border you will need to obtain a green card. is an insurance document that is valid on the territory of Belarus and is an analogue of compulsory motor liability insurance. Such insurance compensates for losses in the event of a traffic accident and covers expenses in the event of injury to health. Such cards can be issued directly at customs, but it is much more practical to take care of purchasing it before crossing the border, which will be much cheaper.

The Green Card costs 800 rubles for 14 days and 5,000 rubles for 12 months. The fine in a neighboring state for the absence of such a document is $200.

• Crossing the border is very simple and there are practically no queues. You will definitely need to fill out a declaration and keep it until you return home.
• Without paying state duties, Russians are allowed to import quite a lot of things into the territory of Belarus; the ban is on drugs and weapons, information media with dangerous information on them, antiques, rare book editions, and antique jewelry.

Roads in Belarus

The roads in Belarus are very good, there are few cars on them, and therefore many drivers accelerate to the maximum possible speed. But this is dangerous, because the traffic police of the neighboring state keep order quite strictly. A fine for exceeding the speed limit by 30 km/h will cost 7,000 rubles, and repeated arrest is grounds for deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle.

The permitted speed on the highway from the border to Minsk is 120 km/h, the road does not pass through populated areas in any place, and therefore you can drive a car here without reducing your speed at all.

Another important nuance. It’s also worth filling up with gasoline as much as possible in Russia; in the neighboring country it is 3-4 rubles more expensive per liter. You should not ignore the need to exchange Russian rubles for Belarusian currency, since there will be no exchange offices. However, this will not be a problem: in any, even the most remote cafe, you can pay with a Russian bank card.

Where can you go by car in summer?

The warm season is the best time to travel around Belarus. In principle, you can simply drive your car along the highways in any direction. Along the way you will encounter historical sights and natural beauty. If we consider the most popular destinations, only a few stand out.

Minsk is the capital of Belarus

Every tourist first goes to the capital. Minsk attracts both history buffs and architecture connoisseurs. Some argue that two days are enough to see the sights of the city, but this is not true. There are really a lot of places that guests of Minsk must visit:

• Central Children's Park named after M. Gorky. It was founded back in 1880 and has many paths, sculptures and small clearings with fountains. The park has attractions, a planetarium, several cafes and a modern sports complex. The park is located along the Svisloch River, on the bank there is a bronze monument to Gorky, and a small elegant bridge spans the waters.

IN summer time One of the attractions of the park are the ducks that live on the river and are clearly visible from the bridge. They are fed by tourists and local residents, and at the end of July or beginning of August their offspring are already visible.

Central Children's Park named after M. Gorky

• National Library. It is better to visit it in the evening, because during the day it is usually modern building. But at night the facade is illuminated with multi-colored rays of light, even some paintings and drawings are displayed on it. The upper observation deck starts operating from 18:00, the entrance ticket there costs only 3,500 Belarusian rubles, but the impressions will be truly unforgettable.
• The site is located on the 23rd floor, offering views of the entire city; guests are given binoculars that can only be used for 3 minutes. There is a cafe on the floor below, it has very expensive coffee, but quite decent tea and delicious local pastries.

National Library

• Red Church located on Independence Square. More precisely, it is a fully functioning Catholic church. People of different religions are allowed to enter here, but photography and video recording are prohibited. It is believed that the Red Church is one of the most striking attractions of the capital of Belarus; it is beautifully decorated inside.
• Directly near the church there are interesting sculptures - St. Michael the Archangel and the Nagasaki bell. A little further away there is a monument to Minsk architects, who, in the shortest possible time after the war of 1941-1945, were able to completely rebuild the capital.

Women should cover their heads in church. There is no talking inside so as not to disturb people praying.

Red Church

• Central Botanical Garden. Located on Kalinin Square, founded in 1932, it is an amazing collection of various exotic and not so exotic plants. Inside the garden there is an area with attractions, cafes are scattered chaotically, and a miniature railway operates. A small train with carriages takes children along it.

Chelyuskin Square is directly adjacent to the Botanical Garden; it is practically inseparable from the main green area and gives tourists the opportunity to relax on beautiful forged benches in the shade of trees.

Central Botanical Garden

This is a small fraction interesting places Minsk. You should definitely visit the monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Numerous tourists claim that here the earth itself breathes and groans. The Island of Courage and Sorrow is also recognized as a curious place. It often rains here and the sky is covered with clouds.

Large stones-boulders are scattered on the island, on which are inscribed the names of Afghan cities in which Belarusians died, and there is a separate monument to Soviet soldiers. The 17-kilometer Independence Avenue, the Upper Town with its amazing architecture of churches and Orthodox churches, Loshchinsky Park, and the Palace of the Republic deserve attention.

Island of Courage and Sorrow

Mir and Nesvizh – ancient castles

Excursions are regularly organized here, but you can also make an independent trip. Moreover, experienced travelers do not recommend combining these two attractions for sightseeing in one day; it will clearly not be enough.

Mir Castle is open from 9-00 to 22-00, the entrance ticket costs 3,500 Belarusian rubles, for video and photography you will have to pay an additional 1,000 Belarusian rubles, it is better to do this in advance, since availability beautiful views makes it possible to conduct a luxurious photo shoot.

Mir Castle was founded in 1832, a noble family of princes lived here, a chapel has been preserved that served as a crypt for the masters. There is a café nearby that serves simple but satisfying dishes. The cost of a full meal per person is unlikely to exceed 2000 Belarusian rubles. The main gate of the castle, on which the image of the coat of arms has been preserved, is subject to inspection.

If the Mir castle was intended not only for life, but also to protect the lands from enemies, then Nesvizh is a more sophisticated structure with Gothic and Byzantine elements, small sculptures in the form of fantastic animals and birds.

There are guides in museums, they do their job even for one tourist, and it will be interesting and exciting. The city of the same name near the Nesvizh castle is a cozy settlement with many ancient buildings, inexpensive cafes and a park with green spaces and fountains.

Castle Mir

Dudutki – a complex about the history of Belarusian crafts

This is a museum of material culture, which consists of several workshops. They demonstrate various crafts, it is quite possible to see everything in a day, and the entrance ticket costs only 2000 Belarusian rubles (photo and video shooting are free). Where to go here:

• pottery. The master demonstrates his work, talks about the types of clay processing and demonstrates ready-made products that can be purchased at a low price;
• straw workshop. A hereditary straw weaver works here, who not only tells the history of this craft, but also demonstrates the basis of her work, showing finished products - from “brownies” to horses;
• weaving workshop. An amazing place with a real antique loom. It employs craftswomen, whose products immediately end up on the shelves (napkins and rugs, rugs, towels and home clothes);
Dudutki

On the territory of Dudutka you can visit the stables and barnyard. The animals are all tame, you can interact with them, and guests feed them at certain hours. There is a cheese factory nearby. Product tasting is included in the price entrance ticket, and right there there is an original cafe “Shynok”, where they sell sandwiches with honey and pickled cucumber, moonshine and native Belarusian dishes.

Belarus is rich in beautiful and interesting places. Brest with its military past and a huge memorial complex, Zaslavl with museums and churches, small farms and villages, Belovezhskaya Pushcha. You can come here an infinite number of times and it will still not be enough.

Watch the video about a trip to Belarus by car:

Where to stay in Belarus?

It is simply impossible to go to Belarus by car for several days and do without hotels or an inn, and there are many such places. They are also in Minsk, and even on the territory of some historical attractions. In the first case, you can use modern 4 and 5 star hotels, or hostels, which periodically host various interesting parties (for example, viewing paintings by local artists, meeting and talking with them).

Near the ancient castles of Mir and Nesvizh there is a hotel with 30 rooms, which is located in the building of a former guest house. There is also a dining room here, where both a buffet and a classic food system are organized. The cost of living in hotels, hostels and inns ranges from 10 to 300 dollars per day per room, and the price depends on the level of star rating and the services offered.


Hotel in Nesvizh

If the trip is not limited to Minsk, but the path lies further, then it is worth paying attention to private offers. In villages and small towns, people rent out rooms in their houses for a very small fee. For example, a room for two people with amenities and full meals can be rented for $10 per day. In return, you can get tasty, organic food, communication with the owners, and a walk around the village.

If a stop is planned in the area of ​​Brest, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, then local residents will definitely act as a guide through the forest (you can pick berries and mushrooms), and in some settlements, holidays imitating a wedding and name days according to ancient rites are held especially for guests.


Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Besides, Along most routes there are small cafes with a few hotel rooms. They will be convenient to use if the road is tiring and the driver needs to sleep. A bed, clean linens, a hot shower and lunch are guaranteed. During your vacation, your car will be parked in a guarded parking lot. The price for such a vacation will be only $7 per person per day, but meals will have to be paid separately.

Traveling to Belarus by car from Moscow is an amazing and easy journey that is sure to bring a lot of positive emotions. Familiar Russian speech, the friendliness and hospitality of the residents, the beauty of nature and many attractions - all this will make the trip educational and enjoyable in all respects.

I have nothing against the “branded” Belarusian castles, the beautiful towns of Mir and Nesvizh. I myself visit these places several times a year. However, at some point you want something completely different from traveling around Belarus. After all, most of the year here it is not as hot or as sunny as many would like. Therefore, you only need to create the atmosphere yourself. This is how our joint venture with the company appeared Samsung in Belarus the "Winter Attacks" project and the routes that we came up with and tested on ourselves. Today I want to remember each one, help the reader organize it on their own and, of course, once again review the best pictures from the illustrator of the project Anya Redko.

Braslav "Zen" - medicine for city residents

Summer is coming, and we visited the Braslav Lakes in winter. I wanted to see the lenses of the lakes in the snow, but it didn’t work out. But even in the classic Belarusian off-season with slush and dampness, this area looks fascinating. I would recommend this route to city dwellers to disconnect from civilization for a day, or better yet, two. There is every chance for this if you go to the village of Ustye, not far from Slobodka, and talk to the owner of the U Borisovich estate, Yura Zherko. You can arrange a walk-excursion through the unusually quiet corners of our lake district. If you wish and there are free places, you can stay in one of Yuri’s farmsteads.

Duration: 1-2 days (it’s better to go overnight, since the road from Minsk can take half a day and it will be difficult to relax, and there is air, birds, a bathhouse...)

Kilometers: from Minsk to Ustya 260 km one way (4 hours drive)

Budget: excursion around the region with Yura Zherko 200,000 BYR (about 10 USD) per person, accommodation in an agricultural estate, subject to availability, from 200,000 to 300,000 BYR (10-15 USD) per day per person.

Welcome to nomadic peoples in Belarusian

There is Borisov near Minsk. The town itself is interesting - it is connected with Napoleonic places, the cathedral in the city center is unusual, at the entrance from Minsk there is a super-modern architecture football arena. In general, the city combines, as they like to say, the past and the future. One Minsk travel agency not long ago began taking groups to Borisov - here enthusiasts set up an entire nomadic camp. Indians, shamans, Mongols, an enclosure with husky dogs that are fashionable today, yurts - all this is very interesting and unusual. The excursion will not be long, so you will have the opportunity to walk around old Borisov.

Duration: 1 day

Kilometers: from Minsk to the nomadic camp near Borisov in Dudinka 80 km (1.5 hours by car)

Budget: travel agency "Skarbonka Tour" offers an excursion to the "nomads" for 250,000 BYR (12.5 USD) per person in a group of 40 people

Exclusive site. The roads of Rakovsky smugglers

The most secret route site of the beginning of 2016 :) We know that today the topic of Rakov and the border between the USSR and Poland has become definitely fashionable. At first they wanted to contact a travel agency that makes animated excursions on the theme of “meat”, but quickly abandoned this idea in favor of... immersion in reality. We took a cool blogger who is passionate about this topic, ourselves, comfortable shoes and a good SUV, we didn’t forget the book by Sergei Pesetsky, cucumbers, sausage and chocolate, and experienced one day in the life of smugglers in our own skin. Complete immersion in the era!

Duration: 1 day (but what a day it was, mmm!)

Kilometers: they didn’t count and wouldn’t even count, because they wandered through the fields, walked from farm to farm... Rakov is 45 km from Minsk, or about 50 minutes by car.

Budget: not limited, but it will be necessary to buy something from the market and in the store in order to have a snack at the former border - you definitely won’t find a cafe nearby.

Unusual Slonim. Private collection museum and walks with a local resident

How many unusual museums do you know in Belarus? I don't think I'll hear a whole list here. I will recommend one address to everyone. In the city of Slonim there is a wonderful woman, Nina Mikhailovna Anishchik, who with her husband turned her personal collection into a home museum. I met her a couple of years ago and only now had the opportunity to visit the collectors. Impressive carriage! For budget travelers, the price will be a big plus - zero rubles and zero kopecks. The main thing is to arrange a visit in advance. And Slonim is good, especially if you take a local for a walk in advance.

Duration: 1 day

Kilometers: from Minsk to Slonim 200 km one way (about 2.5 hours by car)

Unusual museums of Minsk - one fascinating day

If the weather is bad outside, for example, you are in Minsk and don’t know how to entertain yourself, we will recommend repeating our route through the unusual museums of Minsk. You will spend very little money, but at the end of the day you will have a lot of impressions and things to talk about. Not far from the Corona shopping center, in a former bomb shelter, there is the Elemento Science Museum. In one of the Minsk courtyards not far from the Zheleznodorozhnikov cultural center there is an oceanography center. In addition to the exhibits themselves, the opportunity to independently perform the experiment or touch the artifacts, what is impressive in these places is the people who are very touching about their museums and their themes. In a word, we are impressed and recommend it.

Duration: 1 day

Kilometers: in the center of Minsk

Budget: for both museums, an adult needs to prepare 170,000 BYR (or 8.5 USD), children's tickets to both museums will cost 120,000 BYR (about 6 USD) per person.

The Belarusian swamp is just space!

Belarus is trying to position itself in different ways. In addition to potatoes, paddy wagons, tongue grass, rivers and lakes, we are also a country of steep swamps. It’s not for nothing that journalists have already taken the site three times to the Yelnya nature reserve, in the north of Belarus. We also went there in the off-season to ride a cool swamp vehicle and experience unusual feelings. They overtake you when you fry lard on a peninsula, on a lake that is located inside a huge swamp. And three hours earlier, you were driving a car through a noisy, polluted city... In general, there is no time to explain, read for yourself and repeat our adventures.

Duration: 1 day

Kilometers: from Minsk to Miory is about 220 km one way (3.5 hours drive, so you need to leave the capital early)

Budget: visit to the visitor center of the Yelnya reserve 20,000 BYR (or 1 USD) per person; A ride on a swamp vehicle around the perimeter of the swamp will cost 550,000 (about 27.5 USD) for three people for three hours.

These dump trucks don't fit into your head, by God! Excursion to BELAZ.

I’m writing this review and wondering whether to help or not, dear reader. Organizing an excursion to BELAZ is not so easy. On the website you will not find contacts for the “excursion department”; it is not very easy to get through to Zhodino - you must remember that this is a state-owned plant. However, I will recommend this quest to everyone. After all, you will be able to look with your own eyes at the record-breaking dump truck, which was included in the Guinness Book, and also “cut” through the factory quarry for ten minutes on a 130-ton truck (only with a driver, of course!). After such excursions, individual enterprises of the country take pride.

Duration: 1 day

Kilometers: from Minsk to Zhodino 60 km (about 1 hour by car)

Budget: the excursion will cost 70,000 BYR (about 3.5 USD) per adult and 30,000 (about 1.5 USD) per child. A ride on a dump truck with a driver will cost 750,000 BYR (about 37.5 USD) per person for 10 minutes (they said that a child can be placed on your lap and there will be no charge)

Sula - four letters not far from Minsk, and such a steep route

Few Minsk residents have heard about Nalibokskaya Pushcha, which is located directly near Minsk. You heard? We decided to look at the local beauty from the water, organizing a one-day river trip along the Sula River. Before this, we planned to stop by the Sula History Park “for five minutes,” but we ended up hanging there for a good half day. As a result, the first half of the day we learned about the history of the region on a cool interactive excursion. We spent the rest of the daylight swinging our oars, walking about ten kilometers along the river under the supervision of experienced instructors. A super busy day and a ready route for you.

Duration: 1 day

Kilometers: from Minsk to the history park "Royal Assembly Sula" is about 65 km (about 1 hour by car), and then choose your own starting point along the river.

Budget: an art tour of the Sula History Park will cost 170,000 BYR (about 8.5 USD) per person and will take approximately 2.5 hours of your time. Hiking professionals will organize an express rafting trip of 10-15 km for approximately 600,000 BYR (30 USD) per person.

We tried these routes for ourselves in the midst of the Belarusian off-season and had great fun. I am sure that with the onset of warmer days, the emotions received from such trips will be much greater.

I want to say a big thank you

Amazing fact that the sights of Belarus a month ago were not even considered in my rhythm of life, and I didn’t even think about traveling independently by car around Belarus to its monuments and interesting places.

But the circumstances were such that at the beginning of April I decided to go to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, for the weekend. And already in the process of preparing for this trip, the thought came to both the sights of Belarus and the possibility of traveling by car around this country.

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

This is how my excursion route gradually took shape, 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 knightly castles, see many unusual representatives of the animal world and even meet with a fairy tale in the person of such an unusual character as Santa Claus! 🙂

Well now, first things first... To find out about any excursion or tourist site For more details, please follow the link.

It was spring. Nature gradually came to its senses after its winter sleep. It was drizzling in the early April gloomy morning in the Moscow region. The airfield of Vnukovo airport and the planes getting wet on it also looked sad.

Flight UT835 on the Moscow-Minsk route from UTair departed as scheduled. At 10 o'clock in the morning we boarded a small plane. Outside the windows the Moscow morning was still gloomy, but in my soul, oddly enough, it was sunny and a little exciting about the unknown.

This always happens at the very beginning of a trip. And this is the feeling that probably attracts you on every journey.

The flight lasted only 1 hour 20 minutes, and I began to study in more detail the details of the preliminary route of my independent travel. I carried out the initial steps, such as transfer from the airport, renting an apartment in Minsk, and booking a car at home. But all excursion program was still completely unthought out.

What can you 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 would stay, how long it would take to inspect each object, on what day I would end up in what place - it was still very vague.

Day 1-4. Hello, Minsk city

First impressions

And now I’m already there, in international airport Belarusian capital, Minsk. It is also cloudy here, but dry and warmer.

The first thing I decide to do is acquire local currency. Money in Belarus is a completely different matter. Receiving full millions for your Russian rubles... it's cool! You immediately feel like, if not Rockefeller, then at least his relative. 😀

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

It turned out that this is a very pleasant activity - “rustling” with millions. 😆

It's good to have friends! Especially in those places where you plan to visit. My old friend met me at the airport and very quickly took me to the capital, telling me as well as any guide about the main intricacies and secrets of Belarusian life. 🙂

The first feeling from the view outside the windows is amazing cleanliness! And this despite the fact that it is also still the off-season here, that is, fresh grass does not cover winter debris. There's simply nothing to cover here. In contrast to the Russian highways, it looks amazing!

We arrived in Minsk very comfortably, and I went to meet the owner of my rented apartment. I will tell you a little more about renting housing and a car, as well as about traveling by public transport and taxis at the end of this article.

I spent the first 4 days in Minsk: 2 of them were mainly devoted to studying, and the rest of the time I just walked around the city. I came to the apartment in the evening, just to spend the night. There was so much I wanted to see that I said to myself: “I’ll rest at home.”

Now let's move on to the sights. Additionally, all of them are indicated on the map at the bottom of this article; it will be easier to navigate what is where and how to easily get to each attraction.

And I’ll start my review of the trip with a trip to.

Walking around the city

Independence of Belarus

Perhaps it would be more logical to start with main square city ​​- Independence Square (or, as it is funnyly called in Belarusian, Independence Square). What beauty all around!

Over the course of its long history, the square has 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 locals love to stroll here in the evening, when the lights turn on and the square is illuminated with delightful light.

A huge shopping mall with parking. Independence Square gives rise to Independence Avenue, which runs almost through the entire city. Here is the main building of the country - the Government House.

The first Belarusian skyscraper is how Minsk residents proudly and respectfully call this building. A seven-meter monument to V.I. Lenin still stands in front of the entrance. During the war, the monument was destroyed, but after the Germans surrendered it was quickly restored. And the building itself, like the nearby Catholic Church of Saints Simon and Helen, became one of the few buildings that survived the war years without much destruction.

Catholic church with a sad history

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

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

If you're nearby, be sure to go inside. It is very beautiful and a little mysterious here. Beautiful sculptures, bronze details of the temple, superbly painted walls and vaults, amazing stained glass windows - all this creates a solemn atmosphere. And in combination with the music of the organ, one of the oldest in Europe, it’s simply an amazing experience.

The temple contains one of the seven copies of the Shroud of Turin. An extensive library of ancient books has been collected. The ashes of the founder of the church, Edward Voinilovich, also rest here. Right at the entrance there is a statue where Archangel Michael - the patron saint of Belarus - pierces the winged serpent of darkness with his sword.

Right there, very close by, is another monument, “The Bell of Nagasaki,” it was erected in memory of those killed in nuclear disasters. Very dramatic!

Belarusian Bastille

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

Blessed place

Next, your attention will undoubtedly be attracted by the white stone.

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

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 Svisloch River sailed to Minsk and was placed, not immediately of course, in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. And now this miraculous Image helps everyone who turns to it for help in difficult life situations.

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

The birds are singing, the sun is shining, making the water surface shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. Seagulls fly and scream, ducks swim near the shore. If you have a desire and a bun in your purse, you can feed them, then they will swim closer.

Beautiful weather and, what is immediately noticeable, the surroundings are perfectly clean and tidy! And not only here! It is immediately clear that the janitors do their job conscientiously, and Minsk residents, of course, care about the cleanliness of their hometown. Well done!

Happy memory to the heroes!

A small shaped bridge leads to an artificial island located not far from the shore. A monument to soldiers who died on the battlefields has recently been unveiled here. At first, this monument was conceived as a tribute to those killed in Afghanistan.

But, unfortunately, there were many more terrible events in the world where Belarusian soldiers took part. This monument is dedicated to all of them.

The figurine of the little Weeping Angel is very touchingly made, crying inconsolably for those who died, who could not return to their beloved and loving wife, mother or bride.

Trinity Suburb - history and legends

Directly opposite there is a very beautiful place, which still retains the spirit of old Minsk. This Trinity Suburb — historical Center cities.

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

“Girl with an Owl” is considered a symbol of the Trinity Suburb. The girl is holding an owl, and she herself is standing on a branch of a flowering fern, with a lizard sitting near her feet. The entire sculpture is located on a large stone, and two more lie nearby. There are only three - the town of Troitskoye.

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

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

What choice would you make?

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

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

The pride of our contemporaries is the Belarusian “Diamond of Knowledge”

Of course, I really wanted to take a close look at the famous National Library of Belarus. This unusual structure really interested me.

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

There is a playroom for children, and a special recreation room for adults; there are gyms, a cafe and a restaurant.

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

In the evening, the lights turn on and the façade of the building turns into a huge multi-colored screen. The spectacle is amazing!

Day 5. On the way to Brest

My training is completed, and the main attractions of Minsk have been explored. Now you can safely go on new adventures! The issue with renting a car was resolved very successfully the day before, and it is waiting for me under the windows of my rented apartment.

Details about renting housing, cars and others necessary things, I will tell you at the end of the article.

In the morning, having collected my things, casting a farewell glance at the awakening Minsk

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

And only now my old dream of walking through a protected forest and looking at live bison is starting to come true. I described my route in more detail in.

In total, I have traveled 447 kilometers today. And here are the sights that we managed to see along the way.

Nesvizh - the patrimony of the Radziwills

Nesvizh Castle

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

And now, having covered 120 km from Minsk, I am there. In the city I am greeted by beautiful swans and the striking of the clock on the city tower in the city center. Every 15 minutes they remind you of the past time.

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

For centuries, the Radziwills owned vast lands, towns and cities belonged to them. Kings without a crown - that's what their compatriots called them.

Indeed, the Radziwills occupied the highest government and military positions. The opinion of representatives of this clan influenced the fate of the entire state. And the king himself could envy their untold wealth.

4 parks surround the Nesvizh Radziwill Castle. And each has its own history, its own specially decorated territory, its own monuments, original sculptures, its own legends.

So I took a walk in these parks.

It’s very beautiful, young leaves are blooming on the trees, the birds are singing.

But cold…

Brest Fortress - a citadel of courage

June 22, 1941 soldiers Brest Fortress They were the first to come under fire from the Nazis and for more than a month, completely surrounded, without food and water, without medicine and ammunition, they held the line, not allowing the Nazis to go further.

After the war, the fortress was not completely restored. To eternally remind descendants of the feat of the defenders of the Motherland, an entire memorial complex has been created here, and the Eternal Flame burns without going out.

On November 3-4, 2016, the memorial complex celebrated memorable dates. The Defense Museum is 60 years old! And the State Institution Memorial Complex “Brest Hero Fortress! - 45!

Brest – a city of unusual museums

There are also about 900 species of plants growing 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 greatest pride of Belovezhskaya is the bison living here.

Today, here is the largest population of these forest giants in Europe. And, among other things, I was surprised by the fantastically clean air in Pushcha. I have never 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! Believe it if you want, or better yet, check it, but here, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Father Frost and his assistants live in his wonderful residence and happily receive numerous guests.

The good wizard's estate includes the owner's house with workshops where gifts are made; the house where the Snow Maiden lives; a magic well that makes wishes come true; a windmill that grinds everything bad, sculptural figures of heroes from your favorite fairy tales and much, much more.

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

At the residence of Father Frost you can take part in funny games and competitions, taste the most delicious potato pancakes and other national dishes.

You definitely won't be bored! So if you're in the area, be sure to stop by! Santa Claus lives about 10 km from the main entrance to the protected forest!

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

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

Every corner of the house used to have its own purpose. There were always icons in the house - the image of the Savior and the image of the Mother of God. Each family member had their own rights and responsibilities. Men and women have their own crafts. For example, in the museum, your attention will be drawn to an ancient loom for double weaving. This art is currently included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus.

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

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

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

The time has come for me to leave this amazing natural reserve. Belovezhskaya Pushcha did not disappoint, but, on the contrary, enchanted me even more. And now I want to return there with even greater desire.

Well, my path now lies towards Minsk. But along the way, Belarus has prepared many more attractions for me. These are amazing and Orthodox shrines. It’s difficult to do everything in one day, so I’m planning to stretch my trip to the capital over 2 days.

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

Kossovo Palace "Knight's Dreams"

And in Kossovo there is a castle that once belonged to the magnates Puslovsky. For your luxurious interior decoration and its external greatness was called the “Knight’s Dream.”

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

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

Over the entire history of its existence, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times. It suffered severe damage in a multi-day fire during the Great Patriotic War. It is currently undergoing reconstruction, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018. But now!

Directly opposite, on the shore of the lake, stands the estate of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a national hero of the four countries 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 has been turned into a hero's museum.

This is a two-story house with 8 rooms. Near the house there is a huge stone with a memorial plaque in honor of Tadeusz Kosciuszko. The museum houses items found during excavations at this site that once belonged to the Kosciuszko family.

A collection of stamps dedicated to Tadeusz, a copy of his saber and other valuables. Here you can buy souvenirs, take part in various events and... get married. Yes, now you can officially register your marriage here.

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

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 - a set of laws of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Lev Sapieha. He built a grandiose palace here, which combined elements of a fortress and a luxurious castle.

The entire treasury of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the weapons arsenal, documents of state importance, food supplies and barrels of wine were stored in the huge basements of the palace.

The castle was rebuilt many times 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. The theater's productions were famous throughout Europe. The palace often hosted noble guests: kings, ambassadors of distant countries and other celebrities. According to legend, there was an underground passage that connected Ruzhany Castle and Kossovsky Castle.

Zhirovichi Monastery

For more than 500 years the Holy Dormition has existed monastery in Zhirovichi. And its 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 glow in the crown of trees. It was a small Image of the Mother of God, which the shepherds took to the owner of the land. A little later, a temple was built on this site. This is how the history of the monastery began.

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 to pilgrims.

Now the complex combines 2 churches, a bell tower, the Theological Academy and Seminary and other adjacent buildings. A Pilgrim's House was also built, where people who came to pray miraculous icon, will be able to rest and spend the night if necessary.

Well, my overnight stay today 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, the Mir Castle, built in the 16th century, stands tall.

Construction was started by wealthy landowner Yuri Ilyinich. But after his death, his 4 sons also did not live long. One was poisoned, the other died of illness - this is how the Ilyinich family died out. And the Radziwills began to own the castle. But they, after some time, sold it. The last owner of the castle died in 1938, and since then it has been in a state of neglect.

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

Do dudutki come from the word “dutki”?

In the afternoon I part with the car that I rented and which has been my faithful assistant for a whole week. Therefore, I am going on the next excursion as part of a tourist group.

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

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

There is so much on display here that it is impossible to do everything in the 2 hours allotted to us by the guide! Read on for details on how you can have fun at.

Now the time that I could devote to traveling around Belarus is over. It's time to go home. It’s a bit of a pity, I would like to stay here for a few more days - there are so many more interesting things to see! But nothing prevents me from coming here again, and maybe more than once.

What passport do you need?

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

The very good news is that for Russians international passport not required to enter Belarus. Enough Russian. You also don’t need a visa when crossing the border; you don’t even need to put a stamp in your passport.

The only important point. If you are purchasing tickets, for example, for a plane, and specifying the details of a foreign document, then in this case you will need to present it when boarding. If the data is indicated from a 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 Minsk National Airport, having previously sent their documents here. But, of course, it is better to clarify all these questions in advance.

Where and how to rent housing in Belarus

It turned out that renting an apartment in Minsk is very simple. Through this you can book a room in numerous hotels, and on the service you can choose accommodation in any area of ​​the city. By the way, it turns out to be much cheaper than a hotel room. And if you travel not alone, but in a company, then the benefits are very significant.

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

From here you could get to any point in the city by any means of transport, and in 20 minutes you could walk to the center. Hotels in this area were significantly more expensive.

But, having returned back to Minsk from his car travel, I booked the hotel " ". It was located far from the center, but its location and cost suited me quite well, since I could get around in a rented car without any problems.

In other cities of Belarus you can also rent housing, but here the choice will be smaller. Here is my apartment in the city of Baranovichi.

I liked its location: close to the highway. It was very convenient to spend the night and hit the road again in the morning.

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

Transport in Minsk

Transport links in the capital of Belarus are excellent. There are buses, trolleybuses and numerous minibuses running around the city. There is also intercity communication. But I had no “communication” with this type of transport.

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

For a tourist entering the Belarusian subway for the first time, it is very easy to navigate: there are only 2 lines: red and blue. All stations are named quite clearly, although they are written in the local language.

It is also very convenient to use a taxi. They work on a meter, and if you travel 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, the taxi cost me 390,000 Belarusian rubles. (this is 1320 Russian rubles or 20 $)

You can get to Minsk National Airport and back more inexpensively by train (for only 25,000 Belarusian rubles). The advertising poster reports this.

In this case, you arrive from the airport to the Minsk railway station, from where you public transport you can get to your desired location in the city. The big disadvantage is that these trains do not run often.

Car rental in Minsk

Of course, the most convenient way to travel is by car, and in Minsk you can easily rent a car for any convenient period. After studying prices at different rental companies, I settled on a company with an optimistic name: “Maya the Bee.”

Why car rental has such an unusual name became clear later when I signed the rental agreement. It turned out that this office was registered under the name of the individual entrepreneur Pchelka Denis Viktorovich. These are the positive surnames in Belarus. 🙂

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

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

When renting a car, there were some surprises: the condition was to drive no more than 350 km per day. This is the first time I've heard this! Well, okay, in general, this suited me. I can't travel that far in a week. After all, the longest distances are from Minsk to Brest and back; all other sights can be seen along the way, only deviating briefly from the main route.

If, as a result, it would not be possible to meet these limits, then you would have to pay an additional $10 for every extra 350 km per day.

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

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

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

How much does a vacation cost (results and prices)

This time, according to my subjective feelings, the final 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 ones. It’s just that this time I traveled alone, so all costs were solely at my expense.

After all, for example, accommodation and car rental cost almost the same: for one or for two people. And the costs in the 2nd case are easily divided in half.

This is what I got for 10 days of stay in Belarus (I give prices in Russian rubles):

Accommodation:

1. Apartment in Minsk for 4 nights 6,560 rubles (1,640 rubles for 1 night);
2. for 3 nights 3,770 rub. (1260 RUR for 1 night);
3. Apartment in Baranovichi for 1 night 1,300 rubles;
4. for 2 nights 3,100 rubles (1,550 rubles for 1 night).

In Belarus, in any city, there is a huge number of different housing options. It’s very easy to rent an apartment or room on the service, or book a hotel through the service.

Transport:

1. Air tickets Moscow-Minsk-Moscow - 8,980 rubles;
2. Car rental for 6 days 12,900 rubles (2,150 rubles for 1 day);
3. Gasoline 3,700 rub.

The length of my route by car was (total mileage) 1400 km, 90 liters of gasoline were spent.

Excursion program:

1. Entrance tickets to all attractions cost me 1,620 rubles.
2. Ordered excursions, including audio guides - 4,320 rubles.

And here are the results:

The money came and went, and now we no longer remember it. But the impressions of a great time were left! And this is the most important thing why people strive to travel! 🙂

The map below shows all the sights of Belarus that I was able to visit. You can see more details about each of them.