Travel route through beautiful places in Belarus. By car to Belarus. What you need to know and what to watch

The closest junction of East and West to us attracts with amazing contrasts. The country to this day remains a kind of preserve of socialism with a coat of arms and flag that has changed little since Soviet times, monuments to Lenin in almost every city, street names unchanged since Soviet times and even... collective farms. At the same time, in Belarus there is very decent and inexpensive service, unusual cleanliness on the streets and even in courtyards, unpolluted nature, good roads in Western European style and polite drivers. And Belarus is a country of museums, with a variety of - sometimes unexpected for the uninitiated - directions and eras.

How to go and where to live

Russians don’t even need a foreign passport to travel to Belarus. The only thing you should add is car insurance - a green card, which you can buy just before the border. By the way, there is no border as such between Russia and Belarus. True, for some time now, when entering Russia, all cars are stopped to check the presence of Russian passports. Belarus has opened its borders to many countries. However, such control takes a minimum of time and nerves. You don't even need to get out of the car.

From Moscow to Minsk and Brest we go straight along the M-1 highway. We cross the border and feel a certain breath of Europe. On large sections of the highway on the territory of Belarus, unlike Russia, there is a wide dividing strip. The permissible speed for a passenger car is 120 km/h. You shouldn’t exceed it too much, and you need to keep a close eye on the signs, especially in populated areas. There are plenty of cameras photographing the tail of the car, and even after a few days of traveling around the republic, you can be stopped, presented with a photo as proof of the violation and politely asked to pay a fine. But they won’t stop you without a reason. And Belarusian law enforcement officers do not take bribes. The roads - even local, narrow, provincial ones - are always in surprisingly good condition.

Gasoline costs approximately the same as in Russia. for a few days, you need to change some amount into local currency. The times when many places, especially gas stations, accepted our rubles, euros, and even dollars, are long gone. However, cards are accepted almost everywhere.

Finding a hotel in any city is not a problem. Often hotels have a certain touch of “Sovietness”, but everything is clean and not shabby. For some, there is a kind of thrill in such a return to the past.

A double room in a three-star hotel in large cities costs approximately 4,500 rubles per day, in four-star hotels - 5,500–6,000 rubles. There are paid parking lots near some hotels, but the prices are such that they won’t ruin anyone.

The food in Belarus is cheap, filling and tasty. A quite decent dinner in a quite decent restaurant will cost 700 rubles per person. By the way, local products are not only tasty, but also surprisingly cheap. I know an amateur who regularly travels around Belarus and invariably brings back dairy products and stewed meat, which costs half as much as in Moscow.

What to watch?

Belarus famous

Of course, even those who have never been to Belarus know: the country suffered enormously during the war and remembers it well. Therefore, historical monuments related to the Great Patriotic War are especially numerous and revered here.

The most famous, of course, are the Brest Fortress, a memorial complex in the village of Khatyn that was burned during the Great Patriotic War, and Buynicheskoye Field on the outskirts of Mogilev, where the city’s defenders held back German tanks for more than three weeks in the summer of 1941. By the way, this is also a literary and cinematic place. It was these battles that were described in “The Living and the Dead” by Konstantin Simonov, and then reproduced in the film of the same name by Alexander Stolper.

Less known, oddly enough, is the wonderful, very interesting Minsk Museum of the Second World War. By the way, there is also a special, unusual exhibit. When you go up to the second floor and see it, at first you are surprised: how did they drag it in? And not everyone, and certainly not immediately, realizes that the tank is a beautifully made copy of... foam plastic.

Among the museums in Minsk, there is a very good one, by the way, and an artistic one with an interesting collection of Russian and Western paintings.

To the delight of technology lovers from 5 to 60 years of age, there is an extensive collection of Soviet aircraft near Minsk. By the way, those who wish will also be able to ride a sports Yak-52 here. True, only in good weather.

The well-known symbol of Belarus is Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Many people have heard about it, but not everyone has been there. This is the largest and one of the most ancient forests in modern Europe. In addition to the main “heroes” of the Pushcha, and also the symbols of the country - bison, there are many other interesting animals here. By the way, another “relic” lives near Belovezhskaya Pushcha - the Belarusian Grandfather Frost.

Belarus unknown

Belarus and war monuments - understandable. But not everyone associates the republic with palaces and castles. But on the territory of modern Belarus, five centuries ago, Lithuanian and Polish nobles, and then industrialists, built luxurious palaces and estates, surrounded them with regular parks in the Western European style, usually in the “Aglitz” style. Today, most castles, of course, have been turned into museums and centers of historical and cultural complexes. Here are just a few of the most interesting ones.

In the Grodno region, 100 km from Minsk in the village of Mir, there is a castle complex, the origins of which go back to the 1520s. They built it as a fortress to protect themselves from raids by the Tatars (and they even ran here!) and unfriendly neighbors. In addition, to receive the title of count of the Holy Roman Empire, one had to own a stone castle.

Nesvizh Palace and Park were created over two centuries, starting from the 16th century. Therefore, different architectural styles are intricately combined here. All this wealth belonged not to just anyone, but to the famous Polish family of the Radziwills. Now here, 112 km from Minsk towards Brest, there is a national historical and cultural reserve with a museum, hotel and other tourist delights.

The huge Ruzhany Castle, which once belonged to the family of the Lithuanian Chancellor Lev Sapieha, is still mostly in ruins. The restoration, in fact, has just begun. The first fire happened during the First World War, when there was already a weaving factory here, and the Second World War destroyed the once luxurious palace. But such ruins in themselves are worth a look. Yes, and there is a museum here.

I wonder what direction this young lady is going to go from Brest Station? Probably to Paris...

I wonder what direction this young lady is going to go from Brest Station? Probably to Paris...

And almost socialist, collective farm Belarus is a country not only of castles, but also... of casinos. I am not at all promoting destructive passion. It’s just funny that there are now a dozen (!) gambling establishments in Minsk. A kind of Eastern European Monaco! And the first casino, by the way, welcomes Russian travelers soon after the border. Oddly enough, but this is also Belarus!

In general, Belarus is not boring for those for whom the concept of relaxation is synonymous with the words “see” and “find out.”

You can visit the medieval castles of Belarus on your own using a rented car. To do this, it is not at all necessary to pay for excursions and tours.

Usually I am against a quick sightseeing, but today I will change my principles and advise you not to spend the whole day on a couple of castles, as is recommended in guidebooks, but will suggest seeing 7 worthy places in 1.5 days: from the super-popular restored Mir Castle, to abandoned tomb in a village in the Brest region.

You will find a breakdown of your travel budget, a description of places, an already developed route and marks on the map.

Map of castles, palaces and tombs of Belarus

The map shows all the places we have visited or are planning to visit in the near future. As you can see, there are a lot of marks, so we highlighted them in color:

• green - the coolest places, in our opinion, that are definitely worth visiting,
• red - interesting places, but you can skip them if you don’t have enough time,
• yellow - where we have not been yet, but are planning to go.

This, of course, is purely our opinion. Write in the comments what you recommend watching. Let's go!

Map of castles in Belarus:

This post describes only our first day; the second post will tell about less tourist attractions in Belarus.

Excursion plan to the castles of Belarus for 1.5 days:

• Departure from Minsk at 9:00;
• Mir Castle;
• Roman Catholic Church of the Body of God;
• Nesvizh Castle;
• Overnight in Brest;
• Brest Fortress;
• Abandoned chapel-tomb of the Ozheshko family;
• Puslovsky Palace (Kossovo Castle);
• Abandoned Sapega palace complex;
• Return to Minsk at 21:00.

Mir Castle

Walking around and going into the courtyard is free.

Entrance to the castle itself: 10 BYN, for schoolchildren and students 5 BYN.

Location: Mir city.

Coordinates: 53.45115, 26.47291.

You can get there by bus on the Minsk-Novogrudok route. The journey takes 2 hours. By car from Minsk - 1 hour.

30 minutes for a quick inspection.

My opinion: worth a visit.

The architecture of the castle is a mix of late Gothic and Renaissance. Monumental and impregnable, the castle is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. Just look how beautiful it is!

Mir Castle was built at the beginning of the 16th century by tycoon Yuri Ilyinich.

You can stroll through the English-style park, see the defensive tiers, battle galleries, the chapel-tomb of the Svyatopolk-Mirsky family, and also look into the basement.

Opposite the attraction there is a cozy alley along which you can walk and stroll. But I was very cold and realized why there were so few people here in the fall. The wind is terrible!

There are 4 towers at the corners of the castle, the fifth tower is in the middle. The number of towers is equal to the number of men in the Ilyinich family: 4 side towers - 4 sons, 1 central tower - Yuri Ilyinich himself, after whose death the castle was owned by everyone. As a result, the landmark fell into disrepair for many decades, and only in the 21st century did the Belarusian authorities finally decide to restore it. As you will understand later, mainly from the second post of this topic, not all significant sights are restored in Belarus. Many are still abandoned. So Mir Castle is very lucky.

The courtyard, which is completely free to enter.

Mir Castle also has its own hotel:

To be honest, I didn’t expect anything special from this pop attraction, but Mir Castle pleasantly surprised me: clean, cozy, it has its own atmosphere. If you are in Belarus, be sure to visit!

Near the castle there are stalls with souvenirs and a couple of cafes where you can buy hot coffee. Very appropriate in this chilly weather. Mir Castle is only 38 km from another well-restored landmark: Nesvizh Castle. So we immediately went there!

We drove for 30 minutes through numerous villages. In the villages, by the way, there is also something to see: the houses are bright and neat. Although the roads are not ideal, we didn’t get stuck anywhere, even considering that we were driving in the rain.

Roman Catholic Church of Corpus Christi

On the way to Nesvizh Castle, we looked into the Roman Catholic Church of the Body of God, built in the 16th century and since then has never closed its doors to parishioners. Wars, persecutions, more wars and devastation, but this baroque temple doesn’t care about anything: it has been working for four and a half centuries and that’s it.

Walking around and going inside is free.

Location: Nesvizh city.

Coordinates: 53.22051, 26.68392

15 minutes for a quick inspection.

My opinion: if you don’t have time, you can skip it.

Prince Nicholas Radziwill, nicknamed the Orphan, met in Europe the architect Bernardoni, whom he invited to Nesvizh to build a church in the European style. The young architect agreed, but arrived in Nesvizh only 15 years later. No, he wasn’t so late on purpose; being a Jesuit, he stopped along the way not in hotels, as is now customary, but in monasteries. And everywhere he stepped on the same rake: the Jesuits, having learned that he was an architect, would not let him go until he built a church for them. So it turned out that on the way from Rome to Nesvizh, Bernardoni built several attractions that still exist today. Having mastered his hand, the architect quickly erected the Roman Catholic Church of the Body of God and left for Krakow, where he died.

Nesvizh Castle

Enter the courtyard - 3 BYN.

Entrance to the castle itself: 14 BYN, for schoolchildren and students 7 BYN.

Opening hours: in summer from 10:00 to 19:00 (tickets sold until 18:00), from October 1 from 9:00 to 18:00 (tickets sold until 17:00).

Location: Nesvizh city.

Coordinates: 53.222631, 26.691949.

30 minutes for a quick inspection.

My opinion: worth a visit.

Nesvizh Castle in Belarus is located in the very popular tourist city of Nesvizh, so if you have a lot of time, in addition to the castle itself, you can visit the city hall, the former monastery complex, the Roman Catholic Church of Corpus Christi (mentioned above) and much more. See the cost of weekend tickets on the website niasvizh.by.

We walked around Nesvizh a little, it’s cozy here. There is no discrepancy in architecture and it is noticeable that the buildings are built in the same style, which gives the town a certain charm.

But let's return to the castle itself. It was built at the end of the 16th century and served as the residence of the richest family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - the Radziwills. At one time, Nesvizh Castle was the most powerful and perfect fortification in Belarus and withstood many attacks.

The official price list does not include prices for visiting the courtyard, but the cunning security guards charged us 3 BYN for two and allowed us to visit the courtyard. The transfer of money was reminiscent of a crime detective story with a secret transfer of drugs - “Pass it, pass it on,” the guards whispered, “Only so that no one sees!”))

A little more about the shenanigans: the castle's treasury once housed a priceless collection of 12 apostles made of pure gold, studded with precious stones. One group of robbers tried to steal the golden apostles, so the real statues were hidden in the dungeons, and wax copies decorated with fake stones were displayed in the castle itself. Over time, wax figures of the robbers who tried to steal them were placed next to the apostles. This is how the world's first collection of wax figures appeared!

Just a minute, mi-mi-mi: on the warm hatch of the castle courtyard there was such an affectionate handsome man warming himself. Well, why not stroke it?

After visiting Nesvizh Castle, we headed to Brest for the night. The road is long, 273 km. We traveled by car for 2.5 hours. What to do on the road? Learn the names of passing villages! Appendages, New Popina, New Mouse, Derevnaya village and my favorite - the village of Dreams.

Overnight in Brest + 4 more attractions

We stayed for the night in a cozy apartment in the center of Brest:

In general, there are a lot of places where you can stay in Brest:

The next day we visited the Brest Fortress, the abandoned chapel of the Ozheshko family, the Puslovsky Palace (Kossovo Castle) and the abandoned Sapega palace complex. But more on that in the next post

Cost of traveling by rented car

Gasoline prices: 1.15 BYN for 92 gasoline, 1.25 BYN for 95 gasoline.

Car rental (Chevrolet 2014):

• 72 BYN per 1 day for the basic tariff (no more than 350 km per day);
• 80 BYN for 1 day, if you take the option with unlimited mileage.

We chose the unlimited mileage option. From Minsk to Brest and back, stopping at 7 attractions, we covered 1000 km. In total, we paid 190 BYN for renting a car for 1.5 days + for gasoline.

Meals in cafes cost us 60 BYN for two. Plus, we also bought all sorts of goodies for the holiday table (we celebrated our 5th anniversary of marriage).

Entrance to the castle grounds is free (except 3 BYN for Nesvizh Castle).

Travel Features

• You can drive with a Russian license.
• Roads and highways are only partially illuminated after sunset.
• It’s better not to leave sights for the evening: it’s worse to see, and the photos turn out so-so.
• Some attractions are located right next to the highway - very easy to get to.
• The roads are good; cars are officially allowed to travel up to 120 km/h on the highways.
• In mid-October there are few people. They say that there is a crowd of people here in the summer. So choose the off-season and you will be happy!
• There are private guides on duty at the castles (but in fact just local residents who are looking for their clients, gently offering to tell the history of the attraction).

I have long dreamed of visiting Belarus. There are legends about its extraordinary cleanliness and ideal roads, the friendliness of the people and the amazing taste of local products. Belarus is a foreign country, but you don’t need a visa to visit it. And so, one friendly September morning, my family (me, my husband and my 6-year-old daughter) got into the car and set off on a trip.

We left on Tuesday at 3 o'clock in the morning. The distance from Kovrov to Minsk is 1,100 km, the estimated travel time is about 14 hours.

A few general questions:

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1. The local currency is Belarusian rubles. Even before the trip, I read a lot about how it is unprofitable to change money in Russia. But I always feel uncomfortable traveling without local currency in my pocket, so I changed 1,000,000 BYN at Sberbank. rubles So, I confirm from my own experience that you need to change money in Belarus. There are exchange offices in all shopping centers in Minsk, the rate is much more favorable than in Russian banks.
2. Registration of “Green Card” - an international car insurance policy. Everywhere they write that it must be mandatory. During the entire trip, no one asked us for insurance, but this is not an indicator, of course. You can apply for it either at home at the insurance company or along the highway, starting from Smolensk and beyond. There are a great many insurance options, the price is approximately the same everywhere.
3. Petrol. It is better to fill up with gasoline as much as possible in Russia; in Belarus it is more expensive. But the price at all gas stations is identical, which is very convenient.
4. Toll roads. There are many “Toll Road” signs near Minsk. We still don’t understand how and where they pay for travel on these roads. There are no booths, barriers - nothing. Having driven through many toll roads, we have never paid. Mystery.
5. The driving culture in Belarus is very high. They follow the rules and disciplinedly let people pass at pedestrian crossings.

Well, that seems to be all. I'll move on to the journey. So, having left Kovrov at 03.00 in the morning, at 16.00 we were already in Minsk.(

We only stopped at gas stations for coffee/snack/toilet/a short rest for the driver.

I read a lot before the trip and had a rough idea of ​​what to expect from the country. But still, the first thing you notice as soon as you cross the border is the extraordinary cleanliness. The grass, as if combed with a comb, is smooth and beautiful. And, by the way, not only on the main roads. We also had to travel through small villages - everything was identical. There are freshly harvested fields all around, I had already forgotten how beautiful it is - well-groomed land.

There are many parking spots along the route, equipped with everything you need. There is a fine for using the forest as a free toilet/garbage container. In general, Belarus is not at all similar to Russia in appearance. To European countries where I have also been. Belarus is original, and this makes it unique.

The first impression of Minsk is a cozy, calm city. There are no rushing crowds of people. No traffic jams either!

Day 1. Victory Park – Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Guest house "Comfort-House" in Minsk

Having arrived, we went to the guest house “Comfort-House” on the street. Novinkovskaya, pre-booked on the website booking.com. We were attracted by the relative cheapness of the room - about 2000 rubles. for three per night and a lot of positive reviews (the average rating of the guest house is very high - 9.3 points).

So, all the praises that are sung to this small hotel are completely true. I have only enthusiastic exclamations and superlatives. "Comfort-House" consists of several small houses, each of which accommodates two rooms.
Our house had a swimming pool (use included in the price), barbecue, and sauna (for an additional fee). A huge kitchen with everything you need, the room has a TV, a sofa, air conditioning, and an air bed. The territory is well-groomed, with an abundance of vegetation, all sorts of figurines, grottoes, fountains, gazebos. Honestly, I don’t even want to leave. My child was absolutely delighted and still remembers “Comfortable Home” with great tenderness.

A tiny fly in the ointment in this ocean of honey is a very friendly owner. Very very. He came three times a night to see if everything was okay with us. Edited our plans for the day, etc. and so on. But these are just my problems; I don’t really like intense communication with unfamiliar people.
I recommend this hotel to everyone. Probably the best place we've ever stayed.

But let's get back to the journey. Having settled in, we went for a walk around the city. Stopped near Victory Park on Pobediteley Avenue. Excellent panorama, well-kept park with fountains, bridges, picturesque alleys.

The landscape is crowned by a majestic building - the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. That's where we went. In general, it is necessary to note the enormous respect with which Belarusians treat the memory of the war. Numerous steles and monuments - all in excellent condition. During the war, every third Belarusian died (it’s scary to even think about this figure), and this tragedy will forever remain in the people’s consciousness.

The Minsk Museum of the Great Patriotic War consists of exhibitions dedicated to the course of the war, the partisan movement and various installations. Several halls are dedicated to the demonstration of military equipment. I was especially touched by the halls of the fascist occupation of Belarus. My heart bleeds just to imagine what the people who took upon themselves all the oppression and atrocities of the war went through.

After wandering around the museum, we went to dinner. By the way, I’ll tell you about our food in Belarus.

Food in Belarus

Without further ado, we went to the Lido all the time. A lot has already been written and said about this establishment, I won’t repeat it. There are two Lidos in Minsk, and we visited both of them during our stay in the city. Inexpensive, varied, tasty. Very atmospheric. It’s a pity, of course, that I didn’t have to visit other places - Anna Sadovskaya talks about it very tasty in her reviews. But it’s okay, we’ll catch up another time.
Just in case Lido addresses in Belarus:

1. Independence Ave., 49, room 1
2. st. Kulman, 5A

Second day. Mir Castle - Nyasvizh Castle - National Library of Minsk

World

After waking up and having breakfast at the hotel, we went to. The distance from Minsk to the village of Mir, Korelichi district, Grodno region is 98 km. Excellent road, very picturesque surroundings.

The castle itself looks monumental. When you enter the gate and see it in front of you, it takes your breath away, as if you were in a fairy tale..

Inside, everything is no less fabulous. It seems that you are in the Middle Ages, in a second knights and beautiful ladies in crinolines will appear, and maids will scurry around the kitchen with boar heads on trays and onion soup. There is no feeling of a remake, as in many similar places.
A very interesting tour of the castle and its surroundings. In particular, the tragic legend about the lake, which was dug up after cutting down a beautiful forest. The spirits of the forest cursed the race of the man who gave the order. Fiction or not, the daughter of the owner of the castle, Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky, Sonechka, drowned in this lake, and then he himself.

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The Mir Castle is full of stairs and catacombs. The stairs are very steep and uncomfortable; I almost fell off the steps several times.

In the courtyard of the castle there is a very good souvenir shop and a small museum dedicated to the years of fascist occupation of Mirskaya land. There was also a Jewish ghetto on the castle grounds. The ancient walls became a prison for hundreds of people.
It’s not only the architecture that’s beautiful in Mir – the wonderful landscape, bridges, and the picturesque chapel-tomb of the princes Svyatopolk-Mirsky.

An amazing place that I really want to return to.

Nesvizh

From Mir we went to the cultural capital of Belarus. This is what is written on one of the buildings in this city. Distance – 31 km.
When we arrived, we left the car near the ancient church and went to the Castle.
A rather long path runs along the shore of a beautiful pond. The castle itself takes your breath away. Literally, he is so beautiful.

But the inside of the castle did not make much of an impression. It seems beautiful and rich, but it’s a remake and doesn’t smell of history at all. We walked around, looked, listened, but weren’t particularly impressed by anything. According to my feelings, Nesvizh is elegant, modern, very similar to the palaces of St. Petersburg. Castle Mir is more exotic; you won’t see anything like it in Russia.

The surrounding area was also disappointing. With such a majestic castle, the landscape is dull and faded. There are souvenirs and food stalls all around; there is a real lack of a well-kept park with alleys where you can walk and admire the views.
From Nesvizh we went to have lunch at the Lido, and then visited the pride of Minsk residents -National Library. A very interesting and unusual building made of blue glass.

We were there in the evening, it was already dark and we turned on the lights. The view is, of course, fantastic.

We took a high-speed elevator to the observation deck and saw Minsk at night from above. Once again we were convinced what a beautiful city it is.

Without arms/without legs we went to the hotel - have dinner, swim in the pool, steam in the sauna and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Day 3. Khatyn - “Lake” - Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus - Komarovsky Market, Minsk.

Early in the morning of the third day we went to. This is how we got there: at the 54th kilometer of the Vitebsk highway there is a sign “Khatyn”. We turn left and after a few kilometers the memorial complex is visible.

I won’t talk much about the Khatyn tragedy - everyone knows about it. One of the most tragic pages of our common history. On March 22, 1943, the residents of a small Belarusian village were herded into a wooden barn by the Nazis and set on fire. Old people, women, infants. They had no weapons and did not harm anyone. And this case is not isolated. During the years of occupation, more than a hundred such tragedies occurred on Belarusian soil.

I heard a lot about Khatyn, read a lot, but when I found myself in this place... Morning, fog, bells ringing on the skeletons of burnt houses, a huge statue of the “Unconquered” - a burned old man with a dead son in his arms. Gloomy, unsettling atmosphere. Every person should visit here, in my opinion. But I would not dare to return here.

From Khatyn we went to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus "Ozertso".

And I fell in love with this place forever. “Ozertso” refers to open-air museums or museum-skansen. That is, one where historical and cultural monuments are displayed in their natural environment.

First of all, it is famous for its interesting sculptures in front of the entrance. Well, and of course, the assortment. Everything that Belarus is rich in is presented on the market. And sausages, and cheeses, and dairy products, and products from confectionery factories. For every taste. We stocked up on condensed cream - the taste is amazing and the price for our money is about 50 rubles per jar, Belarusian lard and sweets. I wanted to buy everything at once. But since we, like Winnie the Pooh, love condensed milk most of all, that’s what we mostly bought. Yes, more. :) We also bought several cans of stew there. By the way, you can very rarely find the word GOST on Belarusian stew. But the fact is that in Belarus this word is not an empty phrase. The slightest discrepancy can be punished very severely.

I would also like to mention the dairy products - everything is very tasty. For example, if you take a milkshake (my daughter loves them very much), it will be a real cocktail, and not a mess with a lot of E, which is sold in our stores. Sausages are like sausages. I didn’t notice any particular difference with the Russian ones.

The products of Belarusian cosmetic companies - Biovita and Vitex - are sold everywhere. Shampoos and creams are not bad. But again, no better than “Clean Line” and “Granny Agafya”, in my opinion.

After spending the night at the hotel again, we headed home in the morning. The trip to Belarus by car was ending... It was a pity to leave, we liked this hospitable country so much. So many interesting things remained unknown - Brest, Grodno, Lida and many, many more. There is a reason to come back!

Greetings to all lovers of roads, distant travels and new experiences! Vyacheslav is with you.

On the eve of the new summer season, I would like to tell you about our trip by car around Belarus, which we made with our friendly family in June last year. The main purpose of the trip was to get to know the Republic of Belarus, but on the way there and back we also passed through many cities in central Russia, so the trip can be called “Rus-Belarus”! I hope that this description will be useful and informative for everyone who wants to travel along the roads of the neighboring fraternal state, as well as learn a lot of new and interesting things from the history of the Russian State.

As usual, my first article will contain brief statistical information about our trip, as well as a few words about the reasons for choosing this particular route and preparing for the trip. So…

Route: Perm – Game – Yoshkar-Ola – Cheboksary – Bolshoye Boldino – Arzamas – Murom – Kasimov – Ryazan – Monastyrshchino (Kulikovo Field) – Tula – Kaluga – Bryansk – Gomel – Rechitsa – Bragin – Mozyr – Turov – Pinsk – Brest – Belovezhskaya Pushcha – Kobrin – Ruzhany – Krasnoselskoe – Grodno – Murovanka – Lida – Minsk – Khatyn – “Stalin Line” – Nesvizh – Baranovichi – Mir – Minsk – Krevo – Golshany – Oshmyany – Gervyaty – Glubokoe – Polotsk – Nevel – Velikiye Luki – Rzhev – Tver – Kalyazin – Borisoglebsky – Yaroslavl – Kostroma – Manturovo – Kirov – Perm.

We traveled through the territory of 16 territories and regions of the Russian Federation and 6 subjects of the Republic of Belarus.

Time: 05/28/2016 – 06/13/2016, 17 days in total.

Transport: car Nissan Qashqai+2 (1.6, 2WD, 2010), rental bicycles.

Mileage According to the car's odometer, 7717 km.

Crew– married couple 45/44 yrs. and two children 12/6 years old.

Financial expenses 93 thousand rubles, of which 27% for excursions and entertainment, 24% for housing, 24% for fuel, 8% for food, 17% for souvenirs, etc.

Why did you choose Belarus when planning your new travel route? As always, there were several reasons for this.

First. Belarus is the most accessible foreign country for Russians. It’s even somehow unusual to apply such a definition to her. The Belarusian people are the closest and most fraternal for Russian people in the entire post-Soviet space. No cultural or language barriers. However, Belarus is sovereign. Its own president and its own laws.

Second. 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. As we know, the war began on June 22, 1941, and the main blow of German troops fell precisely on the territory of Belarus. In the first days of the war, its territory was almost completely occupied and was under the yoke of the invaders for almost three years. During this time, the Nazis destroyed more than two million people, i.e. almost every fourth resident of Belarus. Khatyn, burned along with its inhabitants, became a symbol of the barbarity and inhumanity of fascism.

Third. Educational and historical. My daughter studied the history of medieval Rus', and where better than on the way to Belarus and back can she consolidate this acquired knowledge. And it was interesting for the rest of the trip participants to see Murom, Ryazan, Tula, and Kulikovo Field in reality.

Kholm Gate of the Brest Fortress - the westernmost point of our journey

How did packing for a trip to Belarus differ from last year’s trip to the Russian North? Firstly, we did not take so much warm clothing. On the contrary, we took more light, summer ones. Secondly, having learned from past experience, we abandoned the tent and other camping equipment. It was supposed to travel through populated areas and only on asphalt roads. Due to the reduction in luggage volume, the roof rack was also abandoned. Without it, fuel consumption is slightly lower.

According to the deadlines. The original plans were to go on a trip at the end of July - beginning of August, but then I realized that by this time I would simply burn out from waiting, and the trip would not be a joy. Besides, it’s good in the Urals at the height of summer. For these reasons, the start of the trip was postponed to the end of May. We started on Saturday, May 28, and planned to return 16 days later on Sunday, June 12, leaving one day off on June 13 in reserve. On the 14th I was supposed to go to work.

As usual, during the preparation process a fairly detailed plan was drawn up - where to see what, how to travel and where to spend the night. Rented apartments were chosen as a place of refuge, for booking which I found the convenient website Sutochno.ru. On the website you can book apartments not only in Russia, but also in other countries. For example, in Belarus I booked inexpensive one-room apartments in Brest and Minsk. One of the disadvantages of this service is the reluctant responses of landlords to requests in less than two days. For one-night stays, it is better to call and make arrangements the day before your arrival. For these purposes, on the same website, I wrote out the phone numbers of those landlords who have several apartments for sale. Some will be free.

And now I invite all readers to remember, day after day, all the brightest and most memorable events of our car trip around Belarus.

Travel "Rus-Belarus"

It’s an 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.

Suddenly, school memories of the beauty of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the legendary Brest Fortress came back to mind. 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 more about any excursion or tourist attraction, you can 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 trip. I carried out the initial steps, such as transfer from the airport, renting an apartment in Minsk, and booking a car at home. But the entire excursion program was not yet thought out at all.

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, at the international airport of the Belarusian capital, in 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 from the main square of the city - Independence Square (or, as it is funny 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 center with parking has been built underground here. 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 is the Trinity Suburb - the historical center of the city.

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 technology.

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.

I will tell you details about renting housing, cars and other necessary things 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

On June 22, 1941, the soldiers of the Brest Fortress were the first to come under fire from the Nazis and for more than a month, completely surrounded, without food or water, without medicine or ammunition, they held the defense, 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 fun games and competitions, taste 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 a 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 its luxurious interior decoration and external grandeur it was called the “Knight's Dream”.

The palace had some features that made it unique and inimitable. 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 - the 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 Monastery has existed 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 come to pray to the 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 trail of fantastic legends and scary stories 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; the story of 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. There is such a mysterious place 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 the Dudutki Museum Complex. 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 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 Russians do not need a foreign passport 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 my car trip, 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.

I wrote in detail about the amazing hotel complex on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha 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 can get to your desired location in the city by public transport. The big disadvantage is that these trains run infrequently.

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 never 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.

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.