Popular tourist routes in Belarus. What to see in Belarus by car

Dear Belarusian scholars, hello! There is an idea to visit Belarus in August. Initial data: adult and teenager 15 years old. What I would like to see: Brest, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Khatyn, Mir, Nesvizh, Minsk. Maybe something should be excluded from the list or vice versa added? How to plan a route, where to start your trip around Belarus, where to end? We'll go from Moscow. How much should you budget for your trip? I don’t even know how to approach planning. I will be grateful to everyone for advice.

Sections: Belarus

1. Start your trip in Minsk, where you can visit many museums and just walk around the city.
2. Mir and Nesvizh, for these castles you need to budget at least two days for each castle.
3. Khatyn also takes at least half a day.
4. But for Brest and Belovezhskaya Pushcha, I think you need at least 4 days to explore Brest and the Brest Fortress, and for Belovezhskaya Pushcha you need to allocate one full day to visit the nature museum, the estate with Belarusian Santa Claus and enclosures with animals.
The trip must be planned at least 7 to 10 days in advance.
How will you travel by train, plane or car?

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

They forgot about Grodno, one of the most beautiful cities.
But you don’t need much time to visit Minsk, it was all destroyed during the war, there is practically nothing historical there.
If you go to the castles by buses, there is a problem with them, they go very poorly between Mir and Nesvizh, it is impossible to cover 2 castles in one day.

Mir and Nesvizh, for these castles you need to budget at least two days for each castle.

Tell me, please, what to do there for two days each? We went on a tour, walked around, well, okay, you can spend the night in each of them if you really want to, but then what? Of course, you could easily spend a whole day on Nesvizh - the church, the town hall, and the park are huge, but Mir is very tiny...

You can really see Minsk in one day, but maybe a week is not enough to see everything. Depends on the weather and interests. Historical center small, on weekends near the town hall in the summer there are various concerts, performances, historical reconstructions, festivals of national cultures, evenings of classical and jazz music open air. Last year the events were sold out, we were at some of them - we liked both the atmosphere and the program. The announcement of the planned events is on the website of the Minsk City Executive Committee in the section " Upper town invites" (http://minsk.gov.by/ru/freepage/other/verxnii_gorod/). The main attractions are located along the two main avenues of Independence and Pobediteley - by taking bus routes 1 (from the station to the Minsk Arena) and 100 ( from Independence Square to the National Library), you will see them all. There are special excursion flights when audio tours are broadcast in Russian, English languages, schedule on the website of the Minsktrans enterprise. A little to the side are the beautiful temple-monument of All Saints (you need to drive a few stops from the National Library. If time permits, it’s worth visiting there), the Loshitsy estate and park complex, a zoo with a dolphinarium and a dino park - this is more for families with small children. A teenager might be interested in the WWII history museum, rides along the bike path in Victory Park and further to the Drozdy recreation area (there are bicycle rental points on the embankment), a water park (a popular place, and therefore there are likely to be queues. Last year in August there were about 300 of us who wanted to swim. If it were not for the child (there is a separate queue for children under 3 years old), we would have to wait several hours to enter the aqua zone).

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

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.

Double room in a three-star hotel in major 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. That's why historical monuments, associated with 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 Buynicheskoe 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, near Minsk there is an extensive collection of Soviet aviation technology. 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, but there was no time to finish it luxurious palace already the Second World War. But such ruins in themselves are worth a look. Yes, and there is a museum here.

I wonder in which direction this young lady is going to go from the Brest station? Probably to Paris...

I wonder in which direction this young lady is going to go from the 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.”

Holidays in Belarus – great option for a weekend trip. Affordable prices, the absence of a language barrier, a simplified passport control procedure and no visas - all this will make the trip easy and enjoyable, especially if you have to travel by car. It is much more difficult to decide what to see in Belarus in these 2-3 days, because the country’s territory is quite large, and there are a huge number of historical and natural attractions in it.

We suggest including the most famous monuments, unusual and simply beautiful places in the country in your travel plan. For convenience, they are divided into directions so that everyone can highlight the most interesting attractions.

Hero cities and places of glory

Brest and its fortress

The famous stronghold of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War is located at the mouth of the Mukhavets River, within the city of Brest. Construction of the fortifications began in 1833 according to the design of military topographer K. Opperman, and was completed in 1842. The stronghold became famous for the inaccessibility of its walls and the steadfastness of its defenders, about which many documentaries and feature films have been made.

At 4:15 am on June 22, 1941, enemy artillery opened powerful fire on the citadel. The defense of the fortress was one of the bloodiest operations - about 2,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, more than 5,000 were captured. After the war, the ruins of the fortress were preserved. And to this day it is a monument to military valor, crowned with a colossal gray block - monument "Courage"(pictured above).

Minsk

The capital of Belarus has a lot of interesting and memorable places:

• The Upper Town and Trinity Suburb are historical areas with buildings from the 12th and 17th centuries, the least damaged during the war;
• The center and its expressive Victory Square with a granite obelisk;
• Red Church on Independence Square;
• Nemiga is one of oldest streets city, laid in the 12th century;
• Island of Tears with a monument to Afghan soldiers;
• Holy Spirit Cathedral, Church of the Virgin Mary;
• The Boulder Museum, where more than 2,000 huge stones are placed outdoors;
• unusual sculptures and monuments - for example, “Lady with a Dog”, “Grandmother with Seeds”, “Girl with an Umbrella”, “Photographer” and many others.

Stalin line

The opening of the fortification ensemble and open-air museum was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Victory. The complex, consisting of bunkers of the Minsk fortified area, has today become an excellent place for family vacation, where you can sail a boat on the lake, try “soldier’s” porridge over a fire, ride a tank or armored personnel carrier and test weapons from the Second World War - from a rifle to a Maxim machine gun.

Khatyn

The memorial complex was built in 1962 in memory of the burning of an entire village by a Nazi punitive detachment. Today there is a cemetery with 185 obelisks with the names of villages destroyed during the war. The only street is paved with gray slabs, and along it there are monuments with the names of the dead villagers.

Bobruisk fortress

At one time, Napoleon did not besiege this impregnable citadel, admiring the power of its fortifications and walls. But survive the Second World War Bobruisk fortress I couldn't. Today its ruins are recognized as a national monument and one of the seven wonders of Belarus.

Natural beauty

Even if you are limited in time and are planning what to see in Belarus in 3 days, be sure to include at least one of the following attractions in your route:

Belovezhskaya Pushcha

One of the largest and untouched forests in Europe, familiar to us from the works of “Pesnyary”, is located on the border with Poland, in the Brest region. Here you can meet the famous bison, wolf, lynx, wild boar or fox, admire the centuries-old trees, and visit the Museum of Nature.

And children will have special entertainment - the residence of the Belarusian Father Frost, to whom you can personally inform about your behavior for the year and expected New Year gifts. At the entrance to the fairy-tale complex, children are greeted by knights - Elm Vyazovich and Oak Dubovich, then the route runs past the Magic Staircase and the Fairytale Bridge. Father Frost and Snow Maiden organize fun activities, competitions and dance round dances with children around a 40-meter spruce tree.

Berezinsky Reserve

In the Vitebsk region there is unique monument nature, where all conditions are created for eco-tourism and recreation with children. In ancient times, the famous route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed through this territory. Now there are several large lakes (Olshitsa, Manets, Domzheritskoe, Plavno), and in the dense forests you can find bear, lynx, badger, marten, elk and a huge number of beavers, thanks to which the biosphere reserve was created.

Narochansky National Park

Located in the Minsk region largest lake Belarus – Naroch. In the resort village of the same name, you can fish, hunt or ride a horse while admiring the beauty of the natural reserve. Here you can see a cluster of mounds and the remains of settlements of ancient people. In the center of neighboring Lake Mastro there is an island with fortifications from the 11th century, and on the shore stands the Church of the Virgin Mary.

Palaces and castles

Nesvizh Palace

The former residence of the Radzwill princes, and today the most famous palace and park complex in Belarus, is known for its unique fortification system and protracted construction - it was built over three centuries (16-19 centuries). The castle housed a musical chapel, a court theater, an archive of the Principality of Lithuania, an art gallery with a collection of thousands of paintings, and a private library.

Mir Castle

Today it is a red brick fortress with white accents, but since its foundation in the 16th century, the castle has been in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. The result is a surprisingly harmonious architectural “mixture”, which, together with medieval fortifications, complemented by the traditions of Belarusian architecture, annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world to Mir Castle.

Gomel Park and Palace Ensemble

One of the first museum institutions in Belarus includes not only unique architectural monuments (the Rumyantsev and Paskevich palace, the administrative building, observation tower, chapel and Winter Garden), but also a magnificent park. If you get tired of admiring multi-colored majolica tiles, ancient icons, handwritten books and other antiquities, welcome to a walk in the park. Shady alleys lead to the picturesque Swan Pond, next to which unique tree species and flowers are planted.

Most ancient palace Belarus was erected by order of Prince Gedemin in the city of Lida (Grodno region) in 1323. The peculiarity of the castle is that it was built on an island artificially created from gravel and sand. For many centuries, the complex was a reliable protection for residents of the city and nearby settlements. Many loopholes, strong walls, a church, several wells, a fort and various outbuildings made it possible to withstand numerous wars with honor.

Today, the castle hosts knightly tournaments and festivals, and a historical museum is opened in one of the towers.

Churches, temples, holy places

St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk

The oldest Christian shrine in Belarus and the fourth in the world, the Church of St. Sophia was built in the 11th century. Initially, it served as a fortress and a reception place for the most important ambassadors and diplomats. But in the 18th century the building was blown up. In the newly rebuilt cathedral, ancient frescoes have been preserved; you can see a model of the ancient temple, medieval coins, and listen to organ music.

Vitebsk Holy Assumption Cathedral

One of the newest religious buildings in the country - cathedral, whose construction was completed in 2011. It was built according to the prototype of the Assumption Church, which was blown up in 1934 to build a grinding machine factory. During excavation work at the site of the cathedral, the remains of hundreds of people were discovered, presumably victims of the Gestapo.

Cathedral Church of St. Francis Xavier in Grodno

Previously, it was the richest Polish church, today it is one of the outstanding architectural monuments of Belarus, dating back to the 17th century. Inside, the Church of St. Francis Xavier is framed by a unique fresco painting from the 18th century. But the main decoration of the building is the 15th century tower clock, which still works.

A spring flowing at the bottom of a picturesque ravine near the village. Polykovichi, Mogilev region, was discovered in the 16th century. Its waters are considered healing, and the stone grotto and chapel of St. Paraskeva, built in the 18th century by Count Rimsky-Korsakov, have become a place of worship for believers.

Minsk Cathedral of All Saints

Although the temple is not ancient (opened in 2008), it is considered one of the most beautiful Orthodox buildings in Belarus and a masterpiece modern architecture. The height of the cathedral is 74 meters, the building can simultaneously accommodate 1,200 parishioners.

Reminder for motorists traveling to Belarus

If you have already made a list of what to see in Belarus by car, do not forget about the important little things so as not to spoil the trip for yourself and the “crew” of your car. Although the traffic rules here are practically no different from Russian ones, pay attention to the following nuances:

• do not forget to issue an “entry sheet” at the border checkpoint - a civil liability policy, the absence of which during inspection will cost $200;
• to drive a vehicle, it is enough to have a license, a civil liability policy, a ticket with a technical inspection mark and a registration certificate - no powers of attorney are required;
• always let people pass at crossings, do not honk or “blink” lights to speed up the process - in Belarus the pedestrian is indeed always right;
• do not try to “negotiate” with the inspector or offer a bribe;
• The driver and passenger sitting in the front seat must wear seat belts, otherwise a fine of 400 rubles cannot be avoided (and this is for the first time, with repeated violations - significantly more). The same amount is due for using a mobile phone while driving;
• The following fines are also imposed: speeding - from 400 to 5850 rubles and deprivation of rights, failure to comply with traffic lights or traffic controller signs, violations of overtaking rules, lane rows and even the absence of turn signals.

However, this is only a small fly in the ointment, which can be easily avoided by following basic traffic rules. But the silver lining for car travelers is much more significant: clean and smooth roads, an excellent driver information system and other bonuses that will make traveling around Belarus enjoyable and full of positive impressions.

Our family loves to travel by car. This year we decided to go to Belarus, so to speak, to the places of military glory of the Soviet people. Started on July 1 at 5 a.m. far north Moscow and freely, without traffic jams, left the city along the Minsk Highway.

The road to our destination - we rented an apartment almost in the center of Minsk, on the street. Nemiga - took 8.5 hours. We made two stops - for gas and a snack. By the way, gasoline in Belarus is more expensive than in Russia, the price at all gas stations is the same - a liter of AI-95, for example, costs 11,900 Belarusian rubles (BYR), i.e. approximately 44 Russian rubles, so we recommend refueling at a border gas station on the Russian side. The M-1 highway is quite good, in the Smolensk region there is some road repair and narrowing.

On the territory of Belarus there are unusually few passing and oncoming cars; there were periods of time when we were driving alone along the highway. And, by the way, we more often encountered cars with Russian license plates, from different regions than the locals. On the way to Brest we came across cars even from the Trans-Baikal region!

So, at 13-30 we reached “our” apartment. We had lunch and went to explore the city. While still in Moscow, while planning my trip, I found that in Minsk there is a city excursion route, Minsk City tour - nothing more than the familiar red double-decker. The bus is based at the station square and goes non-stop along the following route: Station - Independence Square - Palace of the Republic - Circus - Victory Square - Academy of Sciences - Botanical Garden - National Library - Yakub Kolas Square - Trinity Suburb - Victory Park - Minsk Arena - Palace Sports - Town Hall - Station.

The duration of the trip is approximately two hours, there is an audio guide in Belarusian, Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. Departures four times a day - at 11, 13-30, 16-00, 18-30, cost for an adult 300,000 BYR, for children from 7 to 15 years 150,000 BYR, under 7 years free. For our family (2 adults and 2 children), the trip cost 900,000 BYR (i.e. approximately 3,300 Russian rubles), payment only in cash. The audio guide offers a brief historical information about the country and a more detailed story about the capital. From the height of the second floor of the bus, we saw a beautiful, well-kept city, quite European, but with recognizable Soviet architecture.

For example, the building of the State Security Committee can be identified without a hint, as well as other administrative buildings, GUM and TSUM. However, there are also modern buildings that amaze with their appearance: the rhombocuboctahedron of the National Library (popularly called “dyamant” - a diamond), the Palace of the Republic, the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, the Minsk Arena cultural and sports complex, the Palace of Independence.

National Library in Minsk

We really liked the excursion and after its completion we decided to visit the National Library, or rather, the observation deck on its roof.

The original design of this building at 116 Independence Avenue was adopted in 1989, but construction began only in 2002, and in 2006 the library opened its doors to visitors. There is an art gallery, a book museum, a restaurant and cafe, and even a fitness center. You can take a guided tour of the building and the book museum. We took the opportunity to look at Minsk from a height of 73 meters, from the 23rd floor of the building, where a high-speed panoramic elevator took us. The cost of tickets to the site for adults is 30,000 BYR, for schoolchildren and students - 20,000 BYR. Please note that the entrance to the observation deck is located on the opposite side from the main entrance.

Water park in Minsk

The next day, according to plan, there was the Lebyazhy water park - it was my son’s birthday and it was decided to celebrate in this way. The address of the water park is Pobediteley Avenue, 120 The cost of visiting varies depending on the day and time of visit, and on the set of desired services. In our case, the tickets cost 928,000 BYR, and they gave a 30% discount on a ticket for the birthday boy, but asked to show a supporting document.

We were a little unlucky - on this day, children from a health camp were brought to the water park, about 15 groups, when we left the water park, it was already crowded with children. It’s good that we arrived almost at opening time - at 9 o’clock, and had time to swim freely for two out of four hours. The children really enjoyed this excursion.

Military Museum "Stalin Line"

After the water park, it was planned to visit the historical and cultural complex “Stalin Line”, which is located in the vicinity of the city of Zaslavl (north of Minsk). This is an open-air military museum, opened in 2005. The system of central defensive structures was created in the 1930s; during the construction of the museum, machine gun pillboxes, an artillery semi-gunner and a command and observation post were restored using archival pre-war drawings; the situation inside the pillboxes was reconstructed from the pre-war period. The museum contains a collection of equipment from the Second World War, as well as armored caps that have been preserved from the First World War. You can touch most of the exhibits with your hands, you can go down into the trenches, and there is a field kitchen. Historical reconstructions of the battles of the Great Patriotic War are regularly held. Ticket price: adults - 100,000 BYR, schoolchildren and students - 50,000 BYR, car parking - 20,000 BYR.

We didn’t take a tour; we walked around the museum for more than two hours; my husband and son told my daughter and me about many of the exhibits - they are interested in this topic and know a lot.

Brest. Brest Fortress

Of course, when planning a trip to Belarus, a visit to the Brest Fortress was made a must. And also a museum of steam locomotives - my son is partial to them. On July 3, the Independence Day of Belarus, we went to Brest.

The distance of 350 km was covered in 3.5 hours and at 12 noon we parked near the railway museum. We decided to visit it first, because... Opening hours until 17:00, and then the fortress.

The Museum of Railway Equipment in Brest opened in 2002. The exhibition includes steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, freight and passenger cars, a railroad railcar, a snowplow, a diesel train, a mail car, an armored train cannon and much more!

170 exhibits of technical equipment railway transport different periods of history. Exhibits are on the move, participating in filming and excursions. Museum address: Brest, Masherova street, 2.

For adults, the ticket price is 20,000 BYR, for schoolchildren - 10,000 BYR.

The Brest Hero Fortress - its history began much earlier than the well-known events of the Second World War. A fortified military fortress built in the mid-19th century to defend the western borders Russian Empire, in the 20th century its improvement continued, for some time Brest was part of the territory of Poland - until 1939.

On June 22, 1941, at 04:15, German troops opened artillery fire on the fortress. About 300 officer families were surrounded, but they opposed 9,000 German soldiers and the defenders of the fortress held the line for more than a month. After the war, the Brest Fortress became a symbol of the resilience of the Soviet people. In the 70s of the 20th century, the memorial complex “Brest Hero Fortress” was built on its ruins.

The territory of the complex is large; the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress, the V Fort Museum and the Museum of War - Territory of Peace are also located here, and sightseeing tours are held.

On Hospital Island there is the Berestye archaeological museum - here is the city's 16th-century craft quarter, found during excavations. The visit to the fortress left no one indifferent; this memory is with us forever.

Continuing the theme of memory, the next day we went to Khatyn. The memorial complex is located in the Logoisk district of the Minsk region, approximately 30 kilometers from Minsk along the Minsk-Vitebsk highway. But the village of Khatyn cannot be found on any map now. It was destroyed by German invaders in the spring of 1943. During the war, the entire territory of Belarus was occupied, and such a village was not the only one; there were huge losses among the civilian population; historians believe that every fourth resident of Belarus died.

On the site of Khatyn, a memorial complex was built in memory of all the dead civilians; it repeats the layout of the village, only instead of houses there are log houses, inside of which there are obelisks in the form of chimneys. The trumpet bells ring every minute... This is a very emotional place, but people must remember the past.

Mound of Glory (Minsk)

Another place of memory of the Great Patriotic War is the memorial complex “Mound of Glory”, located in the Smolevichi district, at 21 km of the M2 highway Minsk - Minsk National Airport. It was erected in honor of the operation to liberate Belarus (Operation Bagration).

It was here, in the “Minsk Cauldron”, in July 1944 that the Soviet army defeated enemy troops. The 35-meter-high hill was built almost by hand; people literally carried the earth in their hands, bringing it from other cities and battlefields. The mound is crowned with four bayonets, which symbolize the fronts that liberated Belarus: the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts and the Baltic Front. 35-meter bayonets stretch into the sky, their base is surrounded by a wide ring, on the inner surface of which it is written: “Glory to the Soviet Army, the Liberator Army!” Two spiral staircases lead to the top of the mound, each consisting of 241 steps. From the height there is a magnificent view on all four sides.

At the foot of the mound there is a small exhibition of military equipment - D-44, ZIS-2, ZIS-3 cannons and T-10, T-34, ISU-152, IS-2, IS-3 tanks. This is a sincere and impressive monument to our history.

Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Minsk

Of course, we could not ignore the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Minsk. Belorussian state museum History of the Great Patriotic War is located in Minsk at the address: Pobediteley Avenue, 8, on the territory of the Pobeda museum and park complex.

This new museum building, opening timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from German invaders, took place on July 3, 2014. The museum is considered the first in the world on this topic, because the first visitors came to the exhibition on July 22, 1944, then at the address Freedom Square, the House of Trade Unions.

In 1966, the museum was moved to a newly built building at 25a Leninsky Prospekt (now Independence Avenue). The new, modern building of the museum is striking in its size, the halls smoothly transition from one to another, even with a quick inspection the entire museum will probably take at least 1.5 hours.

Very beautiful and impressive Victory Hall - round, with a glass dome, around the perimeter there is detailed information about fronts, armies, flotillas, as well as Heroes of the Soviet Union. Also on display is military equipment life-size, various installations, uniforms of different troops, many documents and personal belongings of soldiers and much more. There are also interactive screens where you can learn the history of the exhibits. We recommend visiting this museum!

Mir Castle

On the last day of our stay in Belarus, we chose to visit the Mir Castle. It was interesting to look at the ancient Belarusian castle. In fact, it turned out that there wasn’t much of the ancient stuff left in the castle. The buildings were destroyed many times for various reasons and then restored. As a result, practically nothing remained of the original idea of ​​Prince Yuri Ilyinich, the first owner of the castle. However, the atmosphere of antiquity is the walls three meters thick, narrow loopholes and spiral staircases with high steps in the walls of the towers, where two can not be separated, a prison, knights in armor and utensils, interesting exhibitions inside the castle - from the cellars to the ballroom, personal belongings of the owners, music in the yard - of course, present.

The area is landscaped and well-groomed, next to the castle there is a small pond and a park. The children walked around the cellars and towers with interest, but the museum exhibition was a little tiring. In addition, there are many tour groups in the palace, and some halls are not huge enough to accommodate everyone. The conclusion was this: it’s an interesting attraction, but it wouldn’t be worth going to Belarus just to visit the castle.

The hour of departure has now arrived. Overall the impressions are very good, but a little lacking tourist information— there are few signs with signs in cities, information stands at excursion sites.

Belarus is a beautiful, well-kept country, with endless farmland and a leisurely lifestyle.

Personal experience

Summer, as you know, is the time for vacations, the very time when many decide where to spend their vacation time. At the same time, among the many “summer” destinations, the Republic of Belarus is becoming increasingly popular, where there is large number attractions, sanatoriums and recreation areas in the Braslav Lakes region.

In this regard, many car enthusiasts are interested in what features and difficulties those drivers who are planning to travel to Belarus by car may encounter.

Crossing the state border

Border control between Belarus and the Russian Federation is essentially a fiction. Only heavy vehicles (trucks) are subject to inspection.

Individuals driving their own cars do not even need to stop at the checkpoint. However, upon returning back to Russia, you may still be stopped to check your passports, which, however, does not take much time.

The only significant nuance when preparing for a trip is the purchase of international insurance such as a “green card”. This insurance policy is an analogue, but in an international format and can be purchased for a period from 15 days to one year.

At the same time, purchasing a policy for long terms costs significantly less than the “short-term” one. After the crisis, prices for “green cards” increased slightly, but their cost remains very affordable - from seven hundred rubles to almost five thousand rubles for a policy valid for a year.

Up-to-date information on prices for green card insurance can be found on specialized websites - the information offered there allows you to fairly accurately calculate the cost of insurance for different travel dates.

At the same time, you can buy the policy itself either from the insurance company at your place of residence (by the way, not all insurers sell insurance of this type), or directly at the border - in front of each major checkpoint there is a huge number of small “representative offices” of insurers of the type “ booth”, where you can become the owner of the coveted policy. To obtain it, you only need a vehicle passport (PTS), and the procedure itself takes about ten minutes of time.

Otherwise, for the trip you will need a standard and general passport (as we already wrote, border guards may require it).

Driving on the roads, traffic rules and communication with law enforcement officials

Driving on Belarusian roads leaves, in most cases, a very pleasant impression on Russians. High quality pavement, clear road markings, timely repair of uneven surfaces are the first advantages that catch your eye. Even in rural areas (away from the main highways) the quality of roads is pleasing.

Carrying out the road work itself is not annoying either - all narrowings of the roadbed have a full range of markings, and in the most difficult sections there are detour routes with temporary markings, which also differ high quality coverings.

From a driving point of view, driving in Belarus, at first glance, is no different from Russia. However, there are some nuances here.

In particular, the effect of a road sign extends not to the first intersection, but to the first designated intersection, that is, the one at which the corresponding sign is installed. This should also be kept in mind.

In the Republic of Belarus, it is very important to remember that priority goes to those drivers who are already moving in a circle, unless otherwise specified by road signs.

Speed ​​control in the Republic of Belarus is very strict and can result in a number of problems for Russians who expect impunity. Thus, a fine for speeding, calculated in so-called “basic values”, can be very impressive.

In addition, a citizen who has violated traffic rules, no matter what country, is entered into a single database, and subsequent speeding by more than 25 kilometers per hour can result not only in a fine, but also in the deprivation of “rights.”

Separately, it is worth mentioning systems for automatic video recording of violations. There are quite a lot of “cameras” on the roads of Belarus; they are installed in almost every locality, next to which there is a corresponding designation.

The State Traffic Inspectorate of the Republic of Belarus uses very modern systems filming from the rear of the car. Such complexes are practically not detected (the latter “detect” their activation only at the moment of direct passage and, as a result, do not allow the vehicle to be braked in a timely manner).

Previously, Russians may not have been afraid of “chain letters,” but over the past year the situation has changed radically. In particular, at the main checkpoints between Russia and Belarus, cameras are being installed that pre-record the license plates of passing cars.

If the car has a fine issued by the automatic system, traffic police officers will stop the car and may require payment of the fine before leaving the country.

Another important point is very severe sanctions against drivers who abuse alcohol. Initially, the driver's license is taken away from the driver who gets behind the wheel and a large fine is imposed.

A repeated violation leads to the fact that the traffic police confiscates the violator’s car, which turns into state revenue and goes under the hammer. Moreover, this law also applies to citizens of other states - there are corresponding agreements between Belarus and Russia.

Communication with employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate in Belarus also differs in some nuances. The main one lies in the fact that in most cases it will not be possible to hand over a bribe to a traffic police officer.

This was achieved in the republic because “traffic cops” have very good salaries and can easily get a real sentence without the right to subsequent work in government bodies if they try to increase their income at the expense of a car enthusiast.

However, on the most “popular” routes among Russians, there are rare cases (in three years of frequent trips, the author of these lines only encountered this once) of abuses by traffic police inspectors.

These abuses consist in using the laws of Belarus in relation to Russians who are not familiar with them. This applies to rear window tinting, which is completely prohibited by local law.

This aspect applies only to vehicles registered in the Republic of Belarus, and if the inspector tries to impose an appropriate fine on you, you can safely invite him to go to the head of the traffic police of the relevant area or threaten to file a complaint with higher authorities.

This will be enough for the zealous servant of order to reconsider his decision. In fact, these difficulties are the only ones that you can encounter while traveling.

Main holiday destinations in Belarus

In most cases, Russians prefer to relax in the central part of Belarus, where most of the attractions and holiday resorts are located.

Braslav Lakes are no less popular, notable for their beauty and the presence of a huge number of health resorts. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is slightly less popular, which is due to its relative remoteness.

Regardless of the choice of travel destination, trips around Belarus leave a favorable impression, and the tourism infrastructure in the republic is at a very high level.

When preparing for a trip to Belarus, we recommend