Belarus Travel Guide

1. Visit Grodno

The city of Grodno sits on the western border of Belarus. Most people come here to see the 12th-century Kalozha Church, considered to be the oldest church in Belarus. While the outside is dull, the inside has colorful geometrical ornaments and crosses, and the floor is made up of brown, green, and yellow plates. Be sure to also spend a few hours in the Old Castle’s Grodno History and Archaeology Museum, which walks you through the history of the region. It contains artifacts from the area, including mammoth tusks, Neolithic spears, medieval armor, and a large collection of rare and antique books. Admission is 5 BYN.

2. Take a day trip to Dudutki

The Dudutki Ethnological Museum Complex is a “living museum” located outside of Minsk. It recreates life in rural Belarus from the 17th-20th centuries, though most buildings are from the 19th century. The complex includes a courtyard with a creamery (where you can sample handmade cheese), a bakery (again, fresh samples!) a pottery workshop, a woodworker’s shop, a windmill, a historic wooden church, and an area where you can learn how people forged horseshoes and armor. You can also try samorgon, a potent moonshine made exclusively in the Dudutki territory. The museum hosts festivals throughout the year, such as a blacksmiths’ festival, various traditional feasting days, Pancake Week (the last week before Lent), and special Christmas activities. It’s 14 BYN to visit, or 23 BYN with a guide (which I suggest, as English signage is limited).

3. Spend time in Pripyatsky National Park

Pripyatsky National Park is known as the “Lungs of Europe” for its natural landscape of swamps, floodplains, broad-leaf forests, and oak forests. Comprising over 156,813 acres, the park boasts more than 250 avian species, 900 types of plants, and over 50 mammal species, including elk, wild boar, lynx, red deer, and European bison. There’s a lot to do here, from hiking, fishing, boat tours, and even guided hikes. The park also has a comprehensive museum focused on plant and animal collections, natural photography exhibits, and ethnographic displays. You can book a stay in the forest lodging (which includes a guide) for around 75 BYN a night. Most guided hikes or boat tours start at around 8-10 BYN.

4. Go to Brest Fortress

Brest Fortress (in Brest) was built between 1833-1842. During World War II, thousands of German troops laid siege to the fortress. Belarusian soldiers and citizens kept back the attack for a month before the fortress finally fell (there’s now a memorial to honor those who defended the fort). You can explore the crumbling and bullet-riddled walls as well as the memorial statues. There are some historical museums on site too (including the Defense Museum and the Museum of War). Entrance to the fortress grounds is free, although you need to pay to enter each of the individual museums (about 5 BYN per museum).

5. See Lida Castle

Head west to reach the city of Lida, home of the 14th-century Lida Castle, built to protect against the Teutonic Knights. Admire its unique trapezium shape and ornate red brickwork. In the winter, the inner courtyard is used as a skating rink.

6. Visit Nesvizh Castle

Built over 400 years in the 16th-19th centuries, the palace is a mix of Baroque and Renaissance architecture and, like Mir Castle, was another former home of the Radziwill family. This is one of the most visited attractions in Belarus and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Outside, there are traditional English rose gardens and a picturesque central courtyard surrounded by the castle’s yellow walls. The interior was renovated in the late 19th century and is incredibly luxurious with gilded ceilings, dark wood-paneled walls, ornate antique furniture, chandeliered reception rooms, grand bedrooms, intricate porcelain fireplaces, mounted hunting trophies, and countless family portraits. The Radziwill family tombs are located in the adjoining 16th-century Catholic church, one of the oldest Baroque structures outside of Italy. Admission to the complex is 15 BYN and 3 BYN for an audio guide.

7. Go kayaking

Stracha and Isloch are two popular rivers for kayaking, and they both have faster-flowing routes for the more experienced paddler. For a multi-day trip, you can paddle the river Saryanka in two days. There are some kayak rental shops in Minsk, but you need to book in advance, especially during peak season. Expect to pay around 70 BYN for a two-day (weekend) rental. The price includes paddles, life jackets, airtight bags, a pump, and free delivery in the Minsk area. Day tours cost about 150 BYN from Minsk.

8. Learn how to bake

Belarusians love their bread and they even have a whole Museum of Bread in Botvinovo! The museum is an interactive, hands-on experience where you not only learn about the process of traditional bread making but get to bake some yourself using a traditional wood stove. It costs 12 BYN and 17 BYN with a guide.

8. Take a walk through Hrodna’s Old Castle

Hrodna’s Old Castle was built in the 1580s as a residence for the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and various Polish kings. Although much of it was destroyed during the early 18th century, you can still visit the ruins and take in the scenic views from across the Neman River. While all that remains of the original castle are remnants of the walls, there is an ongoing reconstruction project to rebuild the castle to its 16th-century glory. The main point of interest in the complex is the Grodno State Museum of History and Archaeology, which focuses on the history of the region. It has one of the largest collections of artifacts in Belarus, comprising over 200,000 objects. Highlights include a set of mammoth tusks, Neolithic spears, a set of arrowheads from the 3rd-4th centuries BCE, an 18th-century dugout boat, and weaponry from throughout the ages. General admission to the grounds is free, but museum admission is 5 BYN. There are plenty of signs in English too.

10. Visit the Belarusian State Art Museum

The Belarusian State Art Museum in Minsk is the largest art museum in Belarus, with over 30,000 works in its collection. It contains works by Soviet social realists and Russian masters, including Valentin Volkov and Yudel Pen, who taught and mentored the famous Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall. The works of Chagall, who was born and grew up in Belarus, are often on rotating exhibit here as well. At the back of a museum is a section that features local art from the 1940s to 1970s. Admission is 8 BYN for adults, and an audio guide is an extra 3 BYN.

11. Visit the Stalin Line Museum

The Stalin Line was a heavily fortified defensive line that covered 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) along the Soviet Union’s western border. Built from 1928-1939, the discontinuous line was in actuality 4 especially fortified areas around the cities of Polotsk, Minsk, Slutsk, and Mozyr. The open-air museum is located about 1.5 hours from Minsk on the site of this line. You can wander through reconstructed trenches, historic bunkers, and fortifications. There are signs in English that explain the history. Even if you’re not into military history, there are a lot of interactive activities to do, like taking a ride in a tank or helicopter or shooting live ammo. The complex also includes a large collection of military technology like warplanes and weapons. Adult admission is 15 BYN, and 7 BYN for students. A 3-hour guided tour is 28 BYN.