Highlights
Minsk
The capital's broad Independence Avenue is lined with post-war Soviet architecture in a grand neoclassical style. The rebuilt Trinity Suburb by the Svislach river shows older pastel houses, and the National Library is a striking glass building shaped like a rhombicuboctahedron.
Mir Castle
A sixteenth-century red-brick castle with towers and a moat, mixing Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles. It is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Nesvizh Palace
The former residence of the powerful Radziwiłł family, a palace and fortress surrounded by ponds and landscaped parkland. Like Mir, it is on the UNESCO list and is often combined with it on a day trip from Minsk.
Białowieża Forest
A vast ancient woodland shared with Poland and known as Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus. It is home to the European bison, Europe's heaviest land animal, and to oaks that are centuries old.
Brest Fortress
A nineteenth-century fortress on the border with Poland, now a large memorial complex dedicated to the defenders who held out at the start of the German invasion in 1941.
Polotsk
One of the oldest towns in the region, first mentioned in the ninth century, with the hilltop St Sophia Cathedral above the Western Dvina river.
Braslav Lakes
A national park in the north with dozens of glacial lakes linked by streams and surrounded by forest, used for boating, swimming and walking in summer.
Interesting facts about Belarus
- Forests cover around 40 per cent of Belarus.
- The painter Marc Chagall was born in Vitebsk in 1887, and the city has a museum and art centre dedicated to him.
- Belarus has thousands of lakes, many of them in the glacial Lakeland of the north.
- Several points of the Struve Geodetic Arc, a nineteenth-century survey chain used to measure the shape of the earth, are in Belarus and are listed by UNESCO.
- Belarusian and Russian are both official languages, and both are written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
Best time to visit
Late spring and summer, from May to September, are the most pleasant times, with long days and warm weather for lakes and forests. Autumn brings colourful foliage and mushroom-picking season. Winters are long and cold, with snow from roughly December to March, which suits cross-country skiing but makes days short.
Practical information
| Capital | Minsk |
|---|---|
| Currency | Belarusian rouble (BYN) |
| Languages | Belarusian, Russian |
| Plugs | Type C, F |
| Voltage | 230 V, 50 Hz |
| Emergency | 102 police, 103 ambulance, 101 fire |
| Driving | On the right |
| Tipping | Around 10 per cent in restaurants is common where service is not included. Rounding up taxi fares is appreciated. |
Getting around
Minsk has a metro, trams, buses and trolleybuses, and is easy to get around. Trains link Minsk with Brest, Grodno, Vitebsk and other cities, and are generally punctual and inexpensive. Buses and minibuses serve smaller towns. Mir and Nesvizh are commonly visited on organised day tours from Minsk. Car hire is available, and main roads are in reasonable condition.
Staying connected in Belarus
Mobile coverage is good in Minsk and other cities, and along main roads, with 4G widely available in urban areas. Coverage becomes thinner in rural areas, forests and wetlands, including parts of the national parks. Wi-Fi is available in most hotels and many cafés in Minsk. Some websites and online services may not be available, and internet access has at times been restricted. Payment cards issued abroad may not work, so check before you travel. Download offline maps, install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
See Belarus eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for Belarus
- Yandex Go: Widely used for taxis in Minsk and other cities, with fares shown before you book.
- Yandex Maps: Detailed maps and public transport routes in Belarusian cities.
- Google Translate: Russian and Belarusian translation, with camera mode for Cyrillic signs and menus.
- XE Currency: Check Belarusian rouble exchange rates, as you may need to rely on cash.