Belarus · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Belarus
These are the places worth knowing in Belarus, from Minsk's Upper Town and the Brest Fortress to Grodno's churches, Chagall's Vitebsk and the castles of Mir and Nesvizh. Read current travel advice first, and confirm opening hours locally, as they change.
Places to Visit in Minsk
Things to Do
- Independence Avenue (Central Minsk)
One of Europe's grandest Stalinist boulevards, lined with monumental buildings from the post-war rebuild. - Trinity Suburb (Troitskoye Predmestye) (Svislach riverbank)
A small rebuilt quarter of colourful merchant houses, cafés and craft shops by the water. - Minsk Hero City Obelisk and Stella (Pobediteley Avenue)
A towering war memorial with an underground exhibition and wide views down the avenue. - Minsk Metro (Citywide)
Two lines of ornate Soviet and modern stations, cheap and easy to ride. - Dudutki Museum Complex (Pukhovichi District)
An open-air museum of crafts, a windmill and tastings, a short trip south of Minsk. - Stalin Line Historical and Cultural Complex (Near Zaslavl)
Pre-war bunkers, tanks and trenches in a large outdoor military museum. - Minsk Zoo (Tashkentskaya Street)
A big zoo with an aquarium and plenty for children. - Zaslavl Historic Centre (Zaslavl)
An old fortified town with ramparts and a church near Minsk. - Minsk Arena (Pobediteley Avenue)
A huge sports and concert venue with an ice rink open to the public in winter.
Arts and Culture
- Upper Town (Verkhni Gorod) (Nemiga)
The restored old quarter with the Holy Spirit Cathedral, town hall and cobbled lanes above the river. - Island of Tears (Troitskoye Predmestye)
A moving memorial to Belarusian soldiers lost in the Afghan war, on a tiny island in the Svislach. - Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum (Pobediteley Avenue)
A vast, modern museum on the Second World War, which shaped the country more than any other event. - National Library of Belarus (Uruchye)
The rhombicuboctahedron library with a viewing platform over the city's northeast. - National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus (Lenina Street)
The country's main collection, from icons and Belarusian painters to Russian masters. - Holy Spirit Cathedral (Upper Town)
The white baroque cathedral that crowns the Upper Town and glows at night. - Red Church (Church of Saints Simon and Helena) (Independence Square)
A brick neo-Gothic Catholic church that stands out on the vast square. - Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus (Paryzhskoy Kamuny Square)
Opera and ballet of a high standard in a striking Soviet theatre, at modest prices. - Belarusian State Philharmonic (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
Classical concerts in a grand hall on the main avenue. - Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War: Maly Trostenets Memorial (Southeast Minsk)
A sombre memorial complex at the site of the largest Nazi death camp on Belarusian soil. - Yama Memorial (Melnikaite Street)
A simple, haunting sculpture marking the murder of Jews from the Minsk ghetto. - Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life (Ozertso)
Old wooden village houses, churches and mills gathered in an open-air museum near Minsk. - Khatyn Memorial (Logoisk District)
A haunting memorial to a village burned in 1943, and to hundreds of others.
Nature and Outdoors
- Gorky Park (Central Minsk)
The city's oldest park, with a Ferris wheel, rides and shady walks along the river. - Victory Park (Pobediteley Avenue)
A big riverside park with a lake, boat hire and space for long summer walks. - Chelyuskintsev Park (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
Pine woods, a children's railway stop and old fairground rides favoured by local families. - Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences (Chelyuskintsev)
Huge gardens with greenhouses and quiet alleys next to the city's main park. - Minsk Sea (Zaslavl Reservoir) (North of Minsk)
A big reservoir with beaches and pine woods where the city goes to swim in summer. - Loshitsa Park (South Minsk)
A quiet park with an old manor house, orchards and a river. - Naroch National Park (Myadel District)
Belarus's largest lake, with clear water, pine forests and sanatoria.
Shopping and Markets
- Komarovsky Market (Vera Khoruzhey Street)
The city's great food market, with smoked fish, cheese, honey and pickles under one roof. - Galleria Minsk (Pobediteley Avenue)
A large modern mall with a food court and a terrace looking over the river. - GUM Minsk (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
The historic state department store, good for Belarusian linen and souvenirs.
Bars and Nightlife
- Oktyabrskaya Street (Oktyabrskaya)
A strip of old factory buildings turned into bars, street art and creative spaces. - Zybitskaya Street (Nemiga)
The busiest bar street in Minsk, packed with terraces on summer evenings.
Restaurants
- Kuhmistr (Karla Marksa Street)
Traditional Belarusian dishes such as draniki and machanka in a cosy, old-style dining room. - Lido (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
A canteen-style chain serving Belarusian and European plates at budget prices. - Vasilki (Central Minsk)
A popular local chain for draniki, soups and kompot in folk-themed rooms. - Rakovsky Brovar (Vitebskaya Street)
A brewpub with its own beers, hearty sausages and a big summer terrace.
Stays
- Hotel Minsk (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
A classic central hotel close to the main sights and the metro. - Hotel Europe (Upper Town)
A smart hotel beside the Upper Town and Independence Square area. - Hotel Planeta (Pobediteley Avenue)
A big Soviet-era hotel on the river, updated and good value.
Events
- Independence Day Parade and Fireworks (Pobediteley Avenue)
The 3 July national day brings parades, concerts and fireworks across the city. - Minsk City Day (Citywide)
Each September the city celebrates with street stages, fairs and fireworks. - Kupalle Midsummer Celebrations (Outskirts and countryside)
Fires, flower wreaths and folk songs on the shortest night of the year. - Christmas and New Year Market (Central Minsk)
Winter lights, a big tree and stalls selling hot drinks and crafts.
Places to Visit in Brest
Arts and Culture
- Brest Fortress Memorial Complex (Fortress Island)
The vast fortress whose garrison held out in June 1941, with the famous Courage monument. - Museum of the Defence of Brest Fortress (Brest Fortress)
Personal objects and stories of the defenders inside the fortress walls. - Rescued Art Values Museum (Lenina Street)
Icons and art seized from smugglers at the border, now on show. - Berestye Archaeological Museum (Brest Fortress)
A preserved wooden town from the 13th century under a protective roof. - Kamenets Tower (White Tower) (Kamenets)
A tall 13th century defensive tower standing alone in a small town near the forest. - Saint Nicholas Garrison Church (Brest Fortress)
An Orthodox church inside the fortress, damaged in the war and restored.
Nature and Outdoors
- Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park (Kamenets District)
One of Europe's last primeval forests and home of the European bison. - Ded Moroz Estate in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belovezhskaya Pushcha)
Father Frost's wooden home in the forest, a hit with children all year. - Pruzhany Palace Park (Pruzhany)
A restored 19th century manor with a landscaped park on the way to the forest.
Things to Do
- Brest Railway Museum (Near the fortress)
An outdoor collection of steam engines and old carriages to climb around. - Sovetskaya Street (Central Brest)
The pedestrian main street, lit by lamplighters each evening. - Kobrin Military History Museum (Kobrin)
A small museum in the house where General Suvorov stayed, east of Brest.
Shopping and Markets
- Brest Central Market (Central Brest)
Fresh produce, smoked meats and clothes stalls favoured by locals.
Stays
- Hermitage Hotel Brest (Central Brest)
A comfortable central hotel within walking distance of Sovetskaya Street. - Hotel Intourist Brest (Masherova Avenue)
A long-standing hotel between the centre and the fortress.
Events
- Battle for Brest Fortress Commemoration (Brest Fortress)
Each 22 June, at dawn, crowds gather to mark the start of the 1941 invasion.
Places to Visit in Grodno
Arts and Culture
- Old Castle and New Castle (Castle Hill)
Two castles facing each other above the Neman, with museums of local history. - Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral (Farny Church) (Sovetskaya Square)
A lavish baroque cathedral with one of Europe's oldest working tower clocks. - Kalozha Church (Church of Saints Boris and Gleb) (Kalozha)
A 12th century church above the river, among the oldest in Belarus. - Great Synagogue of Grodno (Old town)
A huge restored synagogue that tells the story of the city's Jewish past. - Pharmacy Museum (Sovetskaya Square)
One of the oldest pharmacies in the region, with antique jars and a small museum. - Bernardine Church and Monastery (Old town)
A baroque monastery church set on the edge of the river bluff. - Grodno Regional Drama Theatre (Castle Hill)
A bold modern theatre on the river bluff with plays and puppet shows.
Things to Do
- Sovetskaya Street (Old town)
The pedestrian heart of Grodno, lined with old houses and cafés. - Lida Castle (Lida)
A square brick castle from the 14th century, rebuilt and used for festivals.
Nature and Outdoors
- Grodno Zoo (Timiryazeva Street)
The oldest zoo in Belarus, compact and friendly for families. - Augustow Canal (North of Grodno)
A 19th century canal with locks, forests and cycling routes near the Polish border. - Kolozha Park and the Neman embankment (Neman riverbank)
A riverside walk with views back up to the old churches.
Shopping and Markets
- Grodno Central Market (Old town)
Local produce and household goods in a busy market.
Stays
- Hotel Semashko (Central Grodno)
A modern central hotel close to the old town. - Hotel Grodno (Central Grodno)
A practical hotel within walking distance of the sights.
Events
- Festival of National Cultures (Grodno city centre)
Every two years in June the city fills with costumes, music and food from dozens of communities.
Places to Visit in Vitebsk
Arts and Culture
- Marc Chagall House Museum (Pokrovskaya Street)
The artist's modest childhood home, with family photographs and simple rooms. - Marc Chagall Art Centre (Putna Street)
Prints and graphic works by Chagall in the city that inspired him. - Holy Assumption Cathedral (Uspenskaya Hill)
A white baroque cathedral on a hill high above the Dvina. - Vitebsk Town Hall and Regional Museum (Ratushnaya Street)
The old town hall with exhibits on the city's history. - Annunciation Church (Dvina riverbank)
A rebuilt medieval church with a striking stripe of brick and stone. - Ilya Repin Estate Zdravnevo (Zdravnevo)
The country estate of the painter Repin, set in quiet woods outside the city. - Saint Sophia Cathedral Polotsk (Polotsk)
One of the oldest churches in Belarus, high above the Dvina in the country's oldest town. - Monument to the Letter Ў (Polotsk)
A fun sculpture celebrating the one letter unique to the Belarusian alphabet. - Geographic Centre of Europe Monument (Polotsk)
A small marker claiming the centre of Europe, a popular photo stop.
Events
- Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk (Summer Amphitheatre)
The country's biggest music festival, held each July in a huge open-air theatre.
Things to Do
- Summer Amphitheatre (Frunze Street)
A huge open-air venue used for concerts all summer.
Nature and Outdoors
- Dvina embankment (Central Vitebsk)
Riverside promenades connecting the old town and the cathedral. - Braslav Lakes National Park (Braslav)
A string of clear glacial lakes and wooded islands in the far north. - Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve (Lepel District)
Wild marshes and forests with wolves, elk and bears, and guest houses in the reserve.
Stays
- Hotel Eridan (Central Vitebsk)
A comfortable hotel in the old centre within walking distance of the museums. - Hotel Vitebsk (Central Vitebsk)
A large central hotel with simple rooms.
Places to Visit in Nesvizh
Arts and Culture
- Nesvizh Castle (Nesvizh)
The Radziwill family palace and park, a UNESCO site with rich restored interiors. - Mir Castle Complex (Mir)
A fairy tale red brick castle by a lake, also on UNESCO's list. - Corpus Christi Church (Nesvizh)
An early baroque church with the Radziwill family crypt.
Nature and Outdoors
- Nesvizh Palace Park (Nesvizh)
Ponds, bridges and long avenues around the palace, lovely in autumn.
Things to Do
- Mir Town Square and Synagogue (Mir)
A quiet village square with a restored synagogue and old houses. - Nesvizh Town Hall (Nesvizh)
One of the oldest surviving town halls in Belarus, on the small main square.
Stays
- Hotel inside Mir Castle (Mir)
A small hotel within the castle walls for an evening when the day visitors leave.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Grand Café (Lenina Street, Minsk)
A long-running elegant restaurant near the Upper Town, good for a special dinner. - Kamyanitsa (Pobediteley Avenue, Minsk)
A rustic restaurant decorated like an old village house, serving country food. - Zerno (Central Minsk, Minsk)
A popular local bakery and coffee chain with fresh pastries and bread. - Ў Gallery Café (Oktyabrskaya, Minsk)
A contemporary art space with a café, often hosting talks and small shows. - Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery (Central Minsk, Minsk)
Powerful paintings on war and memory by one of the country's best known artists. - Renaissance Minsk Hotel (Dzerzhinsky Avenue, Minsk)
A large international hotel with a pool, popular with business visitors. - Jules Verne (Central Brest, Brest)
A themed restaurant in the old centre with generous plates. - Brest Regional Recreation Area: Lake Beloe (Brest Region, Brest)
A clear lake with pine shores and camp sites for a quiet summer swim. - Maxim Bogdanovich Literary Museum (Old town, Grodno)
The house of the national poet, full of Belarusian literary history. - Mir Castle Restaurant (Mir, Nesvizh)
A restaurant in the castle complex for lunch after the tour. - Mir Castle Knights' Festival (Mir, Nesvizh)
Summer tournaments, music and crafts inside and around the castle. - Paragraph Bookshop Café (Central Minsk, Minsk)
A bookshop with a café corner, good for a quiet hour.