Find places in Belarus

Must-Haves

• Independence Avenue (Central Minsk)
  One of Europe's grandest Stalinist boulevards, lined with monumental buildings from the post-war rebuild.
• Minsk Hero City Obelisk and Stella (Pobediteley Avenue)
  A towering war memorial with an underground exhibition and wide views down the avenue.

Fun for Everyone

• Trinity Suburb (Troitskoye Predmestye) (Svislach riverbank)
  A small rebuilt quarter of colourful merchant houses, cafés and craft shops by the water.
• 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.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• 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.
• Minsk Sea (Zaslavl Reservoir) (North of Minsk)
  A big reservoir with beaches and pine woods where the city goes to swim in summer.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Chelyuskintsev Park (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
  Pine woods, a children's railway stop and old fairground rides favoured by local families.

Off the Beaten Path

• Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences (Chelyuskintsev)
  Huge gardens with greenhouses and quiet alleys next to the city's main park.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Komarovsky Market (Vera Khoruzhey Street)
  The city's great food market, with smoked fish, cheese, honey and pickles under one roof.

Fun for Everyone

• Galleria Minsk (Pobediteley Avenue)
  A large modern mall with a food court and a terrace looking over the river.

Must-Haves

• GUM Minsk (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
  The historic state department store, good for Belarusian linen and souvenirs.

Must-Haves

• Oktyabrskaya Street (Oktyabrskaya)
  A strip of old factory buildings turned into bars, street art and creative spaces.

Great for Date Night

• Zybitskaya Street (Nemiga)
  The busiest bar street in Minsk, packed with terraces on summer evenings.

Must-Haves

• Kuhmistr (Karla Marksa Street)
  Traditional Belarusian dishes such as draniki and machanka in a cosy, old-style dining room.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Lido (Nezavisimosti Avenue)
  A canteen-style chain serving Belarusian and European plates at budget prices.

Great for Date Night

• 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.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hotel Planeta (Pobediteley Avenue)
  A big Soviet-era hotel on the river, updated and good value.

Must-Haves

• Independence Day Parade and Fireworks (Pobediteley Avenue)
  The 3 July national day brings parades, concerts and fireworks across the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Minsk City Day (Citywide)
  Each September the city celebrates with street stages, fairs and fireworks.
• Christmas and New Year Market (Central Minsk)
  Winter lights, a big tree and stalls selling hot drinks and crafts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kupalle Midsummer Celebrations (Outskirts and countryside)
  Fires, flower wreaths and folk songs on the shortest night of the year.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Off the Beaten Path

• 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.

Must-Haves

• Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park (Kamenets District)
  One of Europe's last primeval forests and home of the European bison.

Fun for Everyone

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• Brest Railway Museum (Near the fortress)
  An outdoor collection of steam engines and old carriages to climb around.

Must-Haves

• Sovetskaya Street (Central Brest)
  The pedestrian main street, lit by lamplighters each evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kobrin Military History Museum (Kobrin)
  A small museum in the house where General Suvorov stayed, east of Brest.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Brest Central Market (Central Brest)
  Fresh produce, smoked meats and clothes stalls favoured by locals.

Must-Haves

• Hermitage Hotel Brest (Central Brest)
  A comfortable central hotel within walking distance of Sovetskaya Street.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hotel Intourist Brest (Masherova Avenue)
  A long-standing hotel between the centre and the fortress.

Must-Haves

• Battle for Brest Fortress Commemoration (Brest Fortress)
  Each 22 June, at dawn, crowds gather to mark the start of the 1941 invasion.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• Great Synagogue of Grodno (Old town)
  A huge restored synagogue that tells the story of the city's Jewish past.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pharmacy Museum (Sovetskaya Square)
  One of the oldest pharmacies in the region, with antique jars and a small museum.

Must-Haves

• Sovetskaya Street (Old town)
  The pedestrian heart of Grodno, lined with old houses and cafés.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lida Castle (Lida)
  A square brick castle from the 14th century, rebuilt and used for festivals.

Fun for Everyone

• Grodno Zoo (Timiryazeva Street)
  The oldest zoo in Belarus, compact and friendly for families.

Off the Beaten Path

• Augustow Canal (North of Grodno)
  A 19th century canal with locks, forests and cycling routes near the Polish border.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kolozha Park and the Neman embankment (Neman riverbank)
  A riverside walk with views back up to the old churches.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grodno Central Market (Old town)
  Local produce and household goods in a busy market.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Semashko (Central Grodno)
  A modern central hotel close to the old town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hotel Grodno (Central Grodno)
  A practical hotel within walking distance of the sights.

Must-Haves

• Festival of National Cultures (Grodno city centre)
  Every two years in June the city fills with costumes, music and food from dozens of communities.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• Vitebsk Town Hall and Regional Museum (Ratushnaya Street)
  The old town hall with exhibits on the city's history.

Off the Beaten Path

• Annunciation Church (Dvina riverbank)
  A rebuilt medieval church with a striking stripe of brick and stone.

Must-Haves

• Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk (Summer Amphitheatre)
  The country's biggest music festival, held each July in a huge open-air theatre.

Fun for Everyone

• Summer Amphitheatre (Frunze Street)
  A huge open-air venue used for concerts all summer.

Fun for Everyone

• Dvina embankment (Central Vitebsk)
  Riverside promenades connecting the old town and the cathedral.

Off the Beaten Path

• 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.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Eridan (Central Vitebsk)
  A comfortable hotel in the old centre within walking distance of the museums.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hotel Vitebsk (Central Vitebsk)
  A large central hotel with simple rooms.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• Corpus Christi Church (Nesvizh)
  An early baroque church with the Radziwill family crypt.

Fun for Everyone

• Nesvizh Palace Park (Nesvizh)
  Ponds, bridges and long avenues around the palace, lovely in autumn.

Off the Beaten Path

• 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.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel inside Mir Castle (Mir)
  A small hotel within the castle walls for an evening when the day visitors leave.