All roads lead here: what to see in Belarus

Do you know that Belarus is almost twice smaller than Germany and Norway, two and a half smaller than Spain, one third smaller than Ukraine and the territory Russia could fit 18 countries which have equal to Belarus size? To cut a long story short, many people don’t know at all about a small and cozy country in the center of Europe, let alone be aware of its main and most interesting sights. VETLIVA is here for this — to tell you what to see in Belarus to learn its history, taste the local cuisine, enjoy the beauty of nature and go home with the desire to return for more.

Top places to visit in Belarus

Mir and Nesvizh. Behind these names the history of centuries is covered. A story of the outstanding people and great states was written. You may visit the most beautiful castles of Belarus — 2 of 4 UNESCO sites. So as you can get acquainted with the subtleties of perfect fortification systems and walk through the halls that still remember the great princes and kings.

The majestic towers and monumental walls of the Mir Castle blend harmoniously with a beautiful park, reflected in the mirror of the pond. The castle is decorated with carvings and gilding halls, elegant furniture and steep stairs.

The beauty and magnificence of Nesvizh Palace competes with many royal palaces: parquet made of the most valuable wood species, unique ceiling decoration, walls covered with gilding. This is a truly mystical place and one of the most mysterious in Belarus, in the walls of which the soul of Barbara Radziwill, the Black Lady of Nesvizh, is looking for peace.  

VETLIVA recommends: wanna see both of the famous castles? Just pick up one of the many tours during that transfers from one castle to another are provided. It will win you some time.

Dudutki is a museum of ancient folk crafts and technologies that is one of the most visited museums of Belarus and which is located 40 kilometers from Minsk, in a picturesque place next to the river Ptich. Today the cultural complex includes several complexes: a craft yard with a mini-exposition of folk life and a forge, a stable and a zoo, a garage with retro cars, the only windmill in Belarus, the wooden church of St. John the Prophet. On the territory of the Dudutki manor there is the only moonshine in Belarus where it is officially allowed to make this strong alcoholic drink. On the farm of the museum live cows, sheep, pigs and rabbits. Also there are unusual pets in the local zoo — ostriches, roe deer, wild boar, pony and donkey. Poultry house with waterfowl and not only birds is also here: you can feed geese, ducks, chickens, guinea fowls, pheasants and peacocks. This place is not just imbued with the spirit of antiquity and the true culture of Belarus, it IS culture. So that this excursion to Dudutki would fit both adults and children who will find something to their pleasure, especially those who have long been out of nature and are tired of megalopolises and offices.

Brest Fortress. The first line of defense of Belarus at the beginning of the Second World War. The German-fascist invaders planned to occupy it within a few hours, but the defense dragged on for a month due to the courage and bravery of the garrison. Brest Fortress consists of many individual attractions — ranging from the Kholm Gate and ending with the Citadel and the Eternal Flame. It would take several hours to go around it, and regardless of the time of year and day, you will fill goosebumps all around the body because of pride and grief for the past gallant wars. In order not only to see the battlefield with your own eyes, but also to learn more about the history of the defense of the Fortress, visit the local museum, where all the information is duplicated in English for your convenience.

VETLIVA reminds: Brest is famous not only for its Fortress, but also for many other charming and interesting places, including the Museum of Rescued Values, Sovetskaya Street and so on. Go to Brest for a few days to visit all these places for sure and stay overnight in one of the comfortable hotels of the city.

National Art Museum. Rejoice, true admirers and connoisseurs of art, this cultural treasury of Belarus, which has one of the largest collections in Eastern Europe, opens its doors for you! Today it is not only a museum-gallery, but also a modern research and educational center, an art platform for artists. The collection of the National Art Museum has more than 30 thousand exhibits — masterpieces of Belarusian and foreign art. All the halls of the museum are decorated in accordance with the time interval to which they belong: halls with paintings of the XIX century look expensive and pompous, and the hall of modern art is full of glass and plastic. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions of famous and young artists, as well as meetings of art lovers. You can visit it during one of those wonderful excursions around Minsk VETLIVA brings you. Despite its impressiveness and antiquity, the truly one piece of architectural art of Belarus has long been a place for all artists, regardless of age and experience.

Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble is one of the most beautiful monuments of architecture of Belarus. Today a unique museum complex in the center of Gomel combines the Rumyantsevs and Paskevichi Chapel, the tomb, the winter garden, the observation tower and the magnificent old park. The first floor of the central part of the palace is a historical reconstruction of the premises of a noble estate. As in ancient times, here are the Column Hall, the White Lounge, the Red Lounge, the reception hall (the former "golden dining room"). The tower houses the exposition "The owners of the Gomel estate Rumyantsevy and Paskevichi". It presents authentic paintings, sculptures, weapons and personal belongings of the princes. The local park, which size reaches 18 hectares, has become a haven for many rare plant species and now it is a real botanical monument right in the center of Gomel.

The entire palace is a model of the castle architecture of Belarus and will delight not only history lovers, but also ordinary people who want to add a new beautiful photo to their album.

“Belovezhskaya Pushcha” is one of the most popular answers to the question “What to see in Belarus?”. These are the remains of a primeval forest that once stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Bug River and from Oder to Dnieper. The park is famous for its ancient nominal oaks, whose age exceeds 500 years. Here you can find 59 species of mammals, including the majestic and large bison. There are also 250 species of various birds in the reserve. All this beauty is in its natural habitat, and everyone can see animals with their own eyes. In the park you can also visit the Museum of Nature, which looks like a real forest corner under the roof. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is not only a natural monument, but also a real portal to a fairy tale, because  the residence of the Belarusian Father Frost is located here! By the way, do you know how Grandfather Frost differs from Santa Claus? No? But these are completely different wizards! We will share with you this magical secret, but shhh, don’t tell anyone, otherwise the magic of the New Year will vanish!

What to see in Belarus? VETLIVA has an answer!

This is not all the sights of Belarus, but only those that need to be visited in the very first days of their stay in the country. If you want to know more about the places that attract the attention of tourists from all over the world, stay with us! Share with your friends thoughts about what you read, tell in the comments what impresses you most in Belarus, put likes, stay tuned to the Blog to keep up with the latest news. Get to know Belarus with VETLIVA!