The tourist portal VETLIVA, as an expert in travel, decided to create a guide for beautiful places in the largest cities of Belarus, which can be reached by bicycle. Its purpose is to acquaint you with very interesting locations of your city.

Today we are in Vitebsk and we are waiting for the route of 20 km in the center of the city. We are accompanied by Nastya - a lover of bicycles, who will be our guide today. Last time we rode in Mogilev, and you can see how it was in this article. As always, all our tracks are collected on our interactive travel map of Belarus - the points that we have visited.

Nastya does not ride a bike very much, and it was her first trip after winter idle time. Vitebsk met us with a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius and a changeable weather, suggesting that the winter had not completely gave way to the right of spring: the rain was replaced by the sun coming out from the clouds. According to Nastya's clothes, it was evident that she took into account the changeable weather in Vitebsk, which could not be said about us. The jackets were too light, and the hats remained at home. We met near the cafe and started our movement towards Nastya's favorite places.

We paid attention to the fact that the street on which we were traveling (Moskovsky Prospekt) was well prepared for bicycle traffic. 3 years ago it was quite different, but now the curbs were cut and the entrances to them were made. Nearby there were trams, familiar more for Minsk, which we did not expect to see here. Nastya also noticed that she likes to ride on trams, because they are cozy. Gradually, we were approaching the center of the city.

This trident, pictured below, was visible from afar, and it is impossible to pass by it at all. It is so big and tall that it fascinates with its size. Three bayonets symbolize the three armies that fought for the liberation of Belarus.

The monument stands on the bank of the river, which emphasizes its majesty, the scale of the battle and the troubles that Belarus suffered during the war. They are expressed by the architect through the shape and size. The monument seems even bigger more if you approach it from the embankment side.

Then we went down to the embankment, and went ahead. On the way, we met at once two places of interest in Vitebsk: the Annunciation Church and the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky.

The Annunciation Church is located in the picturesque center of the city of Vitebsk on the bank of the Western Dvina. Built in the X or XII century, this church is the oldest and revered both among the indigenous people and among the guests of the city.

The church is interesting in the first place because it has an unplastered plot showing the old foundation of the church. In addition, it stands on the bank of the Western Dvina. The whole embankment in Vitebsk is so picturesque that it makes you want to get a smartphone out of your pocket and make posts in Instagram. Our friends even wrote in the comments that they will unsubscribe from us because of the huge amount of photos from Vitebsk, which we posted recently. 

Near the church there is a wooden church named after Saint Nicholas Nevsky. This building is of dark color, which looks very contrasted against the background of new high-rise buildings and a shopping center. Willy-nilly you are thinking about the inevitability of progress and the future...

The history of the church is directly connected with another church. In 1992, when the construction of the Holy Annunciation Church was conducted, the believers had nowhere to pray. Therefore, they began to ask for the allocation of some room where worship could be temporarily celebrated. The clergy made concessions to the believers and decided to erect a simple wooden building, which became a replacement to the main temple until the completion of its construction. 

Nastya likes to visit this place because of the sight that opens from here. Next to it is an old district with interesting buildings and a full-flowing river. There are many shops and places where you can buy coffee and leisurely take a walk.

We sat on bicycles again and began to twist the pedals. The next points on our route were the drama theater of Yakub Kolas and the pedestrian street leading to the Assumption Cathedral and the puppet theater, where we went. Today clouds are hanging over us again, but the photos from this turn out to be heavy and soft at the same time, and such an interesting contrast is rarely found. 

Nastya explained her choice by the fact that there is an observation deck overlooking the Vitba River, the Vitebsk Town Hall and the Resurrection Church. There are fewer passers-by in this place, so it seems that all this is just for you alone.

We have already noticed that Nastya loves quiet and secluded places where you can relax. That's why it turned out that all her favorite places are little-known snacks for relaxation and rest in silence. 

On the way to the next point, we stopped at the Resurrection Church and went inside. The ceiling of this church is like a blue sky, so if you are in Vitebsk, be sure to go inside the temple, do not regret it!

There are 11 bells in the church. Do you like ringing? It’s said that it has even healing properties. So it or not, we do not undertake to affirm, but with the fact that these sounds fascinate and penetrate into the very soul, they take to far away distances and at the same time they allow not to think absolutely about anything - hardly anyone will argue.

Very close to the art space, and next to it, Nastya showed us the Vitebsk alphabet, which her friend did. Each letter corresponds to some sight of Vitebsk.

We did not pass all the planned places, but we already had the impression that it is necessary to come to Vitebsk for spiritual enlightenment: there are a lot of temples and churches in the center.

Very near isthe Assumption Cathedral- this is the highest point of our trip. From here the best view of Vitebsk and its center opens and even the amphitheater of Vitebsk is seen, at which the annual festival "Slavianski Bazaar" takes place.

The Assumption Cathedral, located in the Belarusian city of Vitebsk, is truly a unique religious building. The first documentary building, which was here more than six hundred years ago, unfortunately, did not survive. However, thanks to the efforts of believers and not indifferent to the historical heritage of people, it was restored after the model of the ancient temple. Now the Assumption Cathedral attracts a huge number of tourists who often come to Vitebsk just for the sake of this shrine.

Very close to the park named Frunze - this is the last point in our route. On the way to it we saw the Vitebsk Town Hall.

The park is not suitable for cycling: it is seen from the photo above. There are no specialized descents, however, we also did not see signs prohibiting movement on bicycles.

A little later there were bicycle paths. In the distance, water rustled - it was the sound of a small dam, along which a path was laid. A good place for running and cycling.

Our trip came to an end. It was an exciting expedition, and we are already waiting for the next city. In Minsk, our guide will be Anastasia, who promised to show very cool places. 

As always, our route can be found on the map and ride it by yourself. Beautiful photos to you! See you in the next city.