Not everyone knows, there are so many interesting places lurking near the capital. You might not even have guessed about their existence. One of them is the Mountain River.

History, features and location

Of course, this is not a waterway in the classical sense. And it certainly has nothing to do with mountains or hills. Another name of the object is the Minsk Slalom Canal. Its length is 500 m.

The sports facility was created in 1981 for training in the rowing slalom. It was a key training base for the USSR national team. The prototype of the facility is located in Munich.

The slalom channel near Minsk looks impressive. Just imagine: a pine forest is divided by a ravine, where there are concrete blocks polished with water.

Until the early 90s, trainings were held here. Then the place was chosen by tourists and fans of extreme sports. We can say that it was an open-air water park. The goal is to keep the balance while the water flow rushes at high speed.

Now the canal is almost dry, partially overgrown with moss and seems abandoned. People often come here for cycling and to take photos. The photos with the Mountain River in the background are amazing.

In general, the system can be called working. But there is not enough water in the Minsk Sea to form the required flow rate. If you open the lock, you will have to wait a long time until the water level in the reservoir reaches a certain level.

How to get to the slalom canal near Minsk: 

• From the MKAD M9 exit on the road H9036;

• Turn off the H9036 highway in the direction of the Republican Boarding School for War and Labor Veterans.

After passing the boarding school, you will get to the canal. GPS coordinates: 53.9755039,27.4490226,17.  The distance from the airfield in Borovaya is 13 km.  

What else is unusual to see in the vicinity of the capital

The slalom canal in Minsk is not the only interesting object. If you go in the direction of the Stalin Line, then not far from the cottage village of Novashino you can see Boiling water.

This is a hydraulic engineering structure, which is an element of the Vileyka-Minsk water system. The rapid, numbering more than 30 steps, looks spectacular.

Another atmospheric place for photoshoots is the chalk quarries with turquoise water in Lyuban. Just be careful: the shores of the Belarusian Maldives are steep, and the lakes are almost bottomless.

If you want to feel the spirit of antiquity and make a trip to the past, come to the abandoned estates. 

Visit the following sites: 

• The Slotvinsky Manor-Palace in Rovanichi;

• The estate of the Adadurovs so-called White Dacha in Minsk;

• The Tyshkevich estate in the Vyaloe tract.

To see other unusual places in the Minsk region, book an excursion or a tour. With VETLIVA, you can plan your route as you like!

Photo: mlyn.by