Tour «Belaya Rus: Minsk - Vitebsk, 6 days»

Wednesday - Buffet breakfasts.

9.00 Excursion "World of Belarusian Townships".

Join our combined bus tour with departure from Minsk.

Located in 120 km from Minsk Budslav town is a National Sanctuary. And this fame was brought to him by a monumental temple - the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ascension (XVII-XVIII cc.) with the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, to which tens of thousands of pilgrims from Belarus and neighboring countries flock annually. The church, officially recognized by the Vatican in 1994 as the "Little Basilica", amazes the imagination with the grandeur of its lavish baroque forms, the abundance of decor, grizzly paintings, and the wooden altar of the 17th century is an authentic pearl of sacred arts and crafts.

The next point of our bus tour is Glubokoe.

Further, crossing the border of the Minsk and Vitebsk regions, we get to Glubokoye, located above the five lakes! This small city has a rich history that counts 6 centuries and comes to life in familiarity with the monuments of architecture that form the silhouette of its historical center. This is the Orthodox Cathedral of the Vergin Nativity and the parish Trinity Church - both of them from the XVII century and show us the riot of exquisite forms of the Vilna Baroque. The program of our combined bus tour across Belarus with departure from Minsk includes the visit to the Orthodox Cathedral of the Virgin Nativity. Crepting upwards the tower of the cathedral, you will enjoy beautiful scenery with many lakes from a bird's-eye view, and descending into the dungeon, you will see traces of the history of the XVII century! And on the square in front of these temples is a kind of Memory Alley with bronze busts of people, glorifying Glubotchin. It is immortalized here: Josef Korsak - patron of the deepest temples, Yazep Drozdovich - artist, folklorist, writer, Ignat Buynitsky - founder of the Belarusian theater, Vaclav Lastovsky - Prime Minister of the Belarusian People's Republic. And this avenue is constantly replenished with new sculptures. There is even a monument to the famous baron Munchausen - the character of the books of Rudolf Erich Raspe! How did he come here? Oh, it's a separate story. Glubokoye is also called the "cherry capital" of the country. In honor of this berry, a monument has been erected here, and in addition, the thematic "cherry" festival is held annually in Glubokoe in July. Next to the "deep cherry" is the Yakimovich manor. It seems almost incredible when, among the urban landscape, you suddenly find yourself in this corner of a rural idyll - with gazebos, ponds, lawns, humpbacked bridges, stone statues. In the homestead of Yakimovichy we planned lunch for you.

And finally we go to Mosar.

Mosar was the estate of the Bzhestovskys. From their manor the church of St. Anna remained, being a monument of classicism architecture of the late XVIII century. Around it, on several hectares, through the efforts of parishioners and active priest Józef Bulq, was created a magnificent park with a variety of thematic compositions, built on associations of biblical texts. Now it is an arboretum. Among his creations, the priest and rested in Bose in 2010. His grave at the church. And it will fit her to think about how much one person can do and what the often sounding words mean "the role of the individual in history". Unique landscapes, scattered lakes and extraordinary beauty of the landscape will be a perfect backdrop for this excursion.

Return to hotel near 19.30, overnight stay Minsk.

Let's go to excursion to the castles of Belarus.

Thursday - Buffet breakfasts.

Excursion "Road of Castles". The route acquaints with monumental architectural monuments - grand dukes in Novogrudok and Lida, as well as with other sights (ancient churches, churches, parks, museum expositions) of these ancient cities, whose age ranges from 700 to 1,000 years. Many remarkable people were bound by their destiny with this over-Nemanish land: "King of Lithuania" Mindovg, Grand Duke Gedimin, poet of universal glory Adam Mickiewicz, world renown scholar, traveler Ignat Domeyko, influential magnates of Radziwilli and others.

The sights of Novogrudok wait for you!

The reflection of the historical glory of Novogrudok, the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, falls on the objects of this excursion. The legendary castle, picturesque landscapes, ancient religious buildings - Orthodox, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish - could serve as scenery for the historical film! You will see such a monument of high importance as the ruins of Novogrudsky Castle, the first castle in the territory of Belarus, which was built in stone and brick in the 13th century by the Grand Duke, and then by the "King of Lithuania" Mindovg. From the castle mountain offers an incredible view of the surrounding area! And at its foot is The Church of The Lord Transfiguration, laid by the Grand Duke Vitovt at the end of the fourteenth century; Here in 1422 Vladislav Jagailo was married to Princess Sophia Golshanska, which marked the beginning of the reign of the Jagiellonian dynasty. During the excursion along the cozy streets of ancient Novogrudok you will also see other ancient temples of the 14th-18th centuries, among which the most valuable is the Orthodox Church of The S. Boris and Gleb of the fourteenth century. The rich past of Novogrudok has been brilliantly reflected in the poetry of her famous native Adam Mickiewicz - here were the childhood and youth years of the poet. A visit to A. Mitskevich's House-Museum will leave a strong impression thanks to a rich exposition about this poet of universal glory. Mickiewicz is also dedicated to the Mound of Immortality at Zamkova Mountain. And next to it is The Art Gallery of Konstantin Kachan, a contemporary Belarusian artist. Examination of the exposition, music, fragrant coffee and tea will be a successful end to the acquaintance with Novogrudok.

Lunch at the restaurant.

Book excursion with the visit to Lida and Lidsky castle.

Arrival to Lida. Lida is known for its brick fortress, built nearly seven hundred years ago (1323) by Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania whose grandson Jogaila celebrated here his wedding with Sophia of Halshany hundred years afterwards. Excursion and performance in the castle will allow you to immerse yourself in the fascinating events of the past and archery and sword-fight will bring you a lot of unforgettable impressions.

Return to Minsk, overnight stay in Minsk.

Friday – Buffet breakfast

9.00 Excursion to the Museum of folk crafts Dudutki (6 hours). It’s a really wonderful trip: serious excursion with playful adventures – degustation of samogon, horse-riding, farm bread and fat at the mill. The open-air museum "Dudutki" created in 1995 with its artifacts of folk crafts and workshops of the XIX century is one of the most visited museums in Belarus. You will see the only working mill in Belarus, visit pottery, forge of the XIX century, workshop of woodwork, bakery and the exhibition of veteran cars… Moreover, there is the stable with Orlovsky Trotters, ostriches, wild boars and other animals and birds. You will enjoy riding in the hackney-cabs, visit the meadow of picnics, feel the atmosphere of shlyahta estate. During the excursion there will be 3 tastings in Dudutki:

• near the hooch still (samogon, bread, pickle, honey)
• in the bakery (fresh bread, cheese, butter, herbal tea)
• at the mill (farm bread and fat)

Belarusian-style lunch. Here you may buy wonderful souvenirs and take photos. Return to Minsk, overnight stay in Minsk.

The sights of Vitebsk is waiting for you!

Join our Vitebsk sightseeing tour.

The city, royally established on the Western Dvina, originated in the 10th century and played a major role in the history of Belarus. During the sightseeing tour you will visit its historical part with the preserved and restored buildings of the XVIII-XIX centuries. You will see the symbol of the Magdeburg city right - the graceful town hall built in 1775. On the high bank of the Zapadnaya Dvina there is one of the monumental buildings of the old Vitebsk - the Governor's Palace (XVIII century), which keeps the memory of the past of the city. Restored on the steep bank of the Vitba River, the Assumption Cathedral of the former Basilian Monastery became an elegant visual dominant of the city. You will also see the Resurrection Church - a monument of Vilna baroque architecture; the restored Byzantine-style church of the Annunciation. The cultural heritage of Vitebsk also includes the historically established planning structure of the city, buildings in the Art Nouveau style. During the tour you will see a stylized medieval tower "Dukhovskoy Kruglik", funny street sculptures, original small architectural forms. You will also enjoy a walk along the picturesque pedestrian street of the city with souvenir shops and cozy coffee shops.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vitebsk turned into a kind of a symbol of the dynamic art of the world-famous "Vitebsk School", the brilliant representatives of which were the brilliant Marc Shagal, the author of the mysterious "Black Square" Konstantin Malevich, the creator of the Russian seasons in Paris Mstislav Dobuzhinsky. The works of these artists are exhibited in the largest museums of the world and glorified our school of painting. "Oh Paris! You are my second Vitebsk!" - exclaimed the greatest artist of the XX century, Marc Chagall, who carried his love for this city through all his life. Visiting the Museum of Marc Shagal in a house on Pokrovskaya Street, which was built by the father of Marc Chagall in the early 1900s and wh ere the artist spent his young years. The museum presents household items of the XIX-XX centuries, archival documents telling about the life of Mark Shagal in Vitebsk.

Free time, walking around the city, shopping. Overnight in Vitebsk.

Sunday – Buffet breakfast. Check-out.

Vitebsk Sightseeing Tour continues. 

Continuation of acquaintance with Vitebsk. The events of the early twentieth century in Vitebsk laid the foundation not only for the Russian (then Vitebsk was part of the Russian Empire as a provincial center), but also for the world avant-garde. Vitebsk artists can be called the successors of the suprematist traditions, laid down by K. Malevich. The heritage left by them in Vitebsk is perceived today as a genetic code capable of producing all new and new talents. A visit to the new Museum of the Vitebsk National School, located in the original pre-revolutionary building; here you will plunge into the unique atmosphere of the avant-garde of the 20s of XX century, when art was born that changed the world. The museum is high-tech and has exclusive multimedia equipment.

And today Vitebsk is also known as the musical capital of festivals. Here are jazz, bard, piano festivals. Since 1992, Vitebsk became the capital of the International Art Festival "Slavic Bazaar", the musical arena of which - the Summer Amphitheater - you will see during the tour. Almost every year, new monuments are established in the city, creative urban spaces are created, new cafes are opened, and local craftsmen are famous for their unique souvenirs. Art Space on Tolstoy street regularly hosts exhibitions of contemporary Belarusian artists. No wonder Vitebsk is called the cultural capital of Belarus!

Lunch.

Thanks to our excursion you will visit the estate of Iliya Repin.