Bordering Russia, Belarus is a mystic land. And a land of 10000 lakes.
A quick summary of things to do in Belarus, to make for a beautiful trip:
a) Victory Square
Victory Square, located in the center of Minsk, was built in 1947, on which stands the monument to the fallen martyrs of the Great Patriotic War, with a large metal relief on the bottom of the monument on four sides, showing the history of the Belarusian soldiers and civilians who fought bravely against the enemy. It is also a place where flowers are laid at weddings. The State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, located to the left of the Republican Palace in Minsk, is the largest and most extensive collection of memorials of the Great Patriotic War in Belarus.
b) Lenin Square
The Red Church Church of Saints Simon and Helena, the underground shopping mall (three floors), Belarusian State University, Belarusian State Pedagogical University are located here. Nearby are the Minsk Hotel, Minsk Railway Station, and the largest supermarket in the area. If you are visiting Minsk for the first time, this is an ideal place to stay. After all, it is more lively, there are more students around, and it is easier to get help if you have any problems.
c) Holy Spirit Cathedral
Holy Spirit Cathedral is a landmark in the city of Minsk, Belarus. When you visit Minsk, Belarus, you should not miss the Holy Spirit Cathedral. This building has been built through thick and thin.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit has witnessed the rise and fall of the city of Minsk. It has witnessed the heroic struggle of the people of the city to defend their dignity. The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is a classical building in the Baroque style, the actual completion of which took place in the middle of the 17th century. When this landmark was completed, the whole city was very excited, because it was the result of the wisdom of the Minsk people.
d) Nesvizh’s Raziviu family castle complex
Nesvizh Castle (English: Nesvizh Castle, Belarusian: Нясьвіскі замак), built in 1583, is located about 120 km southeast of Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Nesvizh Castle was severely damaged during the wars, restored and renovated several times during its history, and finally took the form of the present palatial castle. In 2005, the castle complex of the Raziviu family of Nesvizh, including Nesvizh Castle, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The final form of Nesvizh castle combines many architectural styles: Baroque, Rococo, Classical and Modern. Currently Nesvizh Castle is the largest viewing area in Belarus, it is arguably the most beautiful place in Belarus and one of the most popular attractions in the whole country. The rooms available in this castle, except for the VIP rooms, are quite affordable.
Local Notes
d) Languages
Russian is the main language, Belarusian is spoken only in rural areas, most people do not speak English, but there are some young people who can speak English, but the proportion is not high, so when you really have something to ask, look for young people. There are also a lot of Chinese students around the university, and they are usually very helpful. Even if you know a word or two of Russian, don’t say it. If you say a word, people will think you know Russian and won’t care if you understand it or not, and won’t help you think of other ways.
e) Meals
Local people do not have the concept of three meals a day, are hungry to eat, basically breakfast is their own home to solve, there is no sale of breakfast, only McDonald’s, there is also the hotel’s own breakfast. On weekends, restaurants are more crowded, and sometimes reservations are required, but on weekdays, there are basically very few people. Also, I heard that since people eat at home most of the time, restaurants don’t always have a lot of food on hand, so if you have a lot of people (for example, more than 20), try to make a reservation a day in advance. The locals only order their own food, so the order is basically one person, one main dish can basically eat, do not order more, and then pay their own part of the money.
f) Taxi
The locals told me, don’t stop a cab on the road by yourself, because there are many local cab companies, even a cab can set up its own company, any company can set its own price, so this is a pit. The right thing to do is to ask the locals to help you call a taxi, or you can consider walking into a hotel and asking the waiter to help you call a taxi. Local students told me that it is possible to get a taxi on the roadside, but it will be twice as expensive as calling a taxi. The cab fare is not cheap, let me tell you some figures: from Beijing Hotel to Minsk Hotel (very close), 10 rubles (33 RMB); from Minsk Hotel to Minsk Airport (55 rubles).
g) Subway
There are two main subways, line 1 and line 2, each station has corresponding numbers and English and Russian, so it’s not a big problem to look carefully. It doesn’t matter how much the distance is, it’s 0.65 rubles.
h) Travel essentials
Passport, the hotel to give you proof of stay, these two things must be carried, the police may check, of course, we did not encounter this way.
i) Immigration card
If you transit through Russia to Belarus, you can get Russian visa through Visa Express.
Hope this helps and you have a lovely trip to Belarus !
