Where to go to Belarus by car in the summer. Belarus, attractions

DAY 1: MINSK
We arrived in Minsk on a rainy May morning and immediately went to the VIVA hotel to leave our things. A huge plus of the hostel is that it is within walking distance from the train station, in a fairly convenient location. We made reservations in advance as May holidays everything is usually busy. At a cost - about 600 rubles per person in a quadruple room.

If you check in before 12, you can leave your luggage in the luggage room.
The main disadvantage of the hostel is very little space. There is no separate kitchen, the refrigerator and microwave are located right in the corridor, and you have to have breakfast at low, uncomfortable coffee tables near the entrance and reception.

The bunk beds are very low, you can't sit on the first floor, just lie down. There are only two showers combined with toilets for the entire hostel, so getting to the toilet in the morning is quite difficult. On the plus side, very good comfortable mattresses and friendly staff.
Last year I was also in Minsk, but we stayed at the Jazz hostel. There is much more space in Jazz, a spacious cozy kitchen, at a cost we got about 350 rubles. per person in a 9-bed room (it was not the season and we lived in a 9-bed room alone). But there is one significant minus that covers all the pluses - it is very far from the center. First you need to go by tram for 20-30 minutes to the end, then go through the private sector for another 10-15 minutes.

Leaving our things, we went for a walk around the city with Zmitser. This is just a wonderful person and an excellent guide who knows almost everything about Belarus. Zmitser (and in Russian Dima) studies at the Belarusian State University with a degree in History of Belarus, knows all the most interesting places, can answer any question about Belarus and loves his country so much that he infects others with it :-) It was he who invited me to see Belarus last year (then we went along the route Minsk-Gomel-Polotsk-Vitebsk), and I liked it so much that I wanted to return this one. Here is a link to his page: http://by.holiday.by/gid/111

Since it was raining on the first day of our trip, Dima suggested a route that runs indoors as much as possible.
Coming out of railway station to the gates of Minsk and turning left, we ended up at the Belarusian State University at the Faculty of International Relations. Entrance to all Belarusian universities is free, and we calmly climbed the highest last floor(I think the 12th), which offers a wonderful panorama of Station square(on the right is the railway station, on the left is the gates of Minsk):

And from below the gates of Minsk look like this:

The gate was built in 1954, each tower has 4 sculptures: a worker, a collective farmer, an engineer and a soldier (the sculptures were dismantled in the 70s)

Easy access from the gate main square cities - Nezalezhnosti (Independence) Square. On the square are the Government House, the Belarusian State Pedagogical University, Lenin (and how could it be without him!), the Main Post Office, the Red Church, and underground the Stolitsa shopping center, which is very reminiscent of Okhotny Ryad in Moscow.
BSPU building:

One of unusual places Minsk is the National Library of Belarus. According to the site "Village of Joy", which evaluates the most amazing, interesting, fantastic and incomprehensible things in the world, the National Library in Minsk entered the TOP 50 of the most unusual buildings in the world and took 24th place. And according to the American magazineTravel + Leisure library has been included in the list of the ugliest buildings in the world.

Books inside the library move in small boxes-trains under the ceiling. When you enter, you can’t even believe that you are in the library. Travelers need to issue a one-time pass on their passport. The building hosts many exhibitions, tours to observation deck. But there is nothing special to see there - the building is located on the outskirts (Metro Vostok "), there are only gray residential areas around). But the exhibitions are quite interesting. Now in Belarus is coming year of thrift, so posters like this are everywhere:

In the evening, the library building looks rather unusual, like a big New Year's toy:

DAY 2: MINSK
Walking around the center of Minsk is great - wherever you turn, you will find something interesting everywhere.

It is especially interesting to walk along the Trinity suburb, the historical center of Minsk. And although all the houses here have been restored and do not give the impression of old ones, the atmosphere is still somehow special, not the same as in other parts of the city:

Near the Trinity Suburb, you can ride a catamaran on the Svisloch River, it's inexpensive, however, there are restrictions on where you can sail and where you can't. And when we began to explore the route, it turned out that it was practically impossible to swim anywhere except around the Isle of Tears.

Ducks chased us in the hope that we would treat them to something.

And the fishermen were happy to be photographed

We got to Easter

In Minsk, Orthodox churches coexist with Catholic ones, it seems that Catholics and Orthodox are about the same, although according to official data in Belarus, 80% are Orthodox and 14% are Catholics

The shopping center on Nemiga (Nemiga is an underground river) still has a Soviet atmosphere, as if from childhood. But for shopping, in my opinion, Belarus is not the best place. And although it is generally accepted that Belarusian things are quite high quality (this is indeed true), but the models are most often some kind of outdated, as if from the Soviet Union, and it is rather difficult to find something really beautiful (but if you set yourself such a goal, you can) .

To get from Moscow to Belarus, you need to take a plane and spend a little less than an hour and a half of your time. Many people prefer to travel by their car – you will have to travel more, but you will see a lot of interesting things along the way. This article is intended for all categories of tourists.

Belarus is a country of lakes, dense forests and beautiful medieval castles. Most of the sights are located outside of Minsk - these places will be discussed. We will compile a list of the most popular corners of "Blue-eyed Belarus", visit its natural and cultural monuments, we will drive around this country by car in autumn and winter.

Where to go and what to see in Belarus

Belarus is a compact country, so there is a lot of time for sightseeing interesting places you won't spend. In a time pressure situation, one can limit oneself to the Minsk region. Leave for Logoisk, ride on the slopes there. Visit old estates near Minsk. Go to Dudutki - there are a lot of interesting things.

And here is the situation in other regions of the country:

Vitebsk region. Lake District, where you can have a good rest by renting a campsite or living in a sanatorium. The region is dotted with small towns, there is a very favorable environment.
Brest region. There you will find two obligatory points of the cultural program - the Brest Fortress and Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Gomel region. The most interesting places are concentrated in Gomel and Mozyr. It also does not interfere with visiting Vetka - the original museum of local lore is localized there.
The Grodno region. This is the western region of Belarus, and therefore the most significant historical monuments are concentrated here - churches, medieval castles, ancient estates and pre-revolutionary houses. Be sure to visit Lida during the knight tournament there.
Mogilev region. There is practically nothing to see here. There are several ancient buildings, temples and monasteries in Mogilev. Be sure to visit Bobruisk - the legendary city of "padonkaff", to which all individuals who did not speak the "Albanian language" were "reported".

In a time pressure situation, limit yourself to the Minsk region.

Top 5 most interesting places in Belarus

From a superficial overview of the areas, let's move on to particular examples. We have gone through the most popular Belarusian sights, removed some of the "mainstream" and left the corners that really deserve your attention. Do not be surprised if there are little-known sights of Belarus here:

To Belarus by car - where to go

If you are going to Belarus in the summer, you may well drive your own car. The roads in Belarus are good, and there are no problems with roadside hotels.

Nothing prevents you from visiting the Belarusian lakes and relaxing at the campsite, and then going to the legendary Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Three-day trip around Belarus - minimum program

If you are inspired by the idea of a summer trip, but do not have extra time, it is worth planning an express trip to key places in the country. A detailed acquaintance with the sights of the Republic of Belarus will force you to limit yourself to Minsk and Vitebsk regions. However, a lot can be done in three days. So, what to see in Belarus in three days or over a weekend by car in the summer:

From Grodno go to Lida (you should visit the brewery and the Lida Castle there), then to Smorgon and finally to Polotsk. Perhaps you won’t have time to see anything else, since it’s better to set aside a whole day for Polotsk.

The arrival of cold weather and Belarusian sights

With the onset of autumn, many things change. Lakes, biosphere reserves and ethno-cultural villages fall out of the list. In the fall in Belarus, you can see this:

Chagall House Museum. To see it memorial place, you need to go to Vitebsk, to Pokrovskaya street, 11. It was here that the famous artist lived, whom all Belarusians are proud of. Visiting the art center, you can admire the graphic works of the master. The ticket price ranges from 20-90 thousand "squirrels".
Boris stone. This unique artifact is located in Polotsk. In autumn, the stone looks especially harsh, reminding tourists of the frailty of life. A mysterious text and an image of a cross are carved on the boulder. You can find this "Belarusian Stonehenge" on Zamkovaya street, house 1.
Golshany castle. The majestic ruins of the castle are located in the Grodno region (near the town of Golshany). After leaving this settlement, move in the direction of Yuratik. To the right of the road you will see the ruins.

It is better to allocate a whole day to Polotsk.

In anticipation new year holidays it is worth thinking about visiting some specific corners of Belarus. On the New Year we recommend watching this:

The distance from Moscow to Vitebsk is 520 kilometers, the travel time is six and a half hours, of which most of the time, 5 hours 30 minutes, traveled through the territory of Russia.

Crossing the border
When approaching the border, green tents begin to appear here and there, where you can buy insurance valid on the territory of Belarus, a green card.
In one of these tents, we bought it for 500 rubles, although we were never stopped on the territory of Belarus and the green card was not checked. However, many people recommend purchasing it, since traffic police officers to whom you did not show insurance and paid a fine can pass information about you to the next post, and again you can be stopped and fined.
The border with a neighboring state is not at all similar to similar ones. Here you will not see barbed wire, not border guards with dogs. Nobody stopped the car, we just drove, as if we were continuing to drive across Russia.
It was possible to guess that we were on the territory of another state by the coat of arms of Belarus, the better road surface than in Russia and different information signs on the road from ours.
Information boards inform about air temperature, canvas, weather conditions.

Gasoline prices
There are not too many gas stations, but gasoline is cheaper than in Russia.
A liter of 92nd gasoline costs 7,300 Belarusian rubles, which is 26.5 Russian rubles. The exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble to the Russian one is 1:270.
After passing the border, we quickly reached Vitebsk. In advance, by phone, we booked the Profsoyuznaya Hotel for a day. The price for accommodation was 1100 Russian rubles (when recalculated) per room. The room is very pleasant, with a double bed, TV, refrigerator, shower.

Cities and sights of Belarus
After checking into the hotel, we went for a walk around the city. Truly, Vitebsk is called the city of temples, Dvina and trams. We reached the bridge across the Dvina, then we reached the Church of the Annunciation, a shrine of the 12th century. According to historical information, the Church of the Annunciation was founded in 974 by Princess Olga, at the same time the city of Vitebsk was founded. The church was destroyed by order of N.S. Khrushchev in 1961. It was restored already in 1993-1998 in the image of temples of the 12th century. Ancient masonry is still preserved in the walls.

Then we went up to the Assumption Cathedral (photo 1) along a steep, winding staircase, admired the quiet and calm city from the dais. The observation deck in this part of the city is mesmerizing. Near the cathedral there is a monument to the Russian Patriarch Alexy II in honor of his visit to the city of Vitebsk.
Then narrow winding streets led us to the city hall. The town hall was built in the Baroque style in the 18th century. Both the town hall and the adjacent houses and streets give the impression of a real old city.
The amphitheater was built in 1987 specifically for the annual Slavic Bazaar festivals. Next to it is an alley of stars, which is beautifully illuminated in the evening. Among the names of the stars are such as Pugacheva, Rotaru, Leontiev, Mulyavin (soloist of Pesnyarov).
Opposite the summer amphitheater is an unusual, in the form of a pyramid, shopping center Marco. The very shape of the shopping center, its surroundings immediately suggests that there is something in common with Paris. And I remember the words of the famous Vitebsk artist Marc Chagall: "Vitebsk, you are my second Paris."
During our walk, we had a bite to eat at the pizzeria Gulliver. The cafe is very cozy, the menu different types pizza, baked potatoes, beer, milkshakes. The bill for one person is approximately 150-300 rubles.
The next day in the morning we went to Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The distance from Vitebsk to Minsk is 300 km, the travel time was 3 hours 30 minutes. Roads are good all the way. Passing through small villages, you can go to any store - the range of goods and prices are the same as in any large city.

In Minsk, we stayed at the Valeo hotel booked in advance through booking.com. The price of a room per day was 1700 rubles. Valeo is located on the outskirts of Minsk, not far from the Moscow Ring Road.
Having settled in the hotel, we went to look at Minsk. After quite a long journey by car in the morning, we decided to take the bus and then the subway. Fare for public transport is 6 Russian rubles.
The bus took us to the Vostok metro station. Near it is the famous National Library. (photo 2). This building of an unusual shape is a rhombicuboctahedron. The building has 23 floors. On the top floor there is an observation deck from where you can see most of Minsk. (photo 3) One floor below there is a covered observation deck, a cafe, as well as a gallery where works by Belarusian artists are exhibited. Many of them reflect the folk flavor, describing the nature and life of Belarus, for example, this one - (photo 4).
The library was built relatively recently; it was opened in 2006. You should also come here in the evening, as a multi-color screen with various patterns and screensavers turns on on the library building from sunset until midnight (photo 5).
Then we took the metro to the city center, walked along Nezalezhnosti (Independence) Avenue, visited the large Minsk department stores GUM and TSUM, as well as the underground shopping center "Capital".
Independence Avenue is the main artery of the city. It stretched from Independence Square to Victory Square. When Minsk was rebuilt after the war, all the buildings were built around the avenue, as if around a large axis. Bus route 11 runs along the entire avenue. Even though it doesn't have a name excursion route, but copes with this task perfectly, because after driving it, you can see many interesting and significant places.
Minsk railway station deserves attention. It is spacious and designed in a modern style. The names and location of stores create some parallels with Moscow. In all these places, goods are presented mainly of Belarusian production, which are distinguished by quality and low prices. You can highlight knitwear, clothes for children, watches from the company "Luch", fabrics. In the shopping center "Capital" there are branded stores of famous confectionery factories "Kommunarka" and "Spartak" with all kinds of delicious chocolate and sweets.
Shopping center "Stolitsa" as well as "Okhotny Ryad" is located in the city center. Rising to the surface, you can see many interesting buildings.
We are located on Independence Square. Looking around, we see a glass-concrete skyscraper with the coat of arms of Minsk. This is a state university (photo 6).
On the other hand, the Government House, built back in the 1930s, opens up to the eye. (photo 7). Not far away is the red church of Simon and Helena, on the other side of the highway is the Main Post Office.
The next day we went to the old part of the city. The area is called Trinity Suburb. It is believed that only here the atmosphere of Minsk of the 19th century has been preserved. It is pleasant to walk among small nice houses with wrought-iron fences, painted facades, tiled roofs. If you walk along the Svisloch River, you can reach the Island of Tears. On the island there is a memorial to the soldiers who died in Afghanistan. This is a temple-monument, inside of which there are four altars with the names of fallen soldiers.
Then we went back a little, went into the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (photo 8). In the past, the cathedral was a Bernardine church, so it has an unusual Orthodox church architecture. It contains many wonderful icons, including the icon of the Minsk Mother of God. Orthodox Christians believe that she miraculously appeared on the banks of the Svisloch River in 1500.
On this day, we also visited the National Art Museum, located at 20 Lenina Street. This is the largest art museum in Belarus. His story is rather sad. During the Second World War, it was looted by the Nazis, and the fate of most of the masterpieces is still unknown. But the museum was carefully restored after the war, and now it has a rich collection divided into several sections: modern Belarusian art, manuscripts and books of the 15th century, traditional Belarusian art, ancient artifacts, Western European art.
During the walk, we had lunch at the Lido cafe on Independence Avenue, almost opposite the Central Department Store. The food in the cafe is delicious and varied, the prices are democratic. Lunch for two will cost 600-800 Russian rubles.
We devoted our last day in Minsk to traveling outside the city. We visited Zaslavl, the Museum of Folk Crafts Duddutki.
Zaslavl is an ancient city in the Minsk region, located just 12 km from the capital. Previously had other names: Izyaslavl, Zhaslavl, Zaslav. On the base historical monuments a museum-reserve was created. The city is considered a zone of special archaeological significance. Here is the reformist Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, as well as the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Walking through this ancient city, we approached the ethnographic complex "Mill".
Once there almost simultaneously with a group of schoolchildren, we bought tickets and together with them listened to a tour about the arrangement of the mill, the history of running Agriculture. (photo 9). The steam mill is unique, it is a real monument of flour milling. The mill was built in 1910, served people diligently for about 80 years, and is now a museum exhibit. Next to the mill is the house of vozvoznikov. This was the name of the peasants who brought grain to the mill. They had to stay overnight, so this hut had the functions of a modern hotel. We saw the environment where these people stayed, rested, dined. The next building of the complex is a sviran (barn), where grain was stored.
The Dudutki Museum Complex is located 35 km from Minsk on the banks of the Ptich River. Previously, there was a private estate here, and now the life of the 18th-19th centuries has been recreated in the village. There is a farm with a mill and other workshops. It was interesting to watch the craftsmen showing various folk crafts: pottery, weaving, blacksmithing. In photo 10, the potter demonstrates his art of making jars. In a Belarusian traditional hut, you can hear about how bread, cheese and butter were prepared on peasant farms, and taste products made in the traditional way. Photo 11 shows part of the hut, as well as a butter churn - a traditional tool for whipping butter.
The exhibition of vintage cars is also very interesting (photo 12). They are interesting, unusual, and immediately make you remember moments from films of past years.
Back in the city, we bought souvenirs and gifts for friends and relatives and prepared to leave for Moscow the next day.
In the morning we left in the direction of Moscow.
Finally, we stopped at the Malinovka car market, as it was interesting to evaluate the prices of used cars. It is worth noting that they are much lower than in Moscow, as they are imported from Europe, mainly from Germany, which is located relatively close.
Distance Minsk-Moscow is 750 km, the journey took about 9 hours.
We enjoyed the trip very much. It was interesting, informative and rich. It is very pleasant to be in Belarus, to communicate with people. Hope we come back again. There are many more interesting places that we would like to visit. These are the cities of Mir and Nesvizh, Brest, Grodno.

If you are going to visit Belarus by car, this is the right decision. I visit Belarus several times a year by car and can give a few useful tips. First, you need to choose not the shortest road, but the best one. The extra 100 km, with a general improvement in the road, saves one hour of travel per day. Checked again and again! Get out quickly to the Minsk highway and, without turning anywhere, rush to the border with Belarus. The total length of the road is 1050 kilometers ( Moscow — Brest), the average transit time in summer is 12-15 hours.

Smolenka on our side was repaired quite well, many sections are illuminated, everywhere there is a normal division. In general, the road pleasantly surprises, but I remember the times when it was impossible to accelerate faster than 40 km/h near Smolensk. No matter how easy the road - you need to refresh yourself. I haven't taken food with me for a long time. The level of roadside establishments has grown significantly. Secondly, I will recommend you a cafe located in the hotel complex of the village of Mushkovichi, 345 km of the Moscow-Minsk highway. Not as an advertisement (!): Luzhkov, Patriarch, Titomir stopped here ... Service is fast and tasty. If the cafe hall is full, guests are seated in the restaurant hall.
To the border with Belarus - 440 km of the route. ( In the photo at the top left: this is what the customs crossing looks like)
Border and customs control on the border of Russia and Belarus for cars is completely absent! The speed of movement on the territory of the checkpoint is 40 km/h. In the photo on the left below: the toll road begins immediately after crossing the border.

In the photo at the top right: the first state farm after crossing the border, a memorable stele.

The only thing to do is to buy insurance.

Being in Belarus, you feel calm, reliable or, if you like, protected.

I have dreamed of visiting Belarus for a very long time. Its extraordinary cleanliness and ideal roads, the friendliness of people and the amazing taste of local products are legendary. Belarus is a foreign country, but you do not need visas to visit it. And so, one friendly September morning, we as a family (me, husband and daughter of 6 years old) got into the car and went on a trip.
We left on Tuesday at 3:00 am. The distance from Kovrov to Minsk is 1,100 km, the estimated travel time is about 14 hours.

A few general questions:

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The local currency is Belarusian rubles. Even before the trip, I read a lot about the fact that it is unprofitable to change money in Russia. But it’s always uncomfortable for me to travel without local currency in my pocket, so I changed 1,000,000 bel at Sberbank. rubles. So, I confirm from my own experience that it is necessary to change money in Belarus. Exchange offices is in all shopping malls Minsk, the rate is much more profitable than in Russian banks.

Registration of the "Green Card - Green Card" - an international auto insurance policy. Everywhere they write that it must be mandatory. No one asked us for insurance during the entire trip, but this is not an indicator, of course. You can issue it both at home with an insurance company and along the highway, starting from Smolensk and beyond. There are a lot of insurance points, the price is about the same everywhere.

Petrol. It is better to fill up with gasoline as much as possible in Russia, in Belarus it is more expensive. But the price at all gas stations is identical, which is very convenient.

Toll roads. Near Minsk there are many signs "Toll road". How and where they pay for travel on these roads - we did not understand. No booths, barriers - nothing. Having driven a lot toll roads we never paid. Mystery.

The driving culture in Belarus is very high. They follow the rules, disciplinedly let people pass at pedestrian crossings.

Well, that's about all. Let's get straight to the journey. So, having left Kovrov at 03.00 in the morning, at 16.00 we were already in Minsk. (

Stopped only at gas stations - coffee / snack / toilet / a little rest for the driver.
I read a lot before the trip and had a rough idea of what to expect from the country. But still, the first thing you pay attention to as soon as you cross the border is the extraordinary cleanliness. The grass, as if combed with a comb, is even, beautiful. And, by the way, not only on the main roads. We had to go and small villages - everything is identical. There are freshly harvested fields all around, I have already forgotten how beautiful it is - well-groomed land.

There are many places for parking along the route, equipped with everything you need. For using the forest as a free toilet / garbage container, you are fined. In general, Belarus is not at all like Russia in appearance. To European countries where I have been too. Belarus is original, and this makes it unique.

The first impression of Minsk is a cozy, calm city. There are no rushing crowds of people. No traffic jams either!

Day 1. Victory Park - Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Guest house «Comfort-House» in Minsk

Upon arrival, we went to the Comfort-House guest house on the street. Novinkovskaya, pre-booked on the booking.com website. We were attracted by the relative cheapness of the room - about 2000 rubles. for three people per night and a lot of positive reviews (average rating guest house very high - 9.3 points).

So, all the praises that are sung to this small hotel are completely true. I have only enthusiastic exclamations and superlatives. "Comfort-House" consists of several small houses, each of which can accommodate two rooms.
In our house there was a swimming pool (use is included in the price), barbecue, sauna (for an additional fee). Huge kitchen with everything you need, TV, sofa, air conditioning, airfield bed in the room. The territory is well-groomed, with an abundance of vegetation, all sorts of figurines, grottoes, fountains, arbors. Honestly, I don't even want to leave. My child was absolutely delighted and still remembers the "Comfortable House" with great tenderness.

A tiny fly in the ointment in this ocean of honey is a very friendly host. Very very. Three times a night he came to see if everything was all right. Edited our plans for the day, etc. etc. But these are just my troubles, I don’t really like stormy communication with unfamiliar people.
I recommend this hotel to everyone. Probably the best place we have ever stayed.

But let's get back to the journey. Having settled down, we went for a walk around the city. Stopped near victory park on Pobediteley Avenue. Excellent panorama, well-groomed park with fountains, bridges, picturesque alleys.

The landscape is crowned by a majestic building - the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. That's where we went. In general, it should be noted the great respect with which Belarusians treat the memory of the war. Numerous steles, monuments - all in excellent condition. During the war, every third Belarusian died (it’s even scary to think about this figure), and this tragedy will forever remain in the minds of the people.

The Minsk Museum of the Great Patriotic War consists of expositions dedicated to the course of the war, the partisan movement and various installations. Several halls given over to the demonstration military equipment. I was especially touched by the halls of the fascist occupation of Belarus. The heart bleeds, one has only to imagine what the people who took upon themselves all the oppression and atrocities of the war experienced.

After wandering around the museum, we went to have dinner. By the way, I will tell you about our food in Belarus.
Food in Belarus

Without further ado, we went to the Lido all the time. A lot has already been written and said about this institution, I will not repeat it. There are two Lidos in Minsk, we both visited them during our days in the city. Inexpensive, varied, delicious. Very atmospheric. It’s a pity, of course, that I didn’t have to visit other places - Anna Sadovskaya talks very tasty about in her reviews. But never mind, we'll catch up another time.
Just in case addresses of "Lido" in Belarus:

Independence Ave., 49, room 1

st. Kulman, 5A

Second day. Mir Castle - Nyasvizh Castle - National Library of Minsk

Peace

Waking up and having breakfast at the hotel, we went to. Distance from Minsk to locality Mir Korelichi district, Grodno region 98 km. Excellent road, very picturesque surroundings.

The castle itself looks monumental. When you enter the gate and see it in front of you, it takes your breath away, as if you were in a fairy tale ..

Inside, everything is no less fabulous. It seems that you are in the Middle Ages, in a second knights and beautiful ladies in crinolines will appear, and servants with boar heads on trays and onion stew will scurry around the kitchen. There is no feeling of a remake, as in many similar places.
Very interesting tour of the castle and its environs. In particular, the tragic legend about the lake, which was dug out by cutting down a beautiful forest. The spirits of the forest cursed the race of the person who gave the order. Fiction or not, but the daughter of the owner of the castle, Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky Sonechka, drowned in this lake, and then he himself.

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The Mir Castle is full of stairs and catacombs. The stairs are very steep and uncomfortable, I almost fell off the steps several times.

In the courtyard of the castle there is a very good souvenir shop and a small museum dedicated to the years of the fascist occupation of the Mir land. Also on the territory of the castle was located the Jewish ghetto. The ancient walls have become a dungeon for hundreds of people.
It is not only architecture that is beautiful in the World - a wonderful landscape, bridges, a picturesque chapel-tomb of the princes Svyatopolk-Mirsky.

An amazing place where I really want to go back.

Nesvizh

From Mir we went to - cultural capital Belarus. So it is written on one of the buildings in this city. Distance - 31 km.
Upon arrival, we left the car near the ancient church and went to the Castle.
Quite a long path runs along the shore of a beautiful pond. The castle itself is breathtaking. Literally, he is so beautiful.

But inside the castle did not make much impression. It seems both beautiful and rich - but it is a remake and does not smell of history at all. We walked, looked, listened, nothing particularly impressed. According to my feelings, Nesvizh is elegant, modern, very similar to the palaces of St. Petersburg. Mir Castle is more exotic, you won’t see this in Russia.

The surrounding area is also disappointing. With such a majestic castle, the landscape is dull and faded. Souvenirs and food stalls are all around, there is a real lack of a well-groomed park with alleys where one could take a walk, admiring the views.
From Nesvizh we went to have lunch at Lido, and then we visited the pride of Minskers -National Library. very interesting and unusual building blue glass.

We were there in the evening, it was already dark and the lights were on. The view is fantastic, of course.

On a high-speed elevator, we climbed to the observation deck - we saw Minsk at night from a height. Once again we were convinced what a beautiful city it is.

Without arms / without legs, we went to the hotel - to have dinner, swim in the pool, take a steam bath in the sauna and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Day 3. Khatyn - "Lake" - Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus - Komarovsky Market, Minsk.

Early in the morning of the third day we went to. We got to it like this - on the 54th kilometer of the Vitebsk highway there is a sign "Khatyn". We turn left - and after a few kilometers you can see the memorial complex.

I will not talk much about the tragedy of Khatyn - everyone knows about it. One of the most tragic pages of our common history. On March 22, 1943, the inhabitants of a small Belarusian village the Nazis herded him into a wooden shed and set it on fire. Old people, women, babies. They had no weapons, they did not harm anyone. And this case is not isolated. During the years of occupation, more than a hundred such tragedies occurred on Belarusian soil.

I heard a lot about Khatyn, read a lot, but when I myself found myself in this place ... Morning, fog, bells ring on the skeletons of burnt houses, a huge statue of the “Unconquered” - a burnt old man with a dead son in his arms. Dark, disturbing atmosphere. Everyone should be here, in my opinion. But I wouldn't hesitate to come back here.

From Khatyn we went to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus "Lake".

And I fell in love with this place forever. "Lake" refers to museums under open sky or skansen museums. That is, one where historical and cultural monuments are displayed in a natural environment.

First of all, it is famous for interesting sculptures in front of the entrance. Well, and of course, the range. Everything that Belarus is rich in is presented on the market. And sausages, and cheeses, and dairy products, and products of confectionery factories. For every taste. We stocked up on condensed cream - the taste is amazing and the price for our money is about 50 rubles per can, Belarusian lard and sweets. I wanted to buy everything at once. But since we, like Winnie the Pooh, love condensed milk most of all, we basically bought it. Yes, more. :) They also bought several cans of stew. By the way, it is very rare to find the word GOST on Belarusian stew. And the fact is that in Belarus this word is not an empty phrase. For the slightest discrepancy can be very severely punished.

I also want to note dairy products - everything is very tasty. For example, if you take a milkshake (my daughter loves them very much), it will be a real cocktail, and not a burda with a lot of E, which is sold in our stores. Sausages are like sausages. I did not notice any special difference with the Russian ones.

The products of Belarusian cosmetic companies - Biovita and Vitex - are sold everywhere. Shampoos and creams are good. But again, no better than "Clean Line" and "Grandmother Agafya", in my opinion.

After spending the night at the hotel again, in the morning we went home. The trip to Belarus by car was coming to an end... It was a pity to leave, we liked this hospitable country so much. So many interesting things remained unknown - Brest, Grodno, Lida and many, many more. There is a reason to return!