Must See

Braslav Lake District

Situated near the borders of Lithuania and Latvia in the north and northeast of the country, the Braslav Lake District is ideal for boating holidays. Accommodation in the area is usually in small dachas along the lakeshore. The lakes are set in an atmospheric forest, with a number of them connected by canals.

Belavezhski National Park

Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belavezhski National Park) is an ancient woodland straddling the border between Belarus and Poland, located 70 km north of Brest. It is the only remaining part of the immense forest which once spread across the European Plain.

The wood is one of the last sites where rare animals such as bison, wolves and bears can still be seen living in their natural habitat. The park contains 60 types of animal and 900 types of plants. There are a number of scenic hiking trails passing through or past primeval forests, marshland and rivers. It was given a UNESCO listing as a protected biosphere as a result of its rich fauna and flora.

Brest

Brest (formerly known as Brest-Litovsk or Brest-on-the-Bug) is situated close to the Polish border where the Western Bug and Mukhavets Rivers meet. Its location on the main Berlin-Moscow railway line and intercontinental highway meant that it became a principal border crossing in Soviet times, and today it links the European Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

One of the major attractions of the city is the 19th century fortress, which was heroically defended by Soviet soldiers against the German Wehrmacht in the summer of 1941. Inside the fortress is a museum that chronicles the city's history back to the 13th century. Nearby is the impressive war memorial constructed on the site of the 1941 battle, to commemorate the known and unknown defenders of the Hero-Fortress (as it became known). Other highlights include the puppet theatre, the Jewish synagogue, and the 20 hectare city park.

About 40 km north of Brest is the town of Kamianiec (also spelled Kamenets), whose main landmark is the elegant 13th century White Tower (Belaya Vezha), also known as the famous Kamenets Tower.

Dudutki

Forty kilometres from the capital lies the Dudutki Museum of Material Culture, which displays traditional crafts and way of life of the Belarusian people.

Minsk

Although the capital of Belarus, Minsk, has been around since 1067, little remains from that time, and only a few 17th-century buildings may now be seen. Situated 340 km (213 miles) northeast of Warsaw and 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Vilnius, the city is symmetrically designed, flanking the Svisloch River. Visitors should not leave the city without visiting the Troitskoye Predmestye suburb, where colourful 19th-century houses line the street, giving an impression of the old Minsk before the war. Also worth seeing are the Maryinsky Cathedral, which has been rebuilt to its original shape; the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (1642) and the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul (1613).

A diverse cultural scene can be found in the city, whether seen in Belarusian Ballet or one of the many museums such as the Museum of Old Belarusian Culture, the National Arts Museum, the National Gallery, the National Museum of Belarusian History and Culture or the Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War.

Away from the capital, travellers will discover wide plains, picturesque villages, ancient castles and monasteries, dense forests, and thousands of lakes. Logoysk, Krasnoe, and Molodechno, all within 50 kilometres of Minsk, have the best examples of those onion-shaped domes of Russian Orthodox churches which dominate the nation's skyline.

Sports enthusiasts can enjoy mountain skiing at two modern resorts (Logoysk and Silichy) situated 30km (19 miles) from Minsk, whilst cross-country skiing may be found in the Raubichy Olympic Sports Complex, 22 km (14 miles) from the capital.

Mir

The small town of Mir, located 85 km southwest of Minsk is home to the 15th-century Mir Castle and is also the site of a Jewish Cemetery. Mir was the original home of the Mir yeshiva (a leading institution for Torah study), which operated there intermittently from 1815 until the fall of Poland in 1939.

Niasviz

Historic Niasviz (or Nesvizh) has a number of beautiful old buildings, including Niasviz Castle, the former residence of the Radzivill family. The palace is surrounded by a large park with elaborate gardens and numerous lakes. A short walk away is the imposing 16th century Corpus Christi Church, which is connected with the castle by a dam over a ditch. The church, designed by the Italian architect Bernardoni, contains the coffins of 72 members of the Radzivill family.

Novogrudok

In the 13th century, Belarus was the nucleus of the great principality of Lithuania, with Novogrudok as its capital. The major attraction of the town today is the 14th century ruined stone castle (Mindaugas' Castle), which was burnt down in 1710. Visitors may also see the house where the great Belarusian poet, Adam Mickiewicz, was born; along with his statue and the "Mound of Immortality", created in his honour by the Polish administration in 1924-31. Other architectural attractions include the 16th century Orthodox Cathedral of Sts. Boris and Gleb, the Transfiguration Church (1712-23), where Mickiewicz was baptised, and the Church of St. Michael, renovated in 1751 and 1831.

Pinsk

Located 300 km (186 miles) south of Minsk, the city of Pinsk is the second-largest in the Brest region. The city and its environs are the centre of the Belarusian Polesye, a low-lying land of waters and mists and renowned for its natural beauty. Pinsk has an abundance of historical, architectural and cultural monuments, such as the Jesuit collegium (1635-48); the Assumption Cathedral of the monastery of the greyfriars (1712-30) with a campanile from 1817; and a large Mannerist complex, whose cathedral was demolished after the World War II. The foremost of the city's modern buildings is the black-domed Orthodox cathedral of St. Theodore.

Polotsk

This historic city situated on the banks of the Dvina river is the oldest of the Belarusian cities (founded in 862) and was the centre of Christianity during the time of Rus (the first Russian state). An excellent example of architecture of the period is the Church of St Sophia; although the present baroque building dates from the mid-18th century, some of the original 11th century architecture remains.

Raubichi

The picture-postcard village of Raubichi lies about 22 km (14 miles) from the capital and is home to an ethnographic museum. Minsk Lake is situated a short distance away, with dense pines surrounding its countless islets.

Vitebsk

Near the border with Russia and Latvia, 270 km (169 miles) from Minsk, is the city of Vitebsk, famous as the birthplace of the painter Marc Chagall. His family house has been turned into a museum and there is also a cultural centre named after him.

The city is also home to the magnificent six-pillared Annunciation Church, which was constructed in the 1140s, rebuilt in the 14th and 17th centuries and repaired in 1883, before being destroyed by the Communist administration in 1961. In 1992, the church was restored to its presumed original appearance.

Zhirovitsa

The village of Zhirovitsa, which is located 190 km (119 miles) from Minsk, is renowned for the beautiful 15th-century Monastery of the Assumption. Part of the monastery complex is a 17th to 18th century theological seminary and a convent.