Minsk

Minsk is a city with a thousand-year-long history. First mentioned in Chronicles in 11 century as a border town of Polotskoye Principality, Minsk today has become the capital of the Republic of Belarus, its economic and cultural center. For centuries Belarus has been an arena for wars and battles, and especially suffered form both World Wars. The WWII left 82 percent of Minsk flattened to the ground, but it was rebuilt from scratch. Today most of the visitors find it is surprisingly clean and calm.

If you miss Soviet times or would like to get a picture of it – Minsk is the best destination for this. One of the major benefits of the capital is that it is not overcrowded with tourists. This doesn’t mean that the infrastructure is undeveloped – new hotels in Minsk like Crowne Plaza (5*) and Victoria (4*) have been built, older ones (like Planeta, Belarus) are being refurbished and renovated.

Take a walk to the Downtown where a number of churches and other historic buildings can be found. Among them – the Church of The Holy Spirit – the main Orthodox Cathedral, where all masses are held on major religious holidays. Across the road is St. Jesus and Maria Cathedral – the place of worship for Roman Catholics. The reconstructed Town Hall with the huge clock on top can be seen nearby. Walking further along Minsk streets don’t forget to pay a visit to Troitskoye Suburb (Troitskoye Predmestye) – an area where 19^th century cobbled streets of Minsk were rebuilt.

Among the must-sees that are located in Minsk one should also mention the National Library, GUM department stores (that can be treated more like sights rather than shopping spots), Independence Avenue, Great Patriotic War Museum as well as National Art Gallery, and Botanical Garden. Outside Minsk are Khatyn Village and The Mound of Glory, Dudutki and Ozertso open-air village museums.

Numerous cafes and restaurants are scattered across the city and the prices are not biting at all. A dinner at Rakovsky Brovar or Drozhzhy United could be a fine conclusion to the day’s sightseeing activities – what can be compared with tasting beer made on the premises and some friendly chat after a hard day. Or you can make it to one of the centrally located nightclubs, depending on your interests: NLO, Africa or BRONX.

Minsk is conveniently located in the center of the country and you can proceed to any destination from here. It is only 215 km from Minsk to Vilnius, 470 km to Riga, 550 km to Warsaw, 580 km to Kiev, and 800 km to Moscow.

City center map	Metro map
City up to ringroad map