Beautiful places of Belarus are numerous and diverse. This article presents both natural and man-made objects. The list of the best places to stay in Belarus will help you choose the ones you like for your vacation or weekend.
Nesvizh
Located 100 km southwest of the Belarusian capital, this city is famous for its national museum dedicated to history and culture. The palace and castle ensemble, located on the territory of Nesvizh, has become the most visited attraction in Belarus. Nesvizh Castle (pictured below) was built in 1583. The fortress, located in the middle of a lake on the island, was connected to the land through a single bridge. This building was intended to protect the lord's lands from any invasion.
For centuries, the castle belonged to the Radziwill family - Polish princes. In 1939, the Red Army occupied him, and he began to be protected by the state. When the fascist troops entered the city, the castle was almost not damaged. Restoration work was completed in 2012, after which the exhibition halls opened their doors to tourists. Nesvizh Castle - an object included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as the Church of the Body of God, located next to it.
Bialowieza Forest
Describing the most beautiful and interesting places in Belarus, one cannot but mention Belovezhskaya Pushcha. She inspires many poets, musicians and artists. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the most famous natural monuments located in Belarus. Here you will see a large array of relict forest, which grew in the territory of modern Europe in ancient times. The impassable forest has been cut down for centuries. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is currently the only remnant of the prehistoric forest. Several hundred very old giant trees grow here. The most famous among them is King Oak 43 meters high.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a national park inscribed on the World Heritage List. Here are very beautiful places in Belarus that are worth a visit. The Bialowieza Forest is famous not only for its rich flora: many animal species live here, including the largest bison population on the planet.
In this place, mainly ecotourism is developed. There are bicycle and hiking trails, and car excursions are available. For younger visitors, the estate of Santa Claus is open. On the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha there are hotels, as well as guest houses. They will satisfy guests with a variety of income levels.
Grodno
Many believe that the most beautiful places in Belarus are in Grodno. It is the oldest city in the country. The first mention of it dates back to 1005. Here, to this day, medieval temples and palaces have been preserved, which have earned Grodno the glory of the most beautiful city in Belarus. Having visited the historical center, you will get acquainted with the architectural monuments of Kievan Rus and the Commonwealth. For example, Kalozh (Borisoglebskaya) church, which is considered the most famous local attraction. This is a monument of Old Russian architecture dating back to the 12th century. The church has not been fully preserved, however, it operates in our time.
The Farn Church, dating back to the 17th century, is a former Jesuit monastery that was the richest in the entire Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This church is known for its rich interior decoration, as well as fresco painting.
The complex of the New and Old Castle are very important monuments of medieval architecture. At one time they were the residence of Polish kings. Unfortunately, they were not completely preserved in their original form.
In Grodno there are about 15 buildings belonging to the XVI-XIX. This city is one of the most popular tourist sites in the country of interest to us.
Beautiful places in Pinsk district (Belarus)
Pinsk today is a large developed city, a river and a road junction. It was named after the Pina River on which it is located. It flows into Pripyat near a park located directly in the historical center of this city. Pinsk is second only to Grodno in the number of architectural monuments that have survived to this day. In addition, in the Pinsk region there is an iron-stone meteorite, whose weight is about 200 g. This meteorite landed near the village of Zhmeni in August 1858.
Braslav lakes
The list called "the most beautiful places in Belarus", of course, should include the Braslav lakes. These bodies of water, located in the vicinity of Braslav, are one of the largest lake groups in the country. In total there are more than 50 lakes. They differ from each other in depth, size, color of water. The total area of these lakes is about 130 square meters. km, and the pool area exceeds 800 square meters. km They are interconnected by rivers, streams, canals, the total length of which is about 300 km. The most popular among tourists are the following lakes:
- Valuable.
- Drivyaty.
- Subsoil.
- Nonsense.
- Voyso.
- The workshop.
- Strusto.
- Boloyso.
- Snoods.
Naroch and Blue Lakes
In the first half of the 20th century, the largest lake in Belarus began to be used as a place for tourism. Industrialists from Poland then built several villas on the western bank of Naroch. They also built a marina for sailing boats and a yacht club. Currently, Naroch is one of the most famous lake resorts in Belarus. The nearby blue lakes are equally popular. In summer, many tourists flock here. Of course, it is worth visiting both the Blue Lakes and Naroch. Many travelers combine relaxation in these two places.
Berezina River
For the Napoleonic army retreating in November 1812, this place became fatal. It is believed that it was on the Berezina River that a turning point occurred in the war of Napoleon against Russia. The battle here has gone down in history. Today, battle sites are included in excursion programs. Water tourists can complement their stay with an excellent pedestrian walk.
It should be noted that Berezina is one of the largest rivers in Belarus. Its length is more than 600 km, and its width varies from 100 to 300 m. Only Berezina from all major rivers of Belarus flows exclusively through the territory of this country. Its shores are very high and wooded. Their height sometimes reaches 15 m. Berezina opens at the end of March, and freezes in the first half of December. From 4 to 7 days is the duration of the spring ice drift. If you visit the river at this time, you can watch the rafting of thousands of ice floes. The Berezina floodplain from the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve to Borisov is often a wetland that is great for wildlife and breeding of rare birds.
Sorochansky lakes
Still looking for beautiful places to relax in Belarus? Perhaps you should pay attention to the Pearl necklace of Isle of Man. So called 14 beautiful lakes and ponds, located one after another. Together, the Sorochansky lakes form a water string, the length of which is 18 km. Lovers of pristine nature will surely appreciate the shores of these lakes, open hills with magnificent panoramas, steep canyons and dense forests.
In May 2006, the beautiful places of Belarus located here received the status of a nature reserve called “Sorochanskie Lakes”. Its area is estimated at 13,480 ha. On its territory 12 thousand years ago, the Valdai-Moscow Glacier passed. Potholes filled with water, after some time turned into picturesque lakes.
Viliya River and Vileika Reservoir
On the river Viliya, perhaps the most winding in Belarus, is the largest artificial reservoir of this country. Wonderful views open from the Vileika reservoir. The river is perfect for kayaking - in its water repertoire new routes arise annually.
Back in the early 70s of the last century, the Vileika reservoir was built. The goal that the builders pursued was to increase the flow of water to Minsk, as the capital of Belarus was rebuilt in the post-war years. Over time, it turned into a large cultural and industrial center, and the waters of Svisloch became insufficient for the population of this city, the number of which exceeded one million. Currently, the reservoir is a famous tourist attraction. Its high shores covered with pine trees are appreciated by many guests who come to these places with tents every year.
Pripyat River
Do not be afraid of the name of this river. Many locals believe that here are the most beautiful places in Belarus. An overview of all these regions can be very voluminous. Gorgeous, capricious, unpredictable, fishy, restless - as soon as they call the Pripyat river! The nature of this reservoir is perhaps most accurately described by the name “Polesie Amazonia”. Tourists, rafting along Pripyat, get acquainted with the original culture of Belarus, listen to the birds singing, enjoy the forests and fish.
Of course, we did not list all the beautiful places in Belarus. There is something to see in this country. It is not necessary to go on an expensive tour of trendy European cities to enjoy a great vacation. The beautiful places of Belarus presented in this article are a great alternative to foreign vacations.