They say that a person who wants to visit the geographical center of Europe just needs to buy a ticket to Minsk - the capital of Belarus . Like many centuries ago, Belarus and its beautiful capital remain almost the most successful crossroads of roads that since ancient times connected the Black Sea with the Baltic, and the western lands with the eastern
“Belaya Rus” is a tender and poetic name that suits this country perfectly. White means bright, pure, innocent. Belarus is not characterized by the bright colors of the Mediterranean. Nor does it possess the striking exoticism of Africa or the subtle slyness of the East. But by visiting it, you will have the opportunity to discover a country of rich culture, ancient traditions and flora and fauna preserved in their original form.
The country's tourism potential is based mainly on the diversity and beauty of nature, the uniqueness of the historical and cultural heritage and includes more than 15 thousand objects of historical, cultural, architectural significance , as well as memorial sites associated with the names of outstanding figures of world history and culture.
Minsk is known for its cultural component. There are 16 museums, including the National Art Museum, the Museum of History and Culture of Belarus, and the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War . 11 theaters, including the State Russian Drama and Belarusian Academic Theaters, the National Opera and Ballet Theater.
In such historical cities as Polotsk, Novogrudok, Turov, Grodno, Nesvizh and others, temples and monasteries, palaces and castles, valuable architectural, historical and cultural monuments have been preserved. Four objects located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the architectural and cultural complex of the Radziwills in Nesvizh (Minsk region), the Mir Castle complex in the town of Mir (Grodno region) and points of the Struve Geodetic Arc , located on the territory of the Grodno and Brest regions.
Excursions related to the familiarization of the memorial complexes “Khatyn”, “Mound of Glory”, historical and cultural complexes “Stalin Line”, “Brest Hero Fortress ” are still popular .
Belarus has a variety of resources for the development of recreational and health tourism. The popularity of holidays in Belarusian health resorts, located in the most picturesque corners of the country - pine forests, on the banks of rivers and lakes, where nature itself has healing properties, is growing. Service in sanatoriums, hotels, recreation centers, etc., as a rule, is of a fairly high level. At the same time, the quality of service does not depend on how much your tour or accommodation costs.
A relatively new type of recreation for Belarus is agroecotourism . Tourists are hospitably greeted by the owners of more than 700 estates. The variety of services offered, combined with the sincere hospitality of the hosts, attracts an increasing number of tourists.
They say that Santa Claus lives either in Lapland or in Russia, in Veliky Ustyug. Today one can argue with this - the residence of Father Frost is located on the territory of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park . The patrimony of the Lapland Santa Claus and the domain of the Russian Father Frost in Veliky Ustyug cannot be compared with the fabulous estate located on fifteen hectares among practically untouched primeval Belarusian forests.
Official name: Republic of Belarus.
Capital : Minsk.
State language : Belarusian and Russian. The most common languages of business communication are Russian, English, and German.
Geography: The Republic of Belarus is located in the eastern part of Europe. It borders Lithuania and Latvia in the north, Ukraine in the south, the Russian Federation in the east and Poland in the west. The country has a strategic position for communications from west and east, north and south. The distance from Minsk to Warsaw is 500 km, to Moscow - 700 km, to Berlin - 1,060 km, to Vienna - 1,300 km.
The territory occupies 207.6 thousand square meters. km. The length from north to south is 560 km (350 miles), from east to west - 650 km (460 miles). Belarus is larger than Austria, Ireland, Portugal and Greece
The territory is mostly flat with rare hills located mainly in the central part
Nature: More than a third of the country's territory is covered with forests. Belarus is also called the land of lakes. Most of them are scattered in the north of the country - in the Belarusian Lake District. In the south of the country, along the Pripyat River, there is a swampy area - the famous Belarusian Polesie.
A real pearl of nature in Belarus is Lake Naroch . It is connected by short channels to the lakes Myastra, Batorino, Beloye and others, which turns this blessed corner of the Belarusian land into a unique place for recreation and tourism.
The pride of Belarus is its nature reserves and sanctuaries: the national parks “Belovezhskaya Pushcha”, “Braslav Lakes” , “Narochansky”, “Pripyatsky” and the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve.
Diverse vegetation occupies 93.1% of the entire territory of the country. Forests make up 1/3 of the country's green cover.
The north of Belarus is a land of lakes. In the south of the country, along the Pripyat River, there is a swampy area - the famous Belarusian Polesie.
Population: Belarusians have always been proud that in their country there is no place for persecution on religious or national grounds. In Belarus, friendly and good-natured people, tolerance and a subtle sense of humor still distinguish the Belarusian people today. When traveling around Belarus, feel free to ask anyone you meet for help and be sure that in return you will receive a smile and a sincere desire to help.
Currency : Belarusian ruble, is not freely convertible, so it cannot be purchased before arriving in the country. Exchanging currency for Belarusian rubles will not be a problem both in banks and in a fairly large number of exchange offices located in hotels, airports, railway stations, bus stations, on central streets, in shops and shopping centers. The difference in rates depending on the place of exchange is almost imperceptible; no commission is charged for the exchange. Reverse money exchange does not cause any problems. In Belarus, especially in Minsk, there are many ATMs for withdrawing money. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, with the exception of rural areas.
Climate: temperate, mild and wet winters, warm and humid summers. The average temperature in January is -6 "C, and in July +18" C. 550-700 mm of precipitation falls annually. For summer types of recreation, the favorable time period with an average daily temperature above 15°C increases in the direction from northeast to southwest - from 70–89 days in Poozerie to 90–95 days in Central Belarus and 96–114 days in Polesie. The average daily water temperature in summer in all reservoirs exceeds 17°C, and in July it is 19–22°C. For winter holidays, the favorable period with temperatures from -5 to -15°C ranges from 30 days in the southwest to 60 days in the northeast, and in cold winters it can increase to 130 days
Local time: Belarus is in the Central European time zone: GMT+2 hours. When it is noon in Belarus, 11:00 in Paris, 10:00 in London, 5:00 in New York, 2:00 in Los Angeles, 13:00 in Moscow.
Cuisine: The network of restaurants, cafes in the capital, as well as in cities and towns and large cities, is quite developed - from the simplest small cozy establishments, to stylish and glamorous, designed in the style of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as European restaurants: from a Czech pub to an elite French restaurant with its own wine cellar and personal sommelier. Most restaurants in Minsk will offer menus in English. The good restaurants are popular, so advance reservations are recommended. Your hotel will kindly do this for you.
Modern cuisine of Belarus is diverse and similar to the cuisine of Russia , Lithuania , Ukraine and Poland . The Jewish community also contributed much to modern Belarusian cuisine. Traditional Belarusian dishes are made from potatoes , which deserve special mention and have formed the basis of many Belarusian dishes for hundreds of years. Potato dishes are often served with vegetables, mushrooms or meat.
Service at a fairly high level The size of the tip varies according to your wishes and is not limited in size. As a rule, it is 5-10% of the bill. Moreover, if you are not ready or forgot to tip, you will not see a negative reaction. You will still be welcome - this is the peculiarity of Belarusians. The nightclub industry is developing in Belarus. The nightlife in Minsk is especially rich. Many Minsk clubs have billiards and casinos. Nightclubs in Belarus are popular among people of all ages, not just young people.
Customs: It is prohibited to transport firearms and ammunition, military equipment, narcotic, psychotropic, poisonous, radioactive and explosive substances across the country’s border without appropriate permission; printed and audiovisual materials that may harm the interests of the Republic of Belarus, its state security, health and morals of citizens. The import of animals and plants into Belarus is permitted only with the appropriate veterinary and medical certificates. Travelers are allowed to carry up to 50 kg of personal luggage worth up to 1,500 euros. Baggage exceeding these parameters is subject to a duty of 30%, but not less than 4 euros for each extra kilogram. Import without paying customs duties of the following goods is limited: alcohol (including beer containing 7% alcohol or more) - 3 liters (for each extra liter - a duty of 10 euros, maximum - 5 liters), cigarettes - 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco or the specified assortment of goods with a total weight of no more than 250 grams. Cash foreign currency is imported into Belarus without any restrictions on the amount; amounts exceeding $10,000 in equivalent when imported into Belarus are subject to written declaration. The export of cash currency from Belarus without presentation of permits and mandatory declaration is allowed in an amount not exceeding the equivalent of 10 thousand US dollars.
Shops, shopping: In Belarus, quality control of manufactured products is very high, and natural products at a reasonable price are available not only in elite stores - very high quality meat products, confectionery, alcoholic drinks, both strong and low alcohol. We advise you to pay attention to Belarusian knitwear and linen products. Souvenir products are presented in a variety of ways and have a unique Belarusian flavor. Prices are more than affordable. A separate line includes cosmetology products, from soap to various creams and paints - they are based on natural ingredients without the addition of chemicals. In general, we can say that you will not regret the time spent, and will gain a lot of positive emotions, products and things that will delight you with taste, quality, and price.
Communication: Mobile communications on the territory of Belarus are stable, but there are areas of poor coverage, for example, large nature reserves (Belovezhskaya Pushcha, etc.). It is profitable to make calls throughout the country, as well as to Russia, through payphones using communication cards, which are available for purchase everywhere. We recommend purchasing SIM cards from Belarusian mobile operators MTS and Velcom for calls within the country.
Safety: while in Belarus, you can feel at home and not feel like you are abroad. People in Belarus are very hospitable, welcoming and patient. You can feel this when you are served, no matter where: in a sanatorium, hotel, recreation center, restaurant, bank, store. Crimes against foreigners are rare, and these are mainly cases of robbery. Normal precautions will ensure your safety.