Traveling to Belarus by car. Trip to Belarus by car: route, distance, what to see, travel tips. Plan a trip to Belarus by car
Greetings to all lovers of roads, distant travels and new experiences! Vyacheslav is with you.
On the eve of the new summer season, I would like to tell you about our trip by car around Belarus, which we made with our friendly family in June last year. The main purpose of the trip was to get to know the Republic of Belarus, but on the way there and back we also passed through many cities in central Russia, so the trip can be called “Rus-Belarus”! I hope that this description will be useful and informative for everyone who wants to travel along the roads of the neighboring fraternal state, as well as learn a lot of new and interesting things from the history of the Russian State.
As usual, my first article will contain brief statistical information about our trip, as well as a few words about the reasons for choosing this particular route and preparing for the trip. So…
Route: Perm – Game – Yoshkar-Ola – Cheboksary – Bolshoye Boldino – Arzamas – Murom – Kasimov – Ryazan – Monastyrshchino (Kulikovo Field) – Tula – Kaluga – Bryansk – Gomel – Rechitsa – Bragin – Mozyr – Turov – Pinsk – Brest – Belovezhskaya Pushcha – Kobrin – Ruzhany – Krasnoselskoe – Grodno – Murovanka – Lida – Minsk – Khatyn – “Stalin Line” – Nesvizh – Baranovichi – Mir – Minsk – Krevo – Golshany – Oshmyany – Gervyaty – Glubokoe – Polotsk – Nevel – Velikiye Luki – Rzhev – Tver – Kalyazin – Borisoglebsky – Yaroslavl – Kostroma – Manturovo – Kirov – Perm.
We traveled through the territory of 16 territories and regions of the Russian Federation and 6 subjects of the Republic of Belarus.
Time: 05/28/2016 – 06/13/2016, 17 days in total.
Transport: car Nissan Qashqai+2 (1.6, 2WD, 2010), rental bicycles.
Mileage According to the car's odometer, 7717 km.
Crew– married couple 45/44 yrs. and two children 12/6 years old.
Financial expenses 93 thousand rubles, of which 27% for excursions and entertainment, 24% for housing, 24% for fuel, 8% for food, 17% for souvenirs, etc.
Why did you choose Belarus when planning your new travel route? As always, there were several reasons for this.
First. Belarus is the most accessible foreign country for Russians. It’s even somehow unusual to apply such a definition to her. The Belarusian people are the closest and most fraternal for Russian people in the entire post-Soviet space. No cultural or language barriers. However, Belarus is sovereign. Its own president and its own laws.
Second. 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. As we know, the war began on June 22, 1941, and the main blow of German troops fell precisely on the territory of Belarus. In the first days of the war, its territory was almost completely occupied and was under the yoke of the invaders for almost three years. During this time, the Nazis destroyed more than two million people, i.e. almost every fourth resident of Belarus. Khatyn, burned along with its inhabitants, became a symbol of the barbarity and inhumanity of fascism.
Third. Educational and historical. My daughter studied the history of medieval Rus', and where else could she consolidate this acquired knowledge on the way to Belarus and back? And it was interesting for the rest of the trip participants to see Murom, Ryazan, Tula, and Kulikovo Field in reality.
Kholm Gate of the Brest Fortress - the westernmost point of our journey How did packing for a trip to Belarus differ from last year’s trip to the Russian North? Firstly, we did not take so much warm clothing. On the contrary, we took more light, summer ones. Secondly, having learned from past experience, we abandoned the tent and other camping equipment. It was supposed to travel through populated areas and only on asphalt roads. Due to the reduction in luggage volume, the roof rack was also abandoned. Without it, fuel consumption is slightly lower.
According to the deadlines. The original plans were to go on a trip at the end of July - beginning of August, but then I realized that by this time I would simply burn out from waiting, and the trip would not be a joy. Besides, it’s good in the Urals at the height of summer. For these reasons, the start of the trip was postponed to the end of May. We started on Saturday, May 28, and planned to return 16 days later on Sunday, June 12, leaving one day off on June 13 in reserve. On the 14th I was supposed to go to work.
As usual, during the preparation process a fairly detailed plan was drawn up - where to see what, how to travel and where to spend the night. Rented apartments were chosen as a place of refuge, for booking which I found the convenient website Sutochno.ru. On the website you can book apartments not only in Russia, but also in other countries. For example, in Belarus I booked inexpensive one-room apartments in Brest and Minsk. One of the disadvantages of this service is that landlords are reluctant to respond to requests in less than two days. For one-night stays, it is better to call and make arrangements the day before your arrival. For these purposes, on the same website I wrote out the phone numbers of those landlords who have several apartments for sale. Some will be free.
And now I invite all readers to remember, day after day, all the brightest and most memorable events of our car trip around Belarus.
Travel “Rus-Belarus”
You can visit the medieval castles of Belarus on your own using a rented car. To do this, it is not at all necessary to pay for excursions and tours.
Usually I am against a quick sightseeing, but today I will change my principles and advise you not to spend the whole day on a couple of castles, as is recommended in guidebooks, but will suggest seeing 7 worthy places in 1.5 days: from the super-popular restored Mir Castle, to abandoned tomb in a village in the Brest region.
You will find a breakdown of your travel budget, a description of places, an already developed route and marks on the map.
Map of castles, palaces and tombs of Belarus
The map shows all the places we have visited or are planning to visit in the near future. As you can see, there are a lot of marks, so we highlighted them in color:
- green - the coolest places, in our opinion, that are definitely worth visiting,
- red - interesting places, but you can skip them if you don’t have enough time,
- yellow - where we have not been yet, but are planning to go.
This, of course, is purely our opinion. Write in the comments what you recommend watching. Let's go!
Map of castles in Belarus:
This post describes only our first day; the second post will tell about less tourist attractions in Belarus.
Excursion plan to the castles of Belarus for 1.5 days:
- Departure from Minsk at 9:00;
- Mir Castle;
- Roman Catholic Church of the Body of God;
- Nesvizh Castle;
- Overnight in Brest;
- Brest Fortress;
- Abandoned chapel-tomb of the Ozheshko family;
- Puslovsky Palace (Kossovo Castle);
- Abandoned Sapega palace complex;
- Return to Minsk at 21:00.
Mir Castle
Walking around and going into the courtyard is free.
Entrance to the castle itself: 10 BYN, for schoolchildren and students 5 BYN.
Location: Mir city.
Coordinates: 53.45115, 26.47291.
You can get there by bus on the Minsk-Novogrudok route. The journey takes 2 hours. By car from Minsk - 1 hour.
30 minutes for a quick inspection.
My opinion: worth a visit.
The architecture of the castle is a mix of late Gothic and Renaissance. Monumental and impregnable, the castle is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. Just look how beautiful it is!
Mir Castle was built at the beginning of the 16th century by tycoon Yuri Ilyinich.
You can stroll through the English-style park, see the defensive tiers, battle galleries, the chapel-tomb of the Svyatopolk-Mirsky family, and also look into the basement.
Opposite the attraction there is a cozy alley along which you can walk and stroll. But I was very cold and realized why there were so few people here in the fall. The wind is terrible!
There are 4 towers at the corners of the castle, the fifth tower is in the middle. The number of towers is equal to the number of men in the Ilyinich family: 4 side towers - 4 sons, 1 central tower - Yuri Ilyinich himself, after whose death the castle was owned by everyone. As a result, the landmark fell into disrepair for many decades, and only in the 21st century did the Belarusian authorities finally decide to restore it. As you will understand later, mainly from the second post of this topic, not all significant sights are restored in Belarus. Many are still abandoned. So Mir Castle is very lucky.
The courtyard, which is completely free to enter.
Mir Castle also has its own hotel:
To be honest, I didn’t expect anything special from this pop attraction, but Mir Castle pleasantly surprised me: clean, cozy, it has its own atmosphere. If you are in Belarus, be sure to visit!
Near the castle there are stalls with souvenirs and a couple of cafes where you can buy hot coffee. Very appropriate in this chilly weather. Mir Castle is only 38 km from another well-restored landmark: Nesvizh Castle. So we immediately went there!
We drove for 30 minutes through numerous villages. In the villages, by the way, there is also something to see: the houses are bright and neat. Although the roads are not ideal, we didn’t get stuck anywhere, even considering that we were driving in the rain.
Roman Catholic Church of Corpus Christi
On the way to Nesvizh Castle, we looked into the Roman Catholic Church of the Body of God, built in the 16th century and since then has never closed its doors to parishioners. Wars, persecution, more wars and devastation, but this baroque temple doesn’t care about anything: it has been working for four and a half centuries and that’s it.
Walking around and going inside is free.
Location: Nesvizh city.
Coordinates: 53.22051, 26.68392
15 minutes for a quick inspection.
My opinion: if you don’t have time, you can skip it.
Prince Nicholas Radziwill, nicknamed the Orphan, met in Europe the architect Bernardoni, whom he invited to Nesvizh to build a church in the European style. The young architect agreed, but arrived in Nesvizh only 15 years later. No, he wasn’t so late on purpose; being a Jesuit, he stopped along the way not in hotels, as is now customary, but in monasteries. And everywhere he stepped on the same rake: the Jesuits, having learned that he was an architect, would not let him go until he built a church for them. So it turned out that on the way from Rome to Nesvizh, Bernardoni built several attractions that still exist today. Having mastered his hand, the architect quickly erected the Roman Catholic Church of the Body of God and left for Krakow, where he died.
Nesvizh Castle
Enter the courtyard - 3 BYN.
Entrance to the castle itself: 14 BYN, for schoolchildren and students 7 BYN.
Opening hours: in summer from 10:00 to 19:00 (tickets sold until 18:00), from October 1 from 9:00 to 18:00 (tickets sold until 17:00).
Location: Nesvizh city.
Coordinates: 53.222631, 26.691949.
30 minutes for a quick inspection.
My opinion: worth a visit.
Nesvizh Castle in Belarus is located in the very popular tourist city of Nesvizh, so if you have a lot of time, in addition to the castle itself, you can visit the city hall, the former monastery complex, the Roman Catholic Church of Corpus Christi (mentioned above) and much more. See the cost of weekend tickets on the website niasvizh.by.
We walked around Nesvizh a little, it’s cozy here. There is no discrepancy in architecture and it is noticeable that the buildings are built in the same style, which gives the town a certain charm.
But let's return to the castle itself. It was built at the end of the 16th century and served as the residence of the richest family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - the Radziwills. At one time, Nesvizh Castle was the most powerful and perfect fortification in Belarus and withstood many attacks.
The official price list does not include prices for visiting the courtyard, but the cunning security guards charged us 3 BYN for two and allowed us to visit the courtyard. The transfer of money was reminiscent of a crime detective story with a secret transfer of drugs - “Pass it, pass it on,” the guards whispered, “Only so that no one sees!”))
A little more about the shenanigans: the castle's treasury once housed a priceless collection of 12 apostles made of pure gold, studded with precious stones. One group of robbers tried to steal the golden apostles, so the real statues were hidden in the dungeons, and wax copies decorated with fake stones were displayed in the castle itself. Over time, wax figures of the robbers who tried to steal them were placed next to the apostles. This is how the world's first collection of wax figures appeared!
Just a minute, mi-mi-mi: on the warm hatch of the castle courtyard there was such an affectionate handsome man warming himself. Well, why not stroke it?
After visiting Nesvizh Castle, we headed to Brest for the night. The road is long, 273 km. We traveled by car for 2.5 hours. What to do on the road? Learn the names of passing villages! Appendages, New Popina, New Mouse, Derevnaya village and my favorite - the village of Dreams.
Overnight in Brest + 4 more attractions
We stayed for the night in a cozy apartment in the center of Brest:
In general, there are a lot of places where you can stay in Brest:
The next day we visited the Brest Fortress, the abandoned chapel of the Ozheshko family, the Puslovsky Palace (Kossovo Castle) and the abandoned Sapega palace complex. But more on that in the next post
Cost of traveling by rented car
Gasoline prices: 1.15 BYN for 92 gasoline, 1.25 BYN for 95 gasoline.
Car rental (Chevrolet 2014):
- 72 BYN per 1 day for the basic tariff (no more than 350 km per day);
- 80 BYN for 1 day, if you take the option with unlimited mileage.
We chose the unlimited mileage option. From Minsk to Brest and back, stopping at 7 attractions, we covered 1000 km. In total, we paid 190 BYN for renting a car for 1.5 days + for gasoline.
Meals in cafes cost us 60 BYN for two. Plus, we also bought all sorts of goodies for the holiday table (we celebrated our 5th anniversary of marriage).
Entrance to the castle grounds is free (except 3 BYN for Nesvizh Castle).
Travel Features
- You can drive with a Russian license.
- Roads and highways are only partially illuminated after sunset.
- It’s better not to leave sights for the evening: it’s worse to see, and the photos turn out so-so.
- Some attractions are located right next to the highway - very easy to get to.
- The roads are good; cars are officially allowed to travel up to 120 km/h on the highways.
- In mid-October there are few people. They say that there is a crowd of people here in the summer. So choose the off-season and you will be happy!
- There are private guides on duty at the castles (but in fact just local residents who are looking for their clients, gently offering to tell the history of the attraction).
A trip to Belarus by car in 2019— review of a trip to Vitebsk from Moscow last year. If you decide to travel to Belarus by car, then our short report will be useful to you.
What documents are needed for Belarus by car?
The main thing you need to take is documents for the car, driver's license, green card and insurance. If your MTPL policy expires, its cost can be calculated online and.
The cost of obtaining a green card for traveling by car from Russia to Belarus is less than 1,000 rubles. The insurance covers a trip of 15 days, which is more than enough to visit several areas of the country. You can also issue .
Select city
Our car trip to Belarus in 2019 was planned precisely in Vitebsk city. It is closest to the border, only 130 km from Smolensk. As a rule, it is the ancient city of Vitebsk that is the first place from which everyone begins their acquaintance with Belarus. Known from the chronicles of 974, many people associate Vitebsk with the Slavic Bazaar and the name of Marc Chagall. But besides popular places, there are many equally chic and interesting attractions. From Moscow and St. Petersburg to the regional center is approximately 600 km, the road is of high quality and comfortable.
Traveling to Belarus by car: road
You can get from Moscow to Minsk by car along the M1 Belarus highway. But Vitebsk is located a little away from the highway. A car trip to Belarus in 2019 passes through the cities of Odintsovo, Smolensk, Vyazma, Mozhaisk and Safonovo.
There is no border between Russia and Belarus as such. The only thing travelers may encounter is the need to present their documents at Russian customs; they almost never stop at Belarusian customs. By the way, during the entire trip no one asked us to show a green card.
Vitebsk
If you decide to travel to Belarus by car, then in Vitebsk there are 8 fairly reputable hotels, as well as luxury hotels offering a huge selection of apartments. The cultural program can be tailored to suit every taste and budget. Of course, in the historical city there are all kinds of museums, architectural monuments and theaters, and those who prefer to relax passively will find many restaurants and casinos. As for the latter, there is only one casino here - “Treasure Island”, but there are more than 60 cafes and restaurants (there really is a lot to choose from).
Now about culture! Everyone knows that in Vitebsk Marc Chagall was born, world famous artist. Two cultural objects are associated with him here: the Art Center with paintings by the artist (Putna Street); Chagall House-Museum (Pokrovskaya St.). Both in the gallery and in the museum you can not only thoroughly enjoy the master’s works, but also immerse yourself completely in the atmosphere of the 19th century.
No less colorful estate-museum of I.E. Repina. There is a very special atmosphere here, because it is not for nothing that Ilya Efimovich once wrote about 40 of his works here. From the city to the estate it’s about 15 km; buses run, of course, but taking your own car is both more reliable and faster.
To feel the atmosphere of both Vitebsk and Belarus as a whole, there is no better way to visit the regional local history museum in the Town Hall. Here you can better learn the history of the region, listen to many romantic legends and simply admire the unique exhibits and displays.
Also deserves special attention Museum of the History of Private Collecting. Here, antique watches and weapons, porcelain and other unique items collected by famous collectors and historians of Vitebsk are available for inspection. It’s difficult not to visit the museum, since it is located near the amphitheater where the Slavic Marketplace.
Not far from the amphitheater, literally a stone's throw away, is the reconstructed tower of the ancient lower castle. Here, in the Dukhovsky Kruglik exhibition hall, visitors are invited to familiarize themselves with the full history of the Slavic Bazaar festival, and at the same time look at photographs of old Vitebsk with its wonderful architecture.
Vitebsk Art Museum invites you to view paintings by Peter Yanovich, Yehuda Pan, Felix Gumen and other masters of painting. Those who want not only to see, but also to take home objects of artistic value should visit the exhibition halls of Vitebsk or take part in creative master classes held at the Zadvinye center of folk crafts. You can buy expensive and valuable items that can successfully become Sotheby’s auction lots in the “Wall” salon-gallery (Lenin St.), in the Art Space on st. Tolstoy and in the center of modern art (Victory Square).
Adults and children will love it Pobediteley Park on Kalinina Street. More than 20 pieces of equipment are collected here, against which you can not only take interesting photos, but also examine it, and even climb around it from all sides. In addition, there are many synagogues, churches, temples, which would not be enough to explore even in a week.
Connoisseurs of high things should visit Theater named after Yakub Kolas, and the Lyalka Theater.
This is also a real paradise for shopping lovers. You should definitely visit shops that sell real Belarusian knitwear and linen, buy “Belitovskaya” cosmetics, try real “Berezovsky” cheeses and sausages from “Myaskovit”. Well, where would we be without the Spartak chocolate factory?
If you decide to travel to Belarus by car in 2019, then traveling by car is a pleasure: the roads are of high quality, there are more than enough parking spaces and stops. As for money, you can pay by card in stores, and in any shopping center you will find exchange offices. There is the familiar Sberbank here, but money is withdrawn from its ATMs with a commission.
Cafes and prices
In general, everything in Vitebsk is cheaper than in Moscow. Let me give you an example of prices in a cafe.
Almost everywhere during the day there are business lunches, you can eat tasty and cheap food.
Orsha kvass is sold on the street; 1.5 liters costs 100 rubles.
Very tasty and inexpensive Belarusian sausage. Here it costs several times more. We took home 5 sticks of sausage, we should have bought more.
In terms of kilometres, our car trip to Belarus in 2019 covered more than 1050 km. First of all, it is worth noting that in Russia gasoline is much cheaper, but it is better not to transport it in cans across the border - this is illegal and you can run into quite big troubles.
It’s also not worth breaking traffic rules, since there are a lot of cameras on the highway from Smolensk (we were photographed). For violating the speed limit, for example, you can pay a huge fine and even lose your license before paying it.
Expenses
Now about how much did a trip to Belarus by car cost in 2019 from Moscow?:
- Registration of a green card – 800 rubles;
- Gasoline in two directions - 5000 rubles;
- Hotel room – 1500 rubles;
- Meals (grocery purchases) – 3000 rubles;
- Small expenses (souvenirs, coffee in a cafe) – 500 rubles.
On World Tourism Day, we have prepared five routes around Belarus: budget, one-day, accessible for traveling with children and ideal for autumn. The routes were compiled by the winners of the republican competition “Discover Belarus” over the years. These people traveled almost all of Belarus, submitted photographs against the backdrop of historical objects to the competition, and learned from their own experience what we should be proud of.
Minsk - Kossovo - Ruzhany - Synkovichi - Slonim - Zhirovichi - Minsk
Deputy Director for Economics and Finance of the Publishing House "Our Idea" Dmitry Kostyukevich with his wife and two children became laureates of the “Know Belarus” competition in 2009, and in 2008 they took second place in the same competition. Over the course of two years, they visited more than 200 historical sites in the country. To travel by car, Dmitry suggests taking the route Minsk - Kossovo - Ruzhany - Synkovichi - Slonim - Zhirovichi - Minsk.
The round trip is about 527 kilometers and takes more than six hours. In the fall, it is best to go on such a trip at six in the morning in order to have time to see all the objects during daylight hours. In about three hours along the Moscow-Brest highway from Minsk you can get to the city of Ivatsevichi and there turn towards the city of Kossovo, and then the town of Merechevshchina. There are two sites worth visiting here: the Pusłowski Palace and the Tadeusz Kościuszko Estate Museum.
The palace was built by voivode Kazimir Puslovsky. Its construction began in 1838. The building was created in the neo-Gothic style and consists of 12 towers that symbolize the months of the year. They say that the building had a glass floor, and under it an aquarium with fish, guarded by a live lion.
After the Kastus Kalinowski uprising was suppressed in 1863, the palace was confiscated and given to Moscow aristocrats. After the First World War it was severely destroyed, then reconstructed and used as administrative premises. During World War II, the Nazis created a ghetto in the palace; at the end of the war, part of the building was destroyed by fire.
Not far from the palace is the estate of the leader of the national liberation movement, Tadeusz Kościuszko, which was restored in 2004.
The next destination of the trip is Ruzhany. At the beginning of the 17th century, the city of Ruzhany belonged to Lev Sapega and had Magdeburg Law. Not far from the city is the Ruzhany Palace, where the Sapieha family lived. Today there is restoration going on there. It is interesting that work on the restoration of the palace began under the Soviets. But then they began to lay out the outbuilding from ordinary brick, which is unacceptable for restoration. Then these structures were dismantled, the necessary bricks were made and the outbuilding was rebuilt.
After visiting this attraction, we head to the Zelvensky district to the Synkovichi Church. This is the defensive church of St. Michael the Archangel, built in the Belarusian Gothic style.
Another religious site on the route is the Holy Dormition Monastery in Zhirovichi. After visiting it, you can stop in Slonim near the Church of St. Andrew the Apostle, built in the Rococo style. During the Second World War, the church was destroyed; in the early 90s of the 20th century, it began to be restored.
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Holy Dormition Monastery in Zhirovichi. Photo: Andrey Dybovsky, 2010, globus.tut.by. |
According to Dmitry, this route is ideal for a one-day trip. Firstly, all objects are reached by a well-paved road. Secondly, in one day you can see a large number of architectural monuments.
Read also:
Minsk - Begoml - Dokshitsy - Glubokoe - Udelo - Mosar - Sharkovshchina - Germanovichi - Polotsk - Minsk
In 2010, the Vodnev family became the laureate of the competition. Irina Vodneva, head of the local history museum, a branch of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, says that they visited so many objects that they didn’t even count. To date, the family has visited about 300 places.
Irina realized from her own experience that before going somewhere abroad, you need to see the sights in your native Belarus.
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In the photo on the top left is the Euphrosyne Monastery in Polotsk, on the top right is the Church of St. Anne in Mosar, on the bottom left is the Church of the Virgin Mary in Udelo, on the bottom right is the museum-estate of Yazep Drozdovich. Photo: Andrey Dybovsky, globus.tut.by.
As a one-day route, the interlocutor suggested the following: Minsk - Begoml - Dokshitsy - Glubokoe - Udelo - Mosar - Sharkovshchina - Germanovichi - Polotsk - Minsk.
The route takes more than 560 kilometers and eight hours of travel time. In the Dokshitsky district, Irina suggests visiting the village of Shunevka, where the memorial complex “Curse of Fascism” is located, in Glubokoe - the Trinity Church and the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, churches in Udelo and Mosar, a church in Sharkovshchina and the Yazep Drozdovich Museum of Art and Ethnography in Germanovichi. Then see the shrines in Polotsk and return to Minsk.
Minsk - Kushlyany - Soly - Vornyany - Ostrovets - Mikhalishki - Gervyaty
Manager of the travel company "Viapol" Daria Leshchenko won the “Discover Belarus” competition as a student in 2011. The interlocutor is from the Beshenkovichi district of the Vitebsk region. She says that thanks to the competition she discovered not only Belarus, but also her small homeland, having visited all the historical sites of the region. As part of the competition, she visited 57 places.
Daria advises visiting Western Belarus as part of a one-day tour and driving along the route Minsk - Kushlyany - Soly - Vornyany - Ostrovets - Mikhalishki - Gervyaty - Minsk. This route is called "Ostrovets Around the World". The road takes more than 400 kilometers and almost seven hours of time.
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In the photo on the left above is the Church of Our Lady Ruzhentsova in Soly, Smorgon district, Grodno region, on the top right - the Church of Saints Cosmas and Demyan in Ostrovets, on the bottom left - the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Mikhalishki, Ostrovets region, on the bottom right - the museum-estate of Frantishek Bogushevich in Kushlyany, Smorgon region . Photo: Andrey Dybovsky, globus.tut.by.
The remaining points of the route are devoted to religious themes. In Soly we stop at a church built in the postmodern style, in Ostrovets we visit a church whose appearance resembles a House of Culture. During the Soviet times, it was indeed converted into a House of Culture. There are many icons in this church that are considered miraculous. In Vornany there is a church of St. George, and in Mihalishki - the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. And, perhaps, the pearl of the route is the Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Gervyaty. If you're lucky, you can enjoy an organ concert there. There is a well-kept park around the church.
According to Daria, you can stop and have a snack along the route in Ostrovets. There are several inexpensive cafes there.
Minsk - Pershai - Ivenets - Vselyub - Potters - Belogruda - Murovanka - Vasilishki - Rozhanka - Minsk
Lawyer Dmitry Shevchuk won the “Discover Belarus” competition in 2012, visiting 59 historical sites. Dmitry prefers to travel around Belarus without the help of travel companies. He says that in this case the route and sights are better remembered.
He advises tourists to spend one day on the route Minsk - Pershai - Ivenets - Vselyub - Gonchary - Belogruda - Murovanka - Vasilishki - Starye Vasilishki - Shchuchin - Rozhanka - Minsk.
The route is about 600 kilometers and almost nine hours on the road. The destination is full of churches and cathedrals. In the village of Pershai, Volozhin district, there is the Church of St. Yuri, in the village of Ivenets there is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel.
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In the photo, top left is the Church of St. Alexis in Ivenets, top right is the Church of St. Teresa in Shchuchyn, bottom left is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Vselyub, bottom right is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Ivenets. Photo: Dmitry Shevchuk.
In the village of Vselyub, Novogrudok district, there is the Church of St. Casimir, in the village of Gonchary, Lida district, there is the Church of the Intercession, in the village of Belogruda, there is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, in the village of Murovanka, Shchuchinsky district, there is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, in Starye Vasilishki and Rozhanka there are the churches of Saints Peter and Paul.
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In the photo, top left is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Rozhanka, top right is the Church of St. Yuri in Pershai, bottom left is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Murovanka, bottom right is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belogrud. Photo: Dmitry Shevchuk.
You can stop for lunch in Shchuchin.
There is a lot to see in Belarus, despite the fact that the country itself is small. You can cover it by car in a few days.
Belarus is a country that is perfect for traveling by private car. There are good roads here, even in small towns and villages, and fuel is cheaper than in Europe.
There are some restrictions on carrying cash, alcohol, tobacco and other things. They can be found on the websites of the customs service or operators.
There are strict traffic rules in Belarus, and it is practically impossible to “agree” with traffic police representatives.
Speed limits for passenger cars
If adults take a child under 12 years of age with them on a trip, he must travel in a special seat or booster seat.
Toll roads in Belarus
What to see in Belarus by car, you need to plan in advance to decide on the route. Recently, a system of toll roads has existed in Belarus. These are large highways that connect large cities with the capital and border areas. 
If the car weighs less than 3.5 tons and is registered in the EEC countries, you do not need to pay. Otherwise, at border checkpoints, special devices are installed on cars, from which metal portals (they are installed on toll roads) read the toll as they drive along the country's roads.
Sights of Belarus by car
A car is the best transport for traveling by car. In almost every town and village you can find interesting sights.
Cathedrals and temples
Museums
There are a huge number of museums in Belarus.
Some of them are a must visit:
Historical and cultural monuments
Belarus is called the country of castles.
They can be found even in small towns and villages:
Other attractions
You can find out what to see in Belarus by car from a large number of travel agencies. Here you can also get a map of agricultural estates. They are located in many villages and hamlets along the tourist routes.
An unusual landmark of Belarus in the vicinity of Kobrin. Here you can admire these strange birds, try their meat and eggs, and buy valuable ostrich down.
Fans of historical monuments and reconstructions can visit the Stalin Line - a complex of fortifications and museum compositions dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
Routes for tourists by car for 2-3 days
Belarus is a small country. The maximum length from one border to the opposite is 650 km. Even in a small town or village you can find an interesting attraction.
Brest region
In the Brest region you can travel along the route Minsk - Kossovo and Ruzhany - Kamenets - Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Kossovo and Ruzhany
Two small villages are located 230 km from Minsk, separated by 20 km. They boast a rich history from the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Pospalita River. 
Kossovo and Ruzhany were in the possession of the noble Sapieha family, and the famous revolutionary Tadeusz Kosciuszko was born here.
Kamenets
A small town 40 km from Brest. Here is one of the most ancient stone structures in the country - the Kamenets Tower. It was a farpost of the Lithuanian principality and was repeatedly attacked by the crusaders. Another name for the tower is White Vezha. This is where the name of the Pushcha, which starts from Kamenets, comes from - Belovezhskaya.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha
A famous national park not only in the country, but also in the world. Here excursions are organized through the most impenetrable forested areas of Europe, where you can meet bison, deer and roe deer. You can also visit animal enclosures, a nature museum and the residence of Father Frost.
Vitebsk region
In the Vitebsk region, it is better to take the route Minsk - Postavy - Braslav Lakes - village. Mosar – Polotsk.
Postavy
Postavy is located 166 km from Minsk to the north. This is a small provincial town in the north of Belarus. One of the city's striking attractions is the country's famous Church of St. Anthony of Padua. 
Another place that you should definitely visit in Pastavy is the palace of the famous Belarusian noble family Tyzengauz. Within its walls, the owners created a unique art gallery, a library and an ornithological museum.
Vidzy
From Postavy you can go to the beautiful village of Vidzy, which is located in the Braslav region. During the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the village was owned by Belarusian magnates Patsy. Many architectural monuments have been preserved here, but it is necessary to highlight the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The building is the tallest Catholic church in Belarus.
Braslav lakes
Braslav Lakes can be called the tourist “pearl” of Belarus. The Braslav Lakes National Park presents sightseeing tours, recreation programs on lakes in summer and winter, accommodation in agricultural estates and tourist centers.
Lovers of nature can take a walk along the eco-trail or take part in the Wildlife Safari. Lovers of fishing and hunting, as well as people interested in ecology and biology, will find their entertainment here.
Mosar village
Visiting the Vitebsk region and not visiting the village of Mosar is a mistake. Many call this place the “second Versailles”. 
The beauty of the local temple and the surrounding area is associated with the name of Father Józef Bulka. With his own hands and the help of local residents, he created a place of unique beauty.
Polotsk
Polotsk is the oldest city in Belarus. The formation of Belarusian statehood, material and spiritual culture began here. St. Sophia Cathedral is located on the banks of the Western Dvina.
Also in the city is the Spaso-Efrosyne Monastery, founded by Euphrosyne of Polotsk in the 12th century. On the walls of the monastery churches you can see ancient frescoes - an example of a unique artistic movement of the Middle Ages. In Polotsk you can admire a copy of the precious Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk.
Gomel region
What to see in Belarus by car in the Gomel region, you can decide after studying the route Gomel - Pripyatky National Park - Yuravichi - Mozyr - Turov.
Gomel
The city is located 300 km from Minsk, close to the borders with Ukraine and Russia. The main attraction of the city is the Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace, which was recently reconstructed. 
Around the palace there is a park ensemble with a tomb, a chapel and a cathedral. Art lovers are advised to look into the gallery of Gabriel Vashchenko.
Pripyatsky National Park
Entertainment for wildlife lovers, located in Belarusian Polesie. 51 species of mammals live here, of which bison, lynx, mink, dormouse, and 38 species of fish are very rare. The park is home to 79% of the species diversity of birds in Belarus. Here you can take a photo safari, organize an excursion along ecological trails, take a boat ride around Pripyat, or take part in hunting and fishing.
Jurovichi
The village of Yurovichi is located in the Kalinkovichi district, approximately 130 km from Gomel. In the 1930s, scientists found here the oldest human site in the country. In the museum complex you can see ancient houses, skins and household items.
Mozyr
Mozyr is a regional center, not far from Kalinkovichi. Tourists are attracted here by the wooden castle, built for the 850th anniversary of the city. 
It is an exact copy of a medieval castle from the 15th century. Festivals of knightly culture and life are held here every year. Also in Mozyr you can visit the memorial monument to the “Victims of Chernobyl”.
Turov
The small town of Turov is 250 km away. It is one of the oldest settlements in Belarus. Stone crosses are a unique monument of Orthodox material culture here. Pilgrims from all over the country, as well as from Russia and Ukraine, come to worship the boulders that grow directly from the ground.
The object of cultural heritage is the ancient wooden Church of All Saints. In the local historical museum you can see the excavated settlement of the 12th century.
The Grodno region
The Grodno region can be called a leader in the number of architectural cultural monuments. To appreciate this beauty you need to go along the route Mir - Novogrudok - Lida - Grodno.
World
Mir is a small village in the Korelichi district, located 95 km from Minsk. One of the largest castles of the Radziwill princes, Mirsky, has been preserved here. In Mir there is a whole craft market where you can buy almost any national souvenir - from banal magnets to the famous Slutsk belts and forged swords.
Novogrudok
50 km from Mir to the north is the town of Novogrudok - the first capital of the largest medieval state in Europe - the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the birthplace of the world famous poet Adam Mickiewicz. 
It is also the highest populated area in Belarus. If you climb the hand-built Mickiewicz Mound, you can enjoy the beauty of nature several kilometers into the distance.
History buffs can visit the Museum of Jewish Resistance here. During the war, the only successful escape of Jews in the country was carried out from the Novogrudok ghetto. Another feature of the city is a modern wind farm. The altitude of the city made it possible to install 20 wind turbines.
Lida
The largest city in the Grodno region, Lida, is located 55 km from Novogrudok. On the way here, you can stop by the village of Berezovka and visit the Neman glass factory, as well as the glass museum located on the territory of the enterprise.
In the city you can visit Lida Castle, built under Prince Gedemin. Lida is known throughout the country and abroad for its beer and kvass factory. The popular Lidbeer festival is organized here every year.
Grodno
On the way from Lida to Grodno, it is better to take the route not along the M6 highway, but through small towns and villages. A tourist can look into the village. Murovanka, where there is the only fortress church in the country, and then look into the village. Rozhanka with a majestic church and a huge cemetery. 
Grodno is the most European city in Belarus. Many ethnocultural festivals take place here, and tourists will definitely not have time to get bored. In the city you can see many unusual museums, a castle, and churches known throughout the country. After a city walk, you can relax on the Augustow Canal, the largest man-made water structure in Europe.
Where to go in summer and winter?
There is no sea in Belarus, but problems with summer holidays never arise here. More than 2 and a half agricultural estates and recreation centers are registered in the country, most of which are located near lakes and rivers. The quality of water in natural springs in Belarus is very high. Both adults and children can swim here without fear for their health.
Winter sports are very developed in Belarus, so during the cold season you can go to one of the ski resorts. The largest of them is the Republican ski center “Silichi”. It is located 40 km from Minsk.
What is a must-see with children?
In Belarus, you can travel by car with children. It is important to know that the infrastructure is made specifically for family vacations.
When you come to Belarus with small children, it is better to go to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, to the residence of Father Frost. It works all year round. And in the north of Belarus in the village of Ozerki, Postavy district you can meet Zyuzya Poozersky, the Belarusian “analogue” of Father Frost. On the territory of his residence you can meet many fairy-tale inhabitants - heroes of the mythological epic of Belarus. 
In Minsk, children can be introduced to the children's railway. This is a real “piece of iron” with trains, carriages, conductors, switchmen, station workers and train captains. The only difference is that all the work here is done by children: from checking tickets for passengers to managing the tracks and driving diesel locomotives. The length of the road is 4 km.
Traveling around Belarus by car will bring a lot of positive emotions. This country will do everything to ensure that tourists return here again.
Article format: Vladimir the Great
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What to see and where to go in Belarus: