Belarus: A Unique and Exciting Travel Destination

For many people Belarus has an image of a dark and rather obscure place, with virtually no attraction as a tourist destination. However, Belarus is a beautiful country full of charm and history and since it is not yet widely discussed, it is almost undiscovered.

Traveling to Belarus is not without its challenges. For most westerners a visa is required to visit Belarus, but this can be easily obtained by applying to a Belarusian Embassy. An invitation is necessary, but this can be inexpensively obtained from any Belarusian travel agency. Flights to Belarus are expensive. Belarus is possibly one of the most expensive destinations to fly to, perhaps because not many airlines fly directly to Belarus. Lufthansa, Lot, Czech Air and Austrian airlines are some of the few that travel to Belarus. A flight to Belarus is two to three times more expensive than most European destination. A less expensive solution is to fly to Vilnius, Lithuania and take a four hour train to Minsk. This will cut the travel costs by at least half with minimal added inconvenience. The next challenge for many will come when they arrive in Belarus. English is not widely spoken. But this is not a problem at central hotels and most restaurants. Central hotels usually have English speaking staff and restaurants usually have menus in English.

But with these challenges surmounted, travel to Belarus is fun and adventurous. As the winters are harsh, the best time to travel to Belarus is summer when the temperatures are mild and the evenings lovely.

Minsk is a charming city and although one of the largest cities in Europe, it has a calm and tranquility that is usually seen only in smaller, quieter places. Downtown Minsk is a pleasant city to walk around. On a summer evening it is very lively, and the many parks and monuments bring the city a charm that few westerners would expect.
In the regions of Minsk, there is much to see. Some of the most well known tourist attractions are the Mir Castle, Vitebsk the birth place of Marc Chagall and home to his museum, Breast Fortress, the Park and Palace of the ancient city of Gomel, Belavezhskaya Pushcha, the last virginal forest of the European lowland.

Possibly because Belarus is not a major travel destination, there is little reliable travel information available. Belarus is excluded from most European travel guides. Two of the best sources are Lonely Planets’ Thorn Tree discussion forum and the Travelswise Belarus Travel site.

Travel to Belarus is fun and exciting. For experienced travelers who have seen the major touristic destinations a trip to Belarus is a unique opportunity to enjoy a land and culture rarely seen by most tourists.