I was excited to finally be heading to the landlocked country of Belarus after my original plans to visit got put on hold when the world went all weird in 2020.
Of course, things have changed a hell of a lot since then, but I decided not to let that stop me from following through with my plans. They would just have to be executed a bit differently.
So, read on if you want to know about some pretty cool places to visit in Belarus and things to do in Minsk! I’ll also be providing you with answers to the following questions –
⭐ When is the best time to visit Belarus?
⭐ Is it safe to travel to Belarus?
⭐ Is Belarus safe to visit?
⭐ Is Belarus safe for tourists?
⭐ How do I travel to Minsk Belarus?
Of course, I’ll also tell you all about where to go in Belarus. Let’s go!
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The Problem With Getting to Belarus: Flights to Minsk Belarus
As you all know, the current situation makes it a little more difficult to get to Belarus than usual. There aren’t many choices when it comes to flights to Minsk Belarus.
Aside from some Russian cities, you can only fly in from/out to
✈️ Baku Azerbaijan
✈️ Istanbul Turkiye
✈️ Tashkent Uzbekistan
✈️ Beijing, China.
I went with the Tbilisi option because it was a short cheap flight from Dubai with Fly Dubai.
You might be entitled to up to 600€. Check if you’re eligible and file a claim in under 3 minutes at Claim Compass
.
Visa Free Entry For Some Nationals
Belarus has a weird visa-free scheme where they offer nationals from some countries visa-free entry, but only if they fly in and out of Minsk. The same folks would need a visa to enter and exit by land.
As far as I’m aware, they’re the only country that has this kind of system. Find out about your visa requirements on their official website.
Also have a look at How to Get a Visa for Belarus in Minsk if you’re thinking of flying in and exiting by land.
Arriving in Minsk Belarus
Given the lack of flights to Minsk Belarus, there was only one planeload of passengers in the immigration hall upon arrival and many counters were open.
Things seemed to be moving rather swiftly until I got to the counter.
After standing at the immigration window for at least 10 minutes and answering all the officer’s questions, another officer came over.
He took my passport, then asked me to wait in an area at the back of the immigration hall.
Waiting For Something?
He came back a few minutes later and asked me some questions I’d already answered and a few new ones. Then he asked me to wait and went off with my passport again.
After yet another few minutes, he was back and took me back to the counter I was being processed at earlier. He handed my passport back to the lady at the counter and she stamped me in.
I’m not sure why I was held back, but I do wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I was probably the only non-Belarusian or Russian passport holder entering the country at the time.
By that time, the immigration hall was clear of everyone except for 5 Russian guys that had also been held back.
Finally in Belarus!
I’d arrived to chilly -6°C weather and some snow cover. I died a little inside because I’m not a cold-weather person. At all.
The lady at the information desk told me that the public bus into the city cost 5 BYN, but there wasn’t one for another 40 minutes.
As I walked outside to check where the bus stop was so I could find it quickly later, I noticed a marshrutka (minivan) with ‘Airport Express’ written on it in Cyrillic, so I went to investigate.
Getting into the City
The van had a timetable on the side of it and it was leaving within a few minutes. It cost 6 BYN to the city centre, or 5 BYN to a metro station in the suburbs.
I took the second option and got dropped off at the Urucca metro station, about 10km from the city centre.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of public transport, you could always hire a car..
Taking the Metro in Belarus
The metro costs 0.9 BYN for any distance travelled. You get a little red token at the ticket counter that you put into the slot at the ticket gate.
On the other end, there are no ticket controls. You just walk out.
About 15 minutes and 7 stations later I was at the Kastryčnickaja station near the Palace of the Republic.
Places to Visit in Belarus: A Walk Around the City of Minsk
Minsk is the Capital and largest city of Belarus. So it’ll most definitely be one of the places to visit in Belarus.
If you love architecture, you’ll find lots of things to do in Minsk.
About two city blocks away from the Palace of the Republic, not far from the Namiha Metro station, is the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, (Собор Святых Апостолов Петра и Павла).
Also right on top of one of the exits to the Namiha station is the Holy Spirit Cathedral next to the Church of St Cyril of Turov.
Things to do in Minsk: Visit Attractions around the Namiha Metro Station
The Namiha Metro station, sometimes written as Namiga, seems to have a lot of things to see within sight and walking distance of its many exits.
One of the strangest things I saw is this memorial above a KFC store. There’s such a jarring contrast between the two.
Places to Visit in Belarus: the Small City of Borisov to the Northeast of Minsk
From the capital city, I made my way to Borisov Belarus, sometimes written as Barysaw. It’s a small city about 70 kilometers northeast of Minsk.
I had made arrangements to stay with a local named Pasha and his wife Marina. They were lovely and hospitable, as I suspect all Belarusians are.
I’m in awe of the fact that Pasha has been to 54 countries on his Belarusian passport. He was also interested in my experiences in West Africa.
I was interested in seeing more of the small but lovely town of Borisov Belarus.
Mini Tour of Borisov Belarus
Pasha took me on a mini tour of Borisov, starting with a Lenin statue, then passing the Berezina River.
He told me this river is famous for being so impassable in the olden days that it caused Napoleon to withdraw from the area.
Any river that defeats Napoleon is worth seeing! Would you make this one of your places to visit in Belarus?
Snowy Ruins in Borisov Belarus
Just past the river, there were some ruins of a castle.
Unfortunately, parts of the ruins were under a metre or so of snow.
Pasha suggested I explore them anyway, but I’ve dealt with snow cover higher than my knees before.
It’s evil and a total deal-breaker for me. So I just took photos from the path, a safe distance away, instead.
Borisov Orthodox Church
Next, he took me to a Russian Orthodox church.
It reminded me a lot of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral I’d seen in Tallinn.
It actually seemed a lot smaller inside than you would imagine by looking at the outside.
There was also I guess what you’d call an emergency scarf rack behind the door of the church. Orthodox churches require worshipers to cover their hair while inside.
Closed Borisov Bazaar
Behind the church was a small bazaar where Pasha said I would be able to buy a cheap pair of gloves.
Warm weather hands do not like Belarus in December!
To both Pasha’s and my surprise, the bazaar was pretty much closed. Only two produce shops near the entry were open.
The rest was a ghost town.
Despite the closed Bazaar, Borisov Belarus is still worth a visit for its history and how quaint it is. If you ever travel to Minsk Belarus, consider dropping by!
When in Belarus, Beware of the Death Icicles
One thing that is a little bit different about Belarus is its death icicles.
If you decide to visit Belarus in the winter, watch out for them.
They form when a building isn’t properly insulated. When the heat escapes, it melts the snow on the roof, which then solidifies on the way down, causing sharp icicles to form and hang from the roof.
I call them death icicles because they can injure or even kill people.
In fact, some buildings with these icicles will cordon off the front of their building where the icicles hang so that people keep out of harm’s way.
Back to Minsk to Meet My New Hosts
On the day I was heading from Borisov to Minsk, my brain decided to take a little holiday, which caused a two-hour trip to take half the day.
We won’t go into that, but I was definitely glad to meet Taya and Arseniy at the end of that long day.
They were awesome hosts and cooked Russian, Belarusian, and Uzbek meals for me when I stayed with them.
Things to do in Minsk: Admire Street Art on the Way to the Train Station
After helping me find out where to buy tickets for the train to Brest in the southwest of Belarus, Taya decided to accompany me to the train station.
Because, as I said earlier, Belarusians are pretty good at the hospitality thing.
We first walked around what looked like a kind of hip area in Minsk.
Many murals were painted on walls along the side of the road between cafes and yoga studios.
Then we had one last meal together before heading to the station.
Things to do in Minsk: Try to Navigate the Confusing Train Station
I was so glad that Taya had come with me, as the train station was kind of confusing!
Even Taya was confused, but she could speak Russian to find out if we were in the right place.
We said our goodbyes and I headed off on my next adventure to Brest and Grodna in the West of Belarus.
And Now to Answer Your Questions
⭐ When is the best time to visit Belarus?
Summer if you hate the cold. Winter if you like slipping in the snow every time you walk outside.
⭐ Is it safe to travel to Belarus?
Yes. Belarus feels very safe.
⭐ Is Belarus safe to visit?
Yes. The biggest danger in the winter would be slipping in the snow that covers all the footpaths in the suburbs.
⭐ Is Belarus safe for tourists?
Yes. As a plus, Belarusians are really lovely and hospitable people!
⭐ How do I travel to Minsk Belarus?
You can fly in from Georgia, Russia, Turkiye, China, Uzbekistan, or Azerbaijan. It’s also possible to enter by land from Latvia or Lithuania, but you will need a visa for that. You will also need to visa to exit Belarus by land, even if you flew in visa free.
Thinking about a trip to the beautiful Belarusian cities of Minsk or Barisov?
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8 Replies to “Places to Visit in Belarus: Beautiful Borisov and Things to do in Minsk Belarus”
Very interesting to read that the visa rules may be different if you fly in and out of Minsk. Worth exploring as a Canadian. Since we do love architecture we would want to plan some time in Minsk. And it would be fun to find street art on our explorations.
Yes, they have the oddest visa rules. Minsk is a lovely, modern city that’s well worth exploring!
Sounds like you had quite the adventure in Belarus! The visa rules seem bizarre, but it sounds like you made the most of your visit despite the cold and snow. How did you find the locals to connect with?
Definitely the strangest visa arrangement I’ve come across in over 100 countries!
I mainly use Couchsurfing to find hosts or people to chat with in countries that I visit.
I have to say, you are quite brave travelling to Belarus – especially by yourself. I am so pleased it went well for you. I think the delay and apparent complications at immigration would have freaked me out! How did you find these lovely hosts with whom you stayed? So much better than checking into a hotel. The country looks really interesting but I think, for now, I shall experience it vicariously through you!
I’m always pretty calm about these things. I’ve had worse happen at a border, hehe.
I use Couchsurfing to get in contact with locals. I’d much rather find out about a place through locals than packaged tours or hotel receptions.
Wow that must have been such an interesting trip! I’m glad you were able to figure it out with the limited flights. I was in Tbilisi last year and I loved it, you should consider a longer trip there. Georgians are known for their hospitality too!
Did you see any other tourists visiting Belarus when you were there?
It certainly was! I’m so glad I went and I’d totally visit again.
I was in Tbilisi for about a week before I went to Belarus. I totally loved it too.
I can’t say I saw any other tourists while I was there. I did meet an Afghan family fleeing the shitstorm in their homeland. They were lovely and kept sharing their food with me whenever they cooked dinner.