Travel to Belarus on your own by train. A trip to Belarus from Russia: entry rules and documents, requirements for motorists, nuances. Main holiday destinations in Belarus

Traveling and vacationing by car is becoming increasingly popular. In connection with the events in Ukraine, road trips around Belarus have reached the peak of popularity. The Belarusian destination is extremely attractive for tourism, thanks to its well-developed infrastructure and variety of attractions.

When planning a trip to Belarus by car, you need to take into account some features of the driving culture on highways, which differs from the Russian one for the better and the punishment for violating traffic rules is much more severe.

Route selection

1. Weekend in Belarus

If time is limited, you can organize an informative and eventful itinerary for 2-3 days. We invite you to visit Belarus with a detailed examination of two cities: the most ancient city of Belarus - Polotsk and the large historical center of avant-garde art - Vitebsk.

Road: Moscow (Moscow region) - Vitebsk (Belarus) - Shumilino - Obol - Polotsk - Vitebsk (Belarus) - Moscow (Moscow region).

Duration: 2-3 days.

2. Castle belt of Belarus

On the territory of Belarus there are a large number of medieval castles and palaces, fortresses from the times of the Principality of Lithuania, noble estates, churches and churches in varying degrees of preservation. The proposed trip plan will allow you to become deeply acquainted with the so-called “Castle Belt” of Belarus. Traveling by car around Belarus, you can plunge into the world of towns, where life was not always as calm and measured as it is now. The first part of the trip will take place along the Moscow-Minsk route via Borisov.

Road: Moscow (Moscow region) - Borisov (Belarus) - Minsk - Zaslavl - Minsk - Rakov - Krevo - Boruny - Golshany - Desyatniki - Lida - Pruzhany - Kossovo - Synkovichi - Zhirovichi - Slonim - Novogrudok - Lyubcha - Lyubcha - Mir - Nesvizh – Dudutki – Orsha (Belarus) - Moscow (Moscow region).

Duration: 8 days.

Attractions to see

National Library

Gedimina Castle

Tyshkevich estate

National History Museum

Russian AutoMotoClub (RAMK) on the roads of Belarus

Overcoming a long road will be as pleasant and convenient for you as possible if you have a Russian AutoMotoClub (RAMK) card. By purchasing a member card of our club, you can always count on qualified and fast technical assistance, as well as evacuation services throughout almost all of Russia and Belarus, as well as in many European countries.

Traveling by car in Belarus can be ruined due to a breakdown on the road. However, as a member of RAMK, if problems arise with vehicles, assistance in eliminating which is provided to cardholders, you can always contact the RAMK contact center. Experienced mechanics will promptly go to the site and carry out urgent repairs or evacuation of vehicles.

Auto tourism in Belarus will leave you with extremely pleasant impressions, and no incidents on the road can ruin your vacation. The advantages of cooperation with RAMK are obvious:

• Large coverage area;
• Saving – money, time and nerves;
• High quality work;
• Efficiency of service provision.

Population: 9,498,700 people (2015);

Capital: Minsk;

Largest cities: Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno, Brest;

Official languages: Belarusian, Russian;

Belarus is a very attractive holiday and tourism destination for Russians. This includes the opportunity to communicate in your native language, a wonderful mild climate with unique nature, architecture with its unforgettable castles, and shopping at reasonable prices.

Travel to the countries of the former CIS is extremely popular among Russian citizens. When crossing the borders of these states, there are a lot of disagreements, so many questions arise about what documents to go to this or that country with. Against this background, Belarus stands out favorably with its visa-free regime.

Russia entered into an alliance agreement with this country in 1997. According to its regulations, there are no border controls. Later, transport control was also abolished. , you can enter this republic using internal Russian documents.

The easiest way to prepare documents, and therefore the most popular, remains traveling to Belarus by train.

It is also considered the most budget-friendly, since gasoline is currently more expensive in Belarus. If when traveling by car you have to fill out additional documents for the car, and the congestion of cars at the border causes traffic jams and loss of time, then traveling by train is truly hassle-free.

You can travel to Belarus in 2020 without a visa. At the border you are required to present both a general Russian and a foreign passport. No marks are placed in passports upon entry into the country.

When crossing Belarus to visit other countries, a transit visa is not required. You can freely be on its territory. You will need to have permission to enter another country.

During the train journey, there is no special stop at the border for the purpose of checking passports and inspection. Documents are checked upon boarding the train along with tickets.

Checking documents when boarding the train

The train is also comfortable

If you have doubts about the quality of service on railway transport, then there is no need to worry here. Both sides - both Russian and Belarusian - allocate modern, comfortable compartment cars and reserved seats with a high level of service for travel. However, you should not take tickets for additional trains or carriages: here you may find an unpleasant exception to the rules.

Coupe cars on Moscow-Minsk trains

When calculating travel time, focus on the Moscow-Minsk route, which on average takes from 8 to 10 hours.

The fare is approximately equal to the price of plane tickets and ranges from 3 to 5 thousand rubles per person one way. The number of trains is also encouraging: up to one and a half dozen trains depart from Moscow every day.

If children are traveling with you

When boarding a train in Belarus, one child under 5 years old is allowed free travel.. For children from 5 to 10 years old, the fare is a third of the ticket for adults. Children under 10 years old are not allowed to travel on the train without an accompanying adult.

If you are traveling with children under 14 years of age, they must be included in your passport. They need to have a birth certificate. Children over 14 years old must present a personal passport.

If a minor goes on a trip alone, a number of documents must be prepared. This is also true if one parent is traveling with the child and the other is not. If, according to the documents, the second parent does not exist - the child is being raised by one of the parents, who is single by status - then this must be certified by the appropriate document.

• This may be a death certificate or a certificate from the registry office stating that the entry about the second parent was made according to the mother.
• Police certificate: if it is not possible to determine the place of residence of one of the parents.
• An existing court decision on deprivation of parental rights is also presented.
• Parents' marriage or divorce certificates and passports are required.

Appearance of the marriage certificate

But these difficulties in documentation are not related to . They refer to

How much money do you need? Needs are different, but if you negotiate a weekly minimum, then 15 thousand rubles for a week can make you a wealthy person. A simple hearty lunch costs from 200 rubles.

The amount of foreign currency upon import is not limited, but over 10 thousand dollars is subject to mandatory declaration. The declaration must be kept until leaving the country. Prohibited for import:

• things of historical value;
• any media (printed, electronic, audio) that poses a threat to the security of the country, causing harm to the health and interests of its citizens;
• narcotic substances;
• ammunition and firearms without permits;
• narcotic and psychotropic substances;
• poisonous, radioactive and explosive;
• transportation of plants and animals without appropriate permits from phyto and veterinary control.
• more than one wristwatch;
• jackets made of genuine leather or fur, more than 3 pieces;
• jewelry over 6 pieces;
• more than 4 tires per person.

The medical insurance policy of the Russian Federation is not accepted in Belarus, but you can be sure that you will always be able to receive free emergency medical care.

I have long dreamed of visiting Belarus. There are legends about its extraordinary cleanliness and ideal roads, the friendliness of the people and the amazing taste of local products. Belarus is a foreign country, but you don’t need a visa to visit it. And so, one friendly September morning, my family (me, my husband and my 6-year-old daughter) got into the car and set off on a trip.

We left on Tuesday at 3 o'clock in the morning. The distance from Kovrov to Minsk is 1,100 km, the estimated travel time is about 14 hours.

A few general questions:

1. The local currency is Belarusian rubles. Even before the trip, I read a lot about how it is unprofitable to change money in Russia. But I always feel uncomfortable traveling without local currency in my pocket, so I changed 1,000,000 BYN at Sberbank. rubles So, I confirm from my own experience that you need to change money in Belarus. There are exchange offices in all shopping centers in Minsk, the rate is much more favorable than in Russian banks.
2. Registration of “Green Card” - an international car insurance policy. Everywhere they write that it must be mandatory. During the entire trip, no one asked us for insurance, but this is not an indicator, of course. You can apply for it either at home at the insurance company or along the highway, starting from Smolensk and beyond. There are a great many insurance options, the price is approximately the same everywhere.
3. Petrol. It is better to fill up with gasoline as much as possible in Russia; in Belarus it is more expensive. But the price at all gas stations is identical, which is very convenient.
4. Toll roads. There are many “Toll Road” signs near Minsk. We still don’t understand how and where they pay for travel on these roads. There are no booths, barriers - nothing. Having driven through many toll roads, we have never paid. Mystery.
5. The driving culture in Belarus is very high. They follow the rules and disciplinedly let people pass at pedestrian crossings.

Well, that seems to be all. I'll move on to the journey. So, having left Kovrov at 03.00 in the morning, at 16.00 we were already in Minsk.(

We only stopped at gas stations for coffee/snack/toilet/a short rest for the driver.

I read a lot before the trip and had a rough idea of ​​what to expect from the country. But still, the first thing you notice as soon as you cross the border is the extraordinary cleanliness. The grass, as if combed with a comb, is smooth and beautiful. And, by the way, not only on the main roads. We also had to travel through small villages - everything was identical. There are freshly harvested fields all around, I had already forgotten how beautiful it is - well-groomed land.

There are many parking spots along the route, equipped with everything you need. There is a fine for using the forest as a free toilet/garbage container. In general, Belarus is not at all similar to Russia in appearance. To European countries where I have also been. Belarus is original, and this makes it unique.

The first impression of Minsk is a cozy, calm city. There are no rushing crowds of people. No traffic jams either!

Day 1. Victory Park – Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Guest house "Comfort-House" in Minsk

Having arrived, we went to the guest house “Comfort-House” on the street. Novinkovskaya, pre-booked on the website booking.com. We were attracted by the relative cheapness of the room - about 2000 rubles. for three per night and a lot of positive reviews (the average rating of the guest house is very high - 9.3 points).

So, all the praises that are sung to this small hotel are completely true. I have only enthusiastic exclamations and superlatives. "Comfort-House" consists of several small houses, each of which accommodates two rooms.
Our house had a swimming pool (use included in the price), barbecue, and sauna (for an additional fee). A huge kitchen with everything you need, the room has a TV, a sofa, air conditioning, and an air bed. The territory is well-groomed, with an abundance of vegetation, all sorts of figurines, grottoes, fountains, gazebos. Honestly, I don’t even want to leave. My child was absolutely delighted and still remembers “Comfortable Home” with great tenderness.

A tiny fly in the ointment in this ocean of honey is a very friendly owner. Very very. He came three times a night to see if everything was okay with us. Edited our plans for the day, etc. and so on. But these are just my problems; I don’t really like intense communication with unfamiliar people.
I recommend this hotel to everyone. Probably the best place we've ever stayed.

But let's get back to the journey. Having settled in, we went for a walk around the city. Stopped near Victory Park on Pobediteley Avenue. Excellent panorama, well-kept park with fountains, bridges, picturesque alleys.

The landscape is crowned by a majestic building - the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. That's where we went. In general, it is necessary to note the enormous respect with which Belarusians treat the memory of the war. Numerous steles and monuments - all in excellent condition. During the war, every third Belarusian died (it’s scary to even think about this figure), and this tragedy will forever remain in the people’s consciousness.

The Minsk Museum of the Great Patriotic War consists of exhibitions dedicated to the course of the war, the partisan movement and various installations. Several halls are dedicated to the demonstration of military equipment. I was especially touched by the halls of the fascist occupation of Belarus. My heart bleeds just to imagine what the people who took upon themselves all the oppression and atrocities of the war went through.

After wandering around the museum, we went to dinner. By the way, I’ll tell you about our food in Belarus.

Food in Belarus

1. Independence Ave., 49, room 1
2. st. Kulman, 5A

Second day. Mir Castle - Nyasvizh Castle - National Library of Minsk

World

The castle itself looks monumental. When you enter the gate and see it in front of you, it takes your breath away, as if you were in a fairy tale..

Inside, everything is no less fabulous. It seems that you are in the Middle Ages, in a second knights and beautiful ladies in crinolines will appear, and maids will scurry around the kitchen with boar heads on trays and onion soup. There is no feeling of a remake, as in many similar places.
A very interesting tour of the castle and its surroundings. In particular, the tragic legend about the lake, which was dug up after cutting down a beautiful forest. The spirits of the forest cursed the race of the man who gave the order. Fiction or not, the daughter of the owner of the castle, Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky, Sonechka, drowned in this lake, and then he himself.

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The Mir Castle is full of stairs and catacombs. The stairs are very steep and uncomfortable; I almost fell off the steps several times.

In the courtyard of the castle there is a very good souvenir shop and a small museum dedicated to the years of fascist occupation of Mirskaya land. There was also a Jewish ghetto on the castle grounds. The ancient walls became a prison for hundreds of people.
It’s not only the architecture that’s beautiful in Mir – the wonderful landscape, bridges, and the picturesque chapel-tomb of the princes Svyatopolk-Mirsky.

An amazing place that I really want to return to.

Nesvizh

But the inside of the castle did not make much of an impression. It seems beautiful and rich, but it’s a remake and doesn’t smell of history at all. We walked around, looked, listened, but weren’t particularly impressed by anything. According to my feelings, Nesvizh is elegant, modern, very similar to the palaces of St. Petersburg. Castle Mir is more exotic; you won’t see anything like it in Russia.

The surrounding area was also disappointing. With such a majestic castle, the landscape is dull and faded. There are souvenirs and food stalls all around; there is a real lack of a well-kept park with alleys where you can walk and admire the views.
From Nesvizh we went to have lunch at the Lido, and then visited the pride of Minsk residents -National Library. A very interesting and unusual building made of blue glass.

We were there in the evening, it was already dark and we turned on the lights. The view is, of course, fantastic.

We took a high-speed elevator to the observation deck and saw Minsk at night from above. Once again we were convinced what a beautiful city this is.

Without arms/without legs we went to the hotel - have dinner, swim in the pool, steam in the sauna and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Day 3. Khatyn - “Ozertso” - Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus - Komarovsky Market, Minsk.

I won’t talk much about the Khatyn tragedy - everyone knows about it. One of the most tragic pages of our common history. On March 22, 1943, the residents of a small Belarusian village were herded into a wooden barn by the Nazis and set on fire. Old people, women, infants. They had no weapons and did not harm anyone. And this case is not isolated. During the years of occupation, more than a hundred such tragedies occurred on Belarusian soil.

I heard a lot about Khatyn, read a lot, but when I found myself in this place... Morning, fog, bells ringing on the skeletons of burnt houses, a huge statue of the “Unconquered” - a burned old man with a dead son in his arms. Gloomy, unsettling atmosphere. Every person should visit here, in my opinion. But I would not dare to return here.

From Khatyn we went to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Republic of Belarus "Ozertso".

And I fell in love with this place forever. “Ozertso” refers to open-air museums or museum-skansen. That is, one where historical and cultural monuments are displayed in their natural environment.

First of all, it is famous for its interesting sculptures in front of the entrance. Well, and of course, the assortment. Everything that Belarus is rich in is presented on the market. And sausages, and cheeses, and dairy products, and products from confectionery factories. For every taste. We stocked up on condensed cream - the taste is amazing and the price for our money is about 50 rubles per jar, Belarusian lard and sweets. I wanted to buy everything at once. But since we, like Winnie the Pooh, love condensed milk most of all, that’s what we mostly bought. Yes, more. :) We also bought several cans of stew there. By the way, you can very rarely find the word GOST on Belarusian stew. But the fact is that in Belarus this word is not an empty phrase. The slightest discrepancy can be punished very severely.

I would also like to mention the dairy products - everything is very tasty. For example, if you take a milkshake (my daughter loves them very much), it will be a real cocktail, and not a mess with a lot of E, which is sold in our stores. Sausages are like sausages. I didn’t notice any particular difference with the Russian ones.

The products of Belarusian cosmetic companies - Biovita and Vitex - are sold everywhere. Shampoos and creams are not bad. But again, no better than “Clean Line” and “Granny Agafya”, in my opinion.

After spending the night at the hotel again, we headed home in the morning. The trip to Belarus by car was ending... It was a pity to leave, we liked this hospitable country so much. So many interesting things remained unknown - Brest, Grodno, Lida and many, many more. There is a reason to come back!

Summer, as you know, is the time for vacations, the very time when many decide where to spend their vacation time. At the same time, among the many “summer” destinations, the Republic of Belarus is becoming increasingly popular, where there are a large number of attractions, sanatoriums and recreation spots in the Braslav Lakes region.

In this regard, many car enthusiasts are interested in what features and difficulties those drivers who are planning to travel to Belarus by car may encounter.

Crossing the state border

Border control between Belarus and the Russian Federation is essentially a fiction. Only heavy vehicles (trucks) are subject to inspection.

For individuals driving their own car, they do not even need to stop at the checkpoint. However, upon returning back to Russia, you may still be stopped to check your passports, which, however, does not take much time.

The only significant nuance when preparing for a trip is the purchase of international insurance such as a “green card”. This insurance policy is an analogue, but in an international format and can be purchased for a period from 15 days to one year.

At the same time, purchasing a long-term policy is significantly cheaper than a “short-term” policy. After the crisis, prices for “green cards” have increased slightly, but their cost remains very affordable - from seven hundred rubles to almost five thousand rubles for a policy valid for a year.

Up-to-date information on prices for green card insurance can be found on specialized websites - the information offered there allows you to fairly accurately calculate the cost of insurance for different travel dates.

At the same time, you can buy the policy itself either from the insurance company at your place of residence (by the way, not all insurers sell insurance of this type), or directly at the border - in front of each major checkpoint there is a huge number of small “representative offices” of insurers of the type “ booth”, where you can become the owner of the coveted policy. To obtain it, you only need a vehicle passport (PTS), and the procedure itself takes about ten minutes of time.

Otherwise, for the trip you will need a standard and general passport (as we already wrote, border guards may require it).

Driving on the roads, traffic rules and communication with law enforcement officials

Driving on Belarusian roads leaves, in most cases, a very pleasant impression on Russians. High quality pavement, clear road markings, timely repair of uneven surfaces are the first advantages that catch your eye. Even in rural areas (away from the main highways) the quality of roads is pleasing.

Carrying out the road work itself is not annoying either - all narrowings of the roadbed have a full range of markings, and in the most difficult sections there are detour roads with temporary markings, which are also distinguished by high quality coverage.

From a driving point of view, driving in Belarus, at first glance, is no different from Russia. However, there are some nuances here.

In particular, the effect of a road sign extends not to the first intersection, but to the first designated intersection, that is, the one at which the corresponding sign is installed. This should also be kept in mind.

In the Republic of Belarus, it is very important to remember that priority goes to those drivers who are already moving in a circle, unless otherwise specified by road signs.

Speed ​​control in the Republic of Belarus is very strict and can result in a number of problems for Russians who expect impunity. Thus, a fine for speeding, calculated in so-called “basic values”, can be very impressive.

In addition, a citizen who has violated traffic rules, no matter what country, is entered into a single database, and subsequent speeding by more than 25 kilometers per hour can result not only in a fine, but also in the deprivation of “rights.”

Separately, it is worth mentioning systems for automatic video recording of violations. There are quite a lot of “cameras” on the roads of Belarus; they are installed in almost every locality, near which there is a corresponding designation.

The State Traffic Inspectorate of the Republic of Belarus uses very modern systems that take pictures from the rear of the car. Such complexes are practically not detected (the latter “detect” their activation only at the moment of direct passage and, as a result, do not allow the vehicle to be braked in a timely manner).

Previously, Russians may not have been afraid of “chain letters,” but over the past year the situation has changed radically. In particular, at the main checkpoints between Russia and Belarus, cameras are being installed that pre-record the license plates of passing cars.

If a car has a fine issued by the automatic system, traffic police officers will stop the car and may require payment of the fine before leaving the country.

Another important point is very severe sanctions against drivers who abuse alcohol. Initially, the driver's license is taken away from the driver who gets behind the wheel and a large fine is imposed.

A repeated violation leads to the fact that the traffic police confiscates the violator’s car, which turns into state revenue and goes under the hammer. Moreover, this law also applies to citizens of other states - there are corresponding agreements between Belarus and Russia.

Communication with employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate in Belarus also differs in some nuances. The main one lies in the fact that in most cases it will not be possible to hand over a bribe to a traffic police officer.

This was achieved in the republic because “traffic cops” have very good salaries and can easily get a real sentence without the right to subsequent work in government bodies if they try to increase their income at the expense of a car enthusiast.

However, on the most “popular” routes among Russians, there are rare cases (in three years of frequent trips, the author of these lines only encountered this once) of abuses by traffic police inspectors.

These abuses consist in the use of the laws of Belarus in relation to Russians who are not familiar with them. This applies to tinting on the rear windows, which, according to local law, is completely prohibited.

This aspect applies only to vehicles registered in the Republic of Belarus, and if the inspector tries to impose a corresponding fine on you, you can safely invite him to go to the head of the traffic police of the relevant area or threaten to file a complaint with higher authorities.

This will be enough for the zealous servant of order to reconsider his decision. In fact, these are the only difficulties that you can encounter while traveling.

Main holiday destinations in Belarus

In most cases, Russians prefer to relax in the central part of Belarus, where most attractions and holiday resorts are located.

Braslav Lakes are no less popular, notable for their beauty and the presence of a huge number of health resorts. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is slightly less popular, which is due to its relative remoteness.

Regardless of the choice of travel destination, trips around Belarus leave a favorable impression, and the tourism infrastructure in the republic is at a very high level.

When preparing for a trip to Belarus, we recommend

Those who know me personally will not be surprised if I once again sing praises in the style of “I adore the country of Belarus” and say that going there on vacation is very right and good!

I share my experience. I am writing my opinion. Briefly, about 40 minutes :)

I’ve been to Belarus three times, and I’m going to visit again. I love this country so much that I want to live there - the only thing that is preventing me from doing this now is only business and projects that require my presence in Moscow for now :) So let's go forays for now!

In this topic, I will not spill my thoughts all over the tree and will try to be more compact.

General.

Money:

Take your card with you. Paying with it is really noticeably profitable, and payment machines are available almost everywhere (almost all gas stations, hotels mostly (only in the most budget ones with cash. And I’m still in shock about shops - also almost everywhere, even in the most seedy ones)

In general, my advice is to pay by card wherever possible.

Cash, of course, also needs to be exchanged. It turned out to be more profitable to change at Belagroprombank than at Belarusbank (state-owned, like Sberbank, and the colors are the same)

We remember that the Banks' work schedule is Soviet. There is lunch, and weekends in the form of Saturday and Sunday. There's a problem with the graphics there - it's the same thing in stores), so just take this into account and you'll be able to avoid surprises :) Believe me, this is not even an inconvenience compared to all the advantages of this beautiful country!

Kmk, it’s more logical to divide the entire budget into three parts, exchange a third in cash, and pay the rest with a card. By the way, if you buy euros in the Russian Federation and exchange them for Belarusian rubles there, it will also be more profitable (I exchanged euros there).

Here's a help to look at/estimate prices:

Petrol- cheap and high quality. A liter of 95 was 7 rubles cheaper in January. But I poured 92, there was no difference at all, not like in the Russian Federation.

Documentation

For Russians, you don’t need anything special with you. Passport for those over 14 years old and birth certificate for those under 14 years old. If minors are not traveling with their parents (at least with one), then they need to have an agreement drawn up with a notary from the parents for their child to travel with the person they are traveling with (I haven’t drawn it up yet, I think the notary has all the details).

On the car - everything that we use in Russia (if not the owner - a notarized power of attorney for driving)

Well, get a Green Card (car insurance like our OSAGO). Moreover, it’s cheaper at home near any insurance company.

Roads

Amazing!

Cool in all respects. Traffic rules must be strictly followed - traffic cops are not corrupt, the fines are serious. But traffic rules in Belarus are logical and correct. Gas stations sell traffic regulations, etc. - buy it, let it be.

M1 is absolutely great! Europe. The speed limit for passenger cars is 120 km/h.

Alcohol

Bourgeois - expensive. Sambuca cost twice as much as in Moscow Auchan.

Belarusian - cheap and high quality. Moreover. In Belarus they make Georgian wines under license - they make them very well and sell them very inexpensively. Georgian wines from Georgia are also sold there, by the way (unlike the Russian Federation), so go to Belarus for Georgian wine, yes! In addition, they also sell Borjomi there, if anyone is interested. And the prices for all this are very attractive.

Pay attention to - Alivaria beer in glass (white unfiltered), Lida beer and kvass, and other Belarusian beer and kvass.

Cool soda with blueberries, megafruit:

Multifruit niale, kmk :)

And lovers of Sheridans/Baileys should take note of this information. If somewhere in restaurants, shops, cafes you come across something like this:

Buy it, it's a cool thing :) I bought it at the Peter restaurant in Kobrin, they told me that it was contraband from Poland :) Well, the status is not important, the essence is important :) It's a soft thing, you can't feel the alcohol, 20 degrees, chocolate-caramel like this: )

In shops

You can write about Belarusian products for months. EVERYTHING there is delicious, high quality, and cheap. A hundred times better than Russian!!! AND EVERYTHING IS!!! The shelves are bursting!!!

Moreover, everything that they bring to us is like Savushkin’s product and so on. No need to buy. Buy what you don’t see in Russia. It tastes better and is cheaper!!! No empty counters or queues, don’t trust our media and you’ll throw the TV in the trash))).

The only product I would particularly highlight is ketchup. ABC seems to be in bags, like milk. It is very tasty. But…. I am forced to refuse to buy it in the future - despite the fact that it is really very tasty, its composition includes certain elements that would be superfluous in the human body. In Belarus it is customary to write the composition honestly.

Judging by the composition, Heinz doesn’t have these (and only) these things, so Heinz rules, so I’ll take it with me, as well as:

Coffee, Tea - take it with you. Because in Belarus they are expensive.

But there are many places where you can buy real German cocoa, an amazingly tasty drink (it’s expensive, 100 grams is about 60 rubles)

Belarusian CHOCOLATE!!! "Spartak" It's just "NO WORDS, JUST EMOTIONS"!!! for 40 Russian rubles you get a bar of awesome chocolate to your taste!!! Real 90% cocoa or milk with almonds, or mint!!! Etc.

And cookies and waffles, of course:)

Catering (restaurants, cafes, canteens)

Everything is great everywhere! Usually.

Well, except for coffee - because for my biased taste as a coffee gourmet, the coffee in catering establishments in Belarus is sooooo weak :)

Cafe "Smile", which I will talk about further below:

Restaurant prices are at the same level as prices in Moscow cafes such as mu-mu or McDucks. It’s more expensive to eat at a McDuck in Moscow than in restaurants in Belarus with alcohol on the bill. In other establishments, accordingly, it is much cheaper. The canteens generally amaze the imagination - you can eat for 60 rubles (Russian Federation) so that it’s difficult to go afterwards)) Moreover, it’s tasty and of high quality, and you can take a couple of cakes with you)))

Housing

And in general, there is a chain of “tourist” hotels operating in Belarus, it’s ambiguous there, because the budget rooms are full of the USSR of the 80s. new ones - nothing wrong, but in the entire network, it seems to me, compared to Belarus as a whole, the prices are clearly a little too high))

In general, you can search for hotels in advance in Belarus either on , or everything is very loyal, it’s also convenient to look for a suitable hotel there. There are even GPS coordinates.

Or using this algorithm:

You go to the Yandex homepage - you interrupt the city, like you are, say, in Bobruisk - Yandex is deceived and thinks that you are in Belarus)) - you enter specifics into the search bar like “Borisov Hotel” - it gives you .

And there at the top is just a list of hotels known to Yandex - you need to call them, because not everyone has a website and, as practice has shown, you just need to call. I don’t know, maybe this is some kind of New Year’s glitch, but it seemed to us that if we switch Yandex in this way, then somehow more information is found, namely Belarusian sites.

On the territory of Belarus there are several, as I called them, travel magnates)) who cooperate with hotels and will always offer you a room - they always have it in stock, only at a slightly different price. Therefore, on their websites there are descriptions of hotels, detailed and all that, but their contacts. Last resort is also an option, of course, but I don’t like paying for something I can do myself :)

There is also such a thing in Belarus as agro-estates or eco-estates, here is an example:

We used it this January in Pruzhany and Kobrin and really liked it.

Many people rent apartments and houses there.

Telephone and Internet

mobile connection Cheap, excellent coverage. We used a package with internet - the internet was excellent! Still used it. There are also no complaints about the quality of the connection (we didn’t use the Internet through it).

Wi-Fi in cities. In Belarus, this is great (in the forest, of course, it is not there, and in small villages, too, for now, but mobile Internet has shown itself to be excellent everywhere there).

It's cheap and the connection is good. Payment by cards that you buy at the post office, for example, or at any hotel reception. It seems that there are also union seals (these are kiosks on which the mysterious word chasopisy is often written))).

If we call Belarus from the Russian Federation (or from a Russian mobile phone):

From Russia, call from a landline: 8 - dial tone - 10 - 375 - area code - local telephone number of the subscriber in Belarus

8 - intercity access

10 - access to international line

375 - international telephone code of Belarus

From Russia to call from a mobile phone: +375-<код города>-<номер телефона>

If we call in Belarus from a purchased Belarusian SIM card to Belarusian phones, everything will be written there in the package. How to call.

Chips

All cities are ancient, many hundreds of years old. The steles in front of them will definitely tell you about this.

Attitude to the monuments of the Great Patriotic War, the War of 1812 and other monuments of history, culture and architecture. Amazing attitude!!! An example for the entire CIS!

This photo is from DisaV:

Catholicism. This means there are a lot of churches and other Catholic paraphernalia. Which means it’s beautiful, festive and positive! :) And gothic))

On the billboards, as a rule, there is either the patriotic “I love Belarus”

Or patriotism on a regional scale:

Flickers.

These are reflective things to make it safer for pedestrians to move along the streets at night. As a driver, I can say that this is an excellent law!

Wear such flickers. Moreover. mutually beneficial.

You can buy flickers of various modifications - bright stripes with Velcro (like the adult version) or various toy characters, and simply reflective toys everywhere. I will definitely take them to the Russian Federation.

By the way. Also, regarding pedestrians, and in comparison with the Russian Federation, the correct thing:

Giant "70" sign on some highways. Divided in half and standing on different sides of the road - it suddenly pops up in the high beams, don’t be alarmed)))

On all roads, every few kilometers there are nice, well-maintained, clean rest areas for motorists.

Drive into the woods to a site where there are gazebos and some other colorful stuff like a giant stork (N 52 43.054 E 24 41.920).

As a rule, there is a toilet and a trash container.

Storks. Alive, in the sense) The country of storks is simple! They don't pay attention to people at all, they go about their own business))

Throughout the country you will be haunted by the symbols of Belarus - the ornament, the cornflower and the Belarusian flag. And often also Bison, Stork and Swans. In the design of everything)

Very beautiful steles. Cities, regions and so on. Everywhere with invention, everywhere something of its own.

There are also many Soviet paraphernalia left on the streets. Moreover, it is carefully guarded, updated and in excellent condition.

Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, both in big cities and in small villages. far from the main tourist and transit routes, both public and private - cute ideas for decorating your living space :)! This is so cool :) And so positive :) A vivid illustration of the fact that what our life will be like depends entirely on ourselves! Wait for mercy from DEZ or go to your yard, under your window and make something cute with your own hands!!!

Or like this, just on the most ordinary roadside in the village of Vorony near Vitebsk there are such copies of the real ones (photo by DisaV):

Websites:

Useful addresses:

Brest, st. Moskovskaya, 210

Bobruisk, st. 50 years of the Komsomol, 33

Vitebsk, st. Beshenkovichskoe highway, 3

Grodno st. Gorky, 91

Minsk st. Kalvariyskaya, 24

Volkovysk cafe-pizza, delicious 53 09.738 24 27.730

If you are in the Zhirovichi and Synkovichi area, be sure to taxi to the Zhirovichi Monastery N 53° 0.950" E 25° 20.597" and have a meal at the refectory there!!! open from 9 am to 6 pm.

It's amazing! Amazingly delicious and almost free!!!

And the assortment is amazing to the point of numbness :)

Well, you can get some water from the Holy Spring in Synkovichi N 53ᵒ 06.985 E 25ᵒ 09.416

I think I told you about the general stuff in a nutshell. I'll add more as it comes in, I think.

Now from personal practice. By city.

ORSHA

The most positive city! A must visit! Low-rise buildings, all houses are painted in gentle, positive, light colors, no dullness or dampness :)

And I’m simply delighted with the Orsha townhouses!!! It seems to me that it is so cozy there, and I really want to live there at least a little :)

Live in a hotel, st. Mira, 11 coordinates from the belhoutel website: 54 30.786""N, 30 25.452""E You can pay by card.

Amazing hotel!!! The quality exceeds the price. They paid 600 rubles for a double room. The quality is clearly higher than ***cat.

Downstairs at the reception you can buy a bunch of all sorts of goodies and white unfiltered Alivaria))), etc. without extra charge. And also a lot of linen products at very reasonable prices.

View from the hotel window (the weather that day, however, whispered “pour it and drink it”))))

Flax - Belarus in general and ORSHA in particular are famous for this, because it is there that the famous flax mill is located (the company store will surprise and shock you even more, with choice, prices and quality - it will shock you positively, of course) N 54 29.420" E 30 23.731" from 9 to 18 on weekdays . There is a canteen and a hotel at the plant (but the hotel is a little cheaper than ORSHA, however, it is completely destroyed)

And in Niko chain stores you must buy smoked eggs!!! - I haven’t seen them anywhere else in Belarus)

The attractions are all there on geocaching. It is very pleasant to walk in the center. There are many cafes, we ate at pizza. We were satisfied.

ORSHA websites

And there are others on the network.

Mogilev

Where to live? Definitely in Korchma!!! Rating "5" and recommendation!!!

This place is worth the money on all counts and more!!! You just need to make a reservation there in advance, there are only a few rooms and there are a lot of people willing :)

Luxurious rooms (***** stars, instead of the stated ***), the price is average, fifteen hundred thousand per room.

A very tasty restaurant, and the whole complex is a MEGA attraction. THERE IS A MUST!!! Especially if you are on a romantic trip together;) or traveling with children!!!

And over the years I will write in more detail about this complex in a separate topic, I really like it :)))

If you happen to be in Mogilev and decide to go to the cinema, Prospekt Mira, 23, I recommend it!! The price and quality will pleasantly surprise you!

And definitely to the square, to the Astrologer!!!

It’s nice to walk around the historical center of Mogilev in general.

Well, you should visit the town hall :)

We ate there in the ISS cafe on Star Square and in some other national cafe in the basement, everything was fine.

Downstairs in the bar there is Belarusian chocolate with mint (and not only) (prices in the bar are the same as in a store, without extra charges)

Vitebsk

I have stayed in this glorious city twice.

This is all our double room was like this in 2010 for 2-something thousand Russian rubles per day:

There is information about this place: st. Suvorova 10/2. Manager: +375-29-515-25-84, Reception: +375-212-23-66-26. We called each other, even made a reservation, but due to bad weather we didn’t get there and settled in Orsha. The prices there are different, we were offered 7 bucks per night, and this is not the minimum price there.

Nice big hotel, good location, in the center. You should ask about the quality of the rooms at the reception desk, they will tell you everything and give you a choice. Parking near the entrance. You can pay by card.

In general, I liked the hotel, although it is far from budget) On the 9th floor, double room 909 is awesome!!! I recommend;)

Next to the hotel, to the right of the entrance is the Department Store - the flavor of the USSR! Cool :) Be sure to go to the toy department there and buy harmless soft toys from the Gomel plant, and there are also souvenirs on the 3rd floor. And on the first stage there is delicious drinking local yoghurt :)

Opposite the entrance to the hotel, if you cross the road, on the left there will be a Guliver cafe (sort of) - it’s tasty and good!

Night Vitebsk is a song! Take a tripod :) I didn’t have a tripod, and I regret it)))

Famous Slavic Bazaar

It's on that stage that everything happens:

This is how the THEME OF THE Cornflower, ORNAMENT AND BELARUSIAN FLAG is revealed:

Vitebsk is full of attractions, information about which is abundant both on geocaching, and on the globe of Belarus and in general on the Internet. By the way, on both links to hotels you can also find interesting and useful information about the city.

We also (in the summer) had great fun at an amusement park at magically low prices - not far from the Slavic Bazaar, under the bridge on the embankment. Oxygen cocktail, cotton candy - immersion in childhood :)

On the same square near the Slavic Bazaar there is:

A jewelry store that sells refrigerator magnets and awesome badges with the Belarusian flag. Jewelry is also at Belarusian prices, I have silver earrings from there for 93 Russian rubles)). Opposite the Slavic Bazaar, you won’t be able to pass by BULBYANAYA either. You can eat there quickly and inexpensively, using the canteen-with-a-tray principle! :)

POLOTSK and NOVOPOLOTSK

Polotsk is the most ancient Belarusian city, and, undoubtedly, it is a must-visit!!! This is one of my favorite cities in BR.

By the way, on the website to which Dvina belongs there is useful information about cafes, for example, and so on.

Certificates for visiting the Center of Europe are sold in the hotel lobby, and the same ones are sold at the post office nearby.

The center itself N 55° 29.083" E 28° 46.567"

Photo again from Denis:

I really liked the potato pancakes and generally everything in the cafe, I don’t remember the name, but it is located at the end of this entire boulevard with the Center of Europe, if you move along it. driving past the Dvina Hotel, leaving it on the right and looks like this: