Belarus is a beautiful country with strong and kind people, that has been through, and continues to go through, a lot. Currently ruled by an authoritarian dictator, and still suffering after-affects of radiation fallout from the Chernobyl disaster 35 years later, we might hesitate to visit in person, so it is perfect that our visit this week is virtual. I am including videos and virtual tours whenever I am able to find them. Thanks for tagging along - Hope you enjoy!
Mapwork by @Slalice_Draws
TRAVEL & ACCOMODATIONS
As most of our excursions are planned for in and around the capital city of Minsk, we will begin by choosing accommodations right downtown in the city, and will plan any travels from there whenever we plan to travel outside the city. We will also be staying in two other areas of the country for short visits as well.
From Berlin, Germany, travel will be pretty straightforward. Most airlines can get us there, with significant layovers in the middle of several hours. However, Belarus's airline, Belavia, offers a direct flight that will get us there in only 1 hour and 45 minutes. Roundtrip flights right now for this journey average approximately 225 Euros.
When we arrive in Minsk, we will be staying in the lap of luxury at the Hotel Europe, which is located right downtown and is currently offering rooms at less than 100 Euros per night.
When we travel to the western side of the country, we will stay overnight at the Belovezhskaya Pushoha Hotel Complex.
When we travel to the southeastern part of Belarus to tour the Chernobyl exclusion zone, we will need to stay overnight, and we will work with the tour company that day to help us find accommodations in that area.
ITINERARY
We will begin our visit by exploring Independence Avenue - which claims to be the longest street in Europe at 15 km (9.3 miles).
Along the way, we will be sure to take in some of the amazing street art and murals that decorate downtown Minsk. If we are fortunate enough, we will have arrived during the annual Belarus-Brasilian Festival that celebrates this colorful and beautiful art.
The National Library of Belarus in Minsk is very well-known and large, but the size of the library is not its main attraction. The architecture automatically draws the eye, and is very polarizing. It has been recognized by some as the world's most ugly building, and by others as the most beautiful. Either way, it is an attraction, for sure, and you can take a virtual tour or climb to the top of the observation deck, as well as enjoy its nightly light show!
If you are anything like our family, your visit to Minsk won't be complete without a stop at the Cat Museum! They raise money and find homes for homeless cats from the streets of Minsk. We can check out the cat related art and visit with (and even take home!) some furry friends during our time at the museum.
Next up we will be visiting the 3rd largest Botanical Garden in the World when we stop at Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences in Minsk.
Before heading out of Minsk to begin exploring the countryside, a day of old-fashioned fun is in order. We will visit Gorky Park, which is a forested amusement park with an old ferris wheel; several thrill rides and rides for kids and families; an observatory; a planetarium and an ice skating rink!
Just a bit out of Minsk, we will visit the "Historical and Cultural Complex - Stalin Line" Museum. This complex was created in 2005 and, while driven largely by government propaganda, is considered a culturally important site in Belarus and many who have visited it consider it an important stop along their Belarusian travels.
Salt Mine Spas and Salt Mountains
Next, after all of this excitement, we will certainly be ready to relax. We will join visitors seeking a unique treatment from all over the world who travel to Belarus to a unique underground spa in a salt mine in hopes for wellness. The National Speleotherapy Clinic claims to treat all sorts of chronic conditions. We will need to see for ourselves.
While we are visiting the salt spa, we won't be able to miss the nearby artificially created mountains made of salt that have been built as a result of salt-mining over the years.
Now it is time to head a bit west to explore. Our first stop will be our hotel within the famous Belovezhskaya Pushoha National Park. It will be an excellent base camp for us while we are checking out this area. It is also interesting to note that the leaders who assembled to dissolve the USSR did so in this very National Park in 1991.
Day Trip to Brest
From here, we will take a short hop up to the town of Brest where we will explore and check out two particular sites of note. First of all, we will stop at the war memorial complex, "Brest Hero Fortress." The memorial complex is a popular tourist attraction which includes barracks, gunpowder bunkers, forts and other fortifications, the museum of the defense, located on the site of the old fortress, along with the new monumental structures: the Main Entrance, the Obelisk, the Main Monument, and the famous and enormous sculpture "Thirst". Some speculate this sculpture is the largest bust in the world.
After the intensity of this visit, we will be ready to enjoy some authentic Belarusian food. We are fortunate that we can visit Kafe Gagarin, a throwback Soviet Era cafe that is a full and fun tribute to Yuri Gagarin and his space explorations. The food is widely regarded as the best in town!
The book that I read this week (which I will get into more deeply in its own post later this week) really tore my heart in two as it gave me a real insight into the devastating fallout of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. As much as 70% of the radioactive material from the disaster blew in the air from the Chernobyl site in the Ukraine onto the ground in Belarus, and even 35 years later, millions of people are still being regularly negatively affected as a result. It is possible for the public to visit the Chernobyl Exclusion Zones in the Ukraine, but the Belarus government made the decision to close off what is now known as the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, and very few people have accessed the site. Here is a tour that, as of recently, is very occasionally offered to the public.
I found and watched this fascinating video of a small group of people who recently gained access to the reserve for a short tour:
Geographic Center of Europe
Finally, a special note about the City of Polotsk, Belarus. If we were visiting Belarus in person, instead of virtually, it would be hard to justify traveling so far out of our way for this (3 hours north of Minsk), but since we are visiting virtually, we can easily end our itinerary with this special stop. Polotsk is recognized as the geographic center of Europe, and there is a monument there for all of our Instagram needs. The reason this caught my eye is that my husband grew up in North Dakota, and he has told me many times about his family members who grew up in Rugby, North Dakota, which is considered... the geographic center of North America, complete with its Instagrammable monument! This was a fun dot to connect, and it makes the whole world feel just a bit smaller. Here are the two monuments, side by side, as we wrap up our itinerary for our virtual trip to Belarus!
Phew! Such a fascinating virtual trip! What caught your attention the most?
Comments