Things to Do in Belarus

Top Belarus Attractions

Things to Do in Belarus


Top Attractions in Belarus

These rankings are informed by traveler reviewsā€”we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
Military Museums
The Brest Fortress (the Brest-Litovsk Fortress) was one of the fortresses built in 1830-40s to strengthen the western borders of the Russian Empire. It was commissioned on April 26, 1842 and was considered as one of the strongest European fortresses of that period. However it wasn't tested in real battles for a long time. During the World War I the garrison was evacuated according to the order of the High Command and the Fortress was used as a Headquarters of Kaiser's Germany Eastern Front. After October Socialist Revolution Russia became Soviet. On the territory of the Brest Fortress the Soviet government signed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with Germany and its allies (March 3, 1918), declaring the end of the WWI between them. After the Soviet-Polish war the Fortress ceded to Poland and was used as a military cantonment of the Polish Army. When the World War II erupted the Polish garrison was defending the Fortress from German aggressors for 3 days, but had to leave it. In September 1939 the Brest Fortress became Soviet. Two military divisions of the Red Army were stationed here. The Western Bug river flowing through the Fortress became a new borderline between Germany and the Soviet Union. On June 22, 1941 Germany invaded the USSR all along its borders. Units of Wehrmacht attacked the Fortress at 4.15 in the morning and surrounded it by 9 a.m. About 4.000 Soviet soldiers and commanders had to engage in battle with the enemy, having no opportunity to leave the besieged Fortress. The Fortress' Defence was the defence of its separate centres without Headquarters. Only in Citadel (the Central island) the defenders managed to create the united command on June 24, 1941. By the end of June most of the Fortress' territory was controlled by the Wehrmacht, though some defence sectors fought on till July, 12 (the Eastern Redoubt). The last known defender of the Brest Fortress Major P.Gavrilov was taken prisoner of war on July 23, 1941 - on the 32nd day of the war. But there were also other defenders. One of them used his bayonet to the rifle to write his last words on the brick wall of the barracks: "I'm dying, but I'm not surrendering. Farewell to the Motherland. 20/07/41".The Brest Fortress abundantly poured with the blood of its defenders became a sacred place for the people of the USSR. It became a symbol of courage, fortitude and military valor of a Soviet soldier. For the mass heroism shown during the defence, it was awarded the title of the Hero-Fortress (May 8, 1965). To commemorate the perished defenders it was decided to build a Memorial Complex. It was designed and constructed by the group of Soviet architects and sculptors with A.Kibalnikov at the head. The opening ceremony was held on September 25, 1971. The Memorial Complex "Brest Hero-Fortress" is a national shrine of the Republic of Belarus. More than 21 mln people from 120 countries around the world have already visited it. So driving through Brest be sure to see it!
See full details
1
ā€¦

What travelers are saying

  • James S
    United Kingdom34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Museum Strana Mini is a great place to get an overview of many of Belarus' major castles, historical sites and important buildings all in one place! Staff are helpful, the audio guides incredibly informative and the models themselves are really detailed! My one suggestion is that they should consider more signposting outside - we walked past the museum twice as there is only one sign and a cherry-picker was parked in front of it! Other than this, great addition to any itinerary in Minsk!
    Written March 8, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • PinkSnowKai
    New York City, NY21 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is one of the best places in Brest. You can enjoy history and nature at the same time! Make sure you book/go with a guide for all the info.
    Written November 13, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Anna A
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Magnificent place.
    Mir Castle is a place that is currently the hallmark of our Belarus, and in the past - a serious defensive fortification.
    Definetly worth visiting.
    Written January 2, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Kevin Anderson
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The attack on the Eastern front of World War II came to life before my eyes! A museum full of traces of the war between Belarus and Russia, arm in arm, back to back!
    Written October 20, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Igor Alexeev
    Moscow, Russia117,440 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Palace Ensemble in Niasvizh ā€“ the central part of the National Historical and Cultural Museum and Reserve Niasvizh (the others are Niasvizh Town Hall, The Corpus Christi Church and Town Sluck gate). The history of the stone castle began in 1582, under the first ordinate of Nesvizh, Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł.

    In Soviet times, the Nesvizh sanatorium was located in the palace and garden ensemble. In 2001, the Palace ensemble was transferred to the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Nesvizh" and since 2005 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 2012, upon completion of restoration work, the castle was opened to visitors. Nowadays The Palace Ensemble in Niasvizh is one of the most visited museums in Belarus.

    We walked around the castle with interest again, noting for ourselves that since our last visit to the Nesvizh Castle, its exposition has been significantly replenished. The cost of the ticket is, by the way, 15.30 BYN.

    PS. Special thanks to the administration of the Palace Ensemble - for the opportunity to walk around the Palace without tickets. The fact is that the author of these lines managed to lose three tickets somewhere along the way from the ticket office to the entrance of the palace. The Palace administration reacted to the situation with understanding and did not demand the re-purchase of tickets. Thanks again!
    Written February 5, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Glk
    London, UK20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    When in Minsk, take some time to visit this church and to thank God for the privilege of being alive and being lucky enough to be visiting Belarus. This is a truly special place to visit. Not for a picture only. But to remind oneself of the bless that is the human existence.
    Written October 8, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • 5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting place.
    Great tour at the place.
    A lot of historical facts about coins and paper money and history of Belarus
    Recomend it.
    Written September 9, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Vicky Silve
    Abbadia Lariana, Italy697 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This memorialā€™s purpose is to remember the young men who lost their life during the Afghan war (the one between 1979 and 1988). The bronze statues around the monument represent the mothers of these boys, and the crying angel is crying because he couldnā€™t save them from death. Never forget these handsome youngsters whose dreams were shut down by the atrocity and stupidity of war.
    Written July 16, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • B3KFF
    London, UK9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An amazing tribute which is currently being airbrushed from history by far right wing western journalists and politicians. 12 million Russian soldiers died during WW2, for example, and liberated Auschwitz first
    Written August 25, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • OTUK
    Singapore, Singapore63 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the visit. Amazing walk around the river in the summer or spring. Nicely lighted in the night. One of the best places to visit in Minsk
    Written August 11, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Geminican
    San Jose, CA2,119 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Solemn place with sad history. This is truly worth visiting to remember people's suffering and how precious life is. You must be there to experience it yourself to appreciate the thoughts and love that's putting into building this memorial. It's 30-40 minutes outside of Minsk, not easy to get to. Get a driver to get there.
    It's open 24-7 but best time is 10am-3pm.
    Written September 11, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • witston
    Newmarket, UK241 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The theatre is a beautiful building both inside and out. Saw Nutcracker there at Christmas. Just wonderful
    Written December 24, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.