Minsk is quite an attraction for tourists and travelers, but not all of its beautiful and interesting places are widely known. Locals and visitors can see the sights of Minsk, just strolling through the streets or in the format of organized tours. In the capital of Belarus (formerly Belarus) for travelers there are many exciting ideas how to spend time with pleasure.
Top 12 Sightseeing in Minsk
The city is a major transportation hub and the cultural, scientific, political and economic heart of the country. This leads to a high level of infrastructure development, the presence of a large number of attractive areas for tourists. Many of them are sure to please not only adults, but also young children. Interesting places in Minsk are varied, you can find cultural and historical monuments, as well as entertainment complexes and beautiful scenic nature.
Below are the most interesting places that are worth seeing when you visit Minsk.
Tourist route to the sights can begin with a tour of the main part of town. Here is concentrated its main infrastructure, you can see a lot of architectural structures.
Minsk is rich not only in beautiful buildings and historical monuments. Thanks to the large number of park areas and lush landscaping, you can enjoy nature walks. For example, you can walk along the embankment of the river Svisloch, where everything is adapted for a pleasant walk. The streets boast its cleanliness, so even in the most crowded part you can take a pleasant stroll through the alleys and the promenade in the fresh air.
In the center you can find many attractive addresses, but to form the most complete impression of the city is worth starting a tourist route on Independence Avenue.
Independence Avenue
Independence Avenue is the main street of the city with a long and complicated history. It is near this street is concentrated most of the structures that attract tourists, which should definitely be visited.
The avenue itself is a very long and wide street, the buildings on which represent mainly the architecture of the Soviet postwar period, as after the war the street was restored almost from scratch and the ancient architectural monuments are almost not reconstructed.
During the restoration, perennial lindens were planted along the street, which were brought here not as seedlings, but as full-grown trees.
Victory Square
Located on Independence Avenue. The square, named after the great victory, is dedicated to the feat of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
On the square is the Victory Monument – a 40-meter granite obelisk. At its base, the eternal flame burns.
The square is attractive as a historical memory, people come here to honor the memory of heroes, to lay flowers at the foot of the monument.
Red Church
The Church of St. Simeon and St. Helen was built in the early 20th century at the expense of Edward Voynilovich and his wife Olimpija. It was erected in memory of their children who died at an early age.
The building was built entirely of red brick in the neo-Gothic style. The sketch for its construction was a drawing by Edward Wojnilowicz’s daughter, in which she depicted a castle from her dream. Near the entrance is a sculpture of the Archangel Michael.
The Red Church is distinguished not only by its original appearance and unusual history, but also by the objects stored there. In addition to the ashes of the founder, it contains significant religious relics, including a copy of the Shroud of Turin, a cross and the cap of Pope John Paul II. There is also a library of old books, numbering about six thousand volumes.
Yakub Kolas Square
In 1972, one of the most famous and revered national writers of Belarus, Yakub Kolas, had a monument erected on the square named after him.
It consists of three parts: a sculpture depicting the poet himself and two other sculptures depicting the figures of his literary heroes.
There are birches and blue spruces in the public garden on the square. Thanks to this, the architectural monument and the square look great in winter and summer.
Museum of Aviation Technology
A very interesting open-air museum. There are more than thirty different models of planes and helicopters. You can not only view the exhibition, but also go inside any exhibit, sit in it, consider all the internal details of aircraft.
Both children and adults can get a lot of impressions, sitting in the pilot’s seat and looking at the technics and design of flying machines in detail.
National Library
The construction attracts attention first of all by its unusual architecture. Its walls are made of glass. The National Library looks like a huge polyhedron, shaped like a diamond.
At night the structure is lit from the inside, which looks very beautiful and very unusual. The building has become one of the city’s symbols, an original architectural structure and an important repository of nationally significant books.
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
One of the most beautiful buildings on Freedom Square is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral was erected in the 18th century in the typical Baroque style of the era. After the war it lost its status as a religious shrine and was used for various secular purposes, but in the late 20th century the cathedral was reconstructed and consecrated.
Now its exterior and interior decoration perfectly recreates the atmosphere of the Baroque era. The cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings in the capital.
Old Town
On the map of Minsk attractions can be found in the center as well as on the outskirts of the city and its suburbs.
After seeing the sights of the central districts, it is worth paying due attention to the old Minsk. It is here you can see the ancient architecture, walk through the old streets and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Belarusian traditions of the past.
The heart of the old city can be deservedly considered the Trinity Suburb. It perfectly preserves the atmosphere and spirit of the 19th century. The cozy cobblestone streets are rich in historical monuments. In old Minsk there is a large number of cozy restaurants, shops and cafes, where you can order national dishes, buy souvenirs and just immerse themselves in the atmosphere of antiquity.
It is also home to one of the most important cultural buildings – the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater.
Parks and gardens
Minsk residents and guests have at their disposal a huge number of public gardens and alleys, fully equipped for comfortable recreation. You can have a great time just strolling, having fun, playing sports, participating in excursions.
Among all the variety, we can distinguish the following most significant and popular parks:
- Trinity Mountain Square. The most beautiful square of the Trinity Suburb. It is here, in the center of the square, that the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater is located. The square is equipped with fountains, cozy paths. All kinds of vegetation grows around it, beautiful lanterns and sculptures are installed.
- Gorky Park. The Central Gorky Children’s Park is located in the center of the city near Victory Square. It occupies almost thirty hectares. The park is a true monument of landscape art. On its territory grows ancient trees, rare plants. The park has amusement rides and provides many activities for adults and children.
- Victory Park. The park covers about 150 hectares of land and water. The picturesque nature of Lake Komsomolskoye, the natural reserve of Ptichy Island and Komsomolskiy Island are in harmony with the developed infrastructure of the park. It is equipped with beaches, sports fields, the park is great for recreation and entertainment, as well as for hiking.
- Kurasovshchina Park and the ski center “Sun Valley”. A great place for walks, recreation and outdoor activities at any time of year. In summer you can visit the landscaped beaches, and in winter the ski center. Even warm enough winters allow you to enjoy skiing, thanks to the fact that the park is equipped with installations for artificial coating of slopes with snow.
- Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The garden is of particular importance and significance to the entire country. In the greenhouses of the garden there is a huge variety of beautiful plants from all over the world. Aquatic plants are grown in a pond in the garden. The area is equipped for comfortable recreation, installed gazebo, benches. The garden is open to the public all year round and tours can be booked for adults and children.
Dudutki
The outskirts of Minsk are worthy of no less attention than the city itself. Here you can visit attractions such as museum complexes, relax in nature. Interesting projects among travelers are as popular as masterpieces of building art and natural landscapes.
The open-air museum complex preserves many historical exhibits in the natural setting. The world of ancient crafts and technology, ancient household items and even national dishes that can be tasted are revealed to visitors.
A fascinating journey through the complex will not leave indifferent neither adults nor children.
Sea of Minsk
Zaslavsky Reservoir is called the Sea of Minsk for its scale. It’s a great place to spend time with any group. The reservoir is located near Minsk and is both a picturesque corner of nature and area with developed infrastructure.
The pond is great for summer and winter fishing. Developed infrastructure for the convenience of tourists: you can ride a boat, visit cafes, cozy squares, have fun and just have a good rest.
Boulder Museum
Very unusual and peculiar composition in the park recreation area. Represents a map of Belarus, on which boulders indicate the main cities, paths – rivers and main roads. The stones that make up the composition were brought from the regions of the country that they represent. Also with the help of artificial elevations and recesses recreated terrain relief.
Where to relax with children in Minsk?
The city is well suited for family time. All conditions have been created here for exciting and informative leisure.
Perhaps one of the most exciting trips for a child will be a children’s railroad. 4 kilometers of train tracks with small cars, which are scaled-down copies of real trains. These trains are operated by students of the school of young machinists.
You can also visit the zoo or take your children to a show at the Belarusian State Circus.
In Minsk Dolphinarium “Nemo” operates, where you can see the spectacular shows, listen to informative lectures about the behavior and physiology of marine animals, under the supervision of an instructor to swim with dolphins.
The Open Ocean Center for Oceanography has five rooms, each devoted to one of the oceans of the planet. Here you can see representatives of marine fauna from around the world.
Choosing the best route in Minsk
Depending on what time of year the trip is made, you can choose different places to visit. In the summer and fall will be most picturesque alleys and squares, many of them are also beautiful in winter. In the cold you can walk through the picturesque streets or visit the ski center.
On the interesting places of Minsk can be a variety of excursions, participating in which you can learn in detail the history and culture of the area, walking through the most important places of the capital. If you are interested in the question of what you can see in Minsk on their own, you can easily find a lot of interesting places to visit without a guide. Walking or taking public or private transportation would be good for this.
If you wish, you can view photos with descriptions of the sights of Minsk and its surroundings, to choose the most interesting and picturesque places.
It’s not difficult to orientate yourself in Minsk. All major attractions are easily accessible by subway or bus. You can get to the suburbs by train. Many subway stations and public transport stops have names with monuments and landmarks, which will also help navigate the route and easily get to the right address.
Video overview of the sights of Minsk
The history of the capital of Belarus is several centuries old. Over such a long period of existence, it has experienced many events that have had a significant impact on its current appearance. In the Great Patriotic War, it earned the title “Hero City. During the war most of it was destroyed and most of the buildings were built in the postwar years. Because of this, the architecture of the Belarusian capital is represented mainly by buildings built in the style of the Soviet period. However, some historical monuments are still preserved, and thanks to the reconstruction today you can see quite ancient architectural structures of different eras.
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