Belarus holidays I specialist travel to Belarus I Minsk city breaks I Belarus tours I visit Belarus
tailor-made specialists - personal service at excellent value for money
! Important !
UK passport holders do need a VISA for Belarus, we can help with this.
"Many thanks for all your help in arranging the Belarus part of my holiday. You, I can and will recommend to anyone who wants to visit the Baltics and eyond". Mr Margalski, Aug 06
To many, Belarus conjures up images of the Soviet Union, a communist regime, 'the last dictatorship in Europe!', concrete blocks and tractor factories... ok, so some of these characteristics do prevail and some are even worthy attractions in themselves, but there's a whole lot more to Belarus...
Minsk, the capital city, provides a fascinating experience. We assure you a Minsk city break is one with a difference. Minsk has a small carefully restored old town, however much of the city is Stalinist style architecture cheered up here and there with parks and the river Svislach. Minsk is a bizarre city where the youth are reaching out to capitalism, but the state clings on to 'the good old days' of communism for its people, whether they like it or not. Friendly locals, a variety of restaurants and bars, fascinating museums, galleries, and top class ballet make this an ideal city break destination. As the most Soviet city left in the world, visit Minsk now, before western consumerism takes over and it loses its quirky appeal.
Just as Minsk is the centre of Belarusian politics and the mood for change, rural Belarus is the heart of the Belarusian people where change is slow and traditions live on. There is a sense of stepping back in time, to basic agriculture, isolation from the western world. We are working with the local farmsteads and guesthouses to promote trips out in to the countryside, to experience the real Belarus and the friendly local hospitality on offer.
As we say, Belarus is quirky and full of contrasts. There are beautiful medieval castles some abandoned to nature, some that are preserved as UNESCO world heritage sites such as Mir castle. Minsk is remarkably clean and safe, no doubt owing to a strong presence of police and militia on the streets. Those in the cities live in high-rise Soviet blocks, but those in the country live in picturesque wooden houses, gardens full of flowers, fruit and vegetables. All in all, there is a lot to experience in Belarus for those with an open mind, an appreciation of history and the present situation, plus a willingness to join in the local entertainment because they definitely don't lack that!
We will be happy to tailor a holiday to Belarus taking in the main attractions and characteristics of the country.
Belarus is a country on the brink of change, there's no other place in Europe like it. See it in all its unique glory now.
Minsk
discover Soviet-style, witness a city on the verge of major change
Out and about
visit Dudutki open air museum, Mir castle, Nesvizh palace, Khatyn - a sober memorial to WWII
Belavezhskaja Pushcha
the oldest wildlife reserve in Europe, primeval forest, bison, lynx, wolves...
Vitsebsk
the best preserved old town in Belarus, and a city thriving on art & cutlure, birthplace of Marc Chagall
Pripyatsky
national park, trek through the 'lungs of europe', sublimely peaceful nature
Brest
the awesome Soviet era fortress is simply unmissable
Belarus memories... horse and carts and Ladas on the roads, miles and miles of shiny birch forest, the beauty of Mir castle and surrounding nature, pretty wooden cottages with wild flowers and gardens, babushka grandmas all milking their cows at the side of the road, the Great Patriotic War museum in Minsk, being thoroughly entertained at the circus, being invited to join a wedding party in the restaurant and having a night to remember, village shops with vodka and bread, the KGB building in Minsk, shopping at the market in Dynamo Minsk stadium, Belarusian pop music, meeting Lenin, hammer and sickle spotting, fun times in the bars and restaurants, good hearty wholesome food, Soviet memorabilia antique shops, being a millionaire (in Belarusian roubles of course!), bartering for lacquer boxes on the souvenir market, driving along the quiet country roads of Belarus... it's unique fun!
email your enquiry to info@balticsandbeyond.com or call 0845 094 2125 and we will be happy to help you
Baltics and Beyond
1 Amy Street
Bingley
West Yorkshire
BD16 4NE
UK
0845 094 2125
