Minsk, Belarus

DAY 1: Arrive Minsk

Transfer airport – hotel.Hotel check-in.Minsk is a Capital of the Republic of Belarus, and it’s located in the central part of the country. For the first time Minsk was mentioned in 1067.

Almost completely rebuilt after destructive World War II, nowadays it has wide streets, large parks, beautiful architecture, nice bars and restaurants. Minsk offers almost everything you need from a modern city, whether you came on business or enjoy weekend.

Dinner at restaurant.Overnight at hotel.

DAY 2: Minsk

Breakfast.Minsk city-tour.Lunch.Then followed with Excursion to Dudutki – open-air museum of crafts.

Start your day at Minsk City tour – During the city tour you will have an opportunity to get acquainted with the most famous places of interest in Minsk:

• Victory Square – one of the main monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. In the center of the square there is a 40 m high obelisk with the Victory order on the top.
• TroetskoePredmestie – the historical part of Minsk that survived after the destroying Great Patriotic War. This place will give you an idea what the town looked like in the past.
• Minsk City Hall – was a symbol of the Magdeburg right that the city received in 1499. It was reconstructed in 2003 on the same place where it stood from 1582 until 1851 when it was destroyed.
• City Gate – two symmetrical buildings across the street from the railway station that could be perceived as a gate to the city for the visitors arriving by train or by bus to Minsk.
• Independence avenue – is the main thoroughfare of the city crossing Minsk from the south-west to the north-east. Only 10 houses survived on the avenue after the Great Patriotic War. Now it’s the main avenue of Minsk.
• National Library – 25-storied building in shape of a diamond, that is one of the most substantial projects in modern Belarus.
• Red church is the Roman-Catholic church of St.Semeon and St.Elena.
• Independence Square – is one of the biggest squares in Europe (half of the kilometer in length).
• Island of tears – the monument that was opened in memory of the sons of Belarus who died beyond the bounds of the country in the Afghanistan War.
• Museum “Strana Mini” – museum with miniature copies of Belarusian attractions.

The museum complex of Dudutki dedicated to ancient folk crafts and technologies! You will have an exciting trip into the world of the age-old manners and occupations as well as the tasting of distinctive Belarusian dishes and horse-riding. The museum is located 40 km far from Minsk, in Pukhovichi district, in a picturesque place near the Ptich River, kilometer and a half away from the village of Dudichi.

Duration: ~5 hours

Location: ~ 40 kilometers from Minsk

Dinner.Free time.Overnight at hotel.

DAY 3:Minsk

Breakfast.Full-day excursion “Mir-Nesvizh”.Lunch at restaurant in Nesvizh.

Both castles are worth seeing, especially considering the fact that they are located not far from each other (34 km), and 109 km far from Minsk. Mir Castle is a unique monument of Belarusian architecture. It is included into the UNESCO List of World Heritage. It was built in the Gothic style at the end of 15th – early 16th century. The Castle is a square building with the towers at its corners. One of Mir’s towers was a go-through and had a drawbridge and iron lattice that could stop a sudden attack easily. The castle represented an unassailable fortification – its walls were protected by two rows of loop-holes and towers were adjusted to shooting from heavy guns. The Mir’s underground system of communication is so large that some of its parts have not been investigated yet. According to one of the legends, a faithful servant of the lord hid the treasures in one of the numerous underpasses of the castle and exploded the entrance. And now people believe that there is a ghost in the castle that guards the treasures and frightens the visitors of Mir Castle. Nesvizh is one of the oldest and most mysterious cities in Belarus. At the end of the 15th – early 16th century the Radzivilles began the construction of a new castle on the place of the previous one made of wood. The beauty and splendor of decoration of the new residence could have left many royal courts far behind: parquet flooring made of the most valuable sorts of wood, stucco ceiling and gold-plated or painted walls. Nesvizh Castle also has its ghost – the Black Dame strolling along dark corridors of the palace during moonless nights.

Duration: ~10 hours

Location: Mir Castle ~ 90 kilometers from Minsk, Nesvizh Castle is about 30 from Mir Castle.

Dinner at restaurant in Minsk.Overnight at hotel.

DAY4 : Minsk- Departure

Breakfast in hotel.Hotel checkout (before 12:00). Transfer to the airport.