Where to go in Minsk — 2024: 15 main attractions

It’s coming, syabar!
Many years ago, I saw a photo of the Minsk National Library. It is built in the shape of a faceted diamond or, in a beautiful way, in the shape of a rhombocuboctahedron. Last October, I went to see Minsk and climb onto the roof of the library. I was pleasantly surprised by the city, I didn’t even think that there are so many places to go in Minsk! And in June, she returned here again to inspect the overlooked.

Minsk is an unexpected mix of Soviet monumental architecture and cozy courtyards, art spaces and giant parks. In this article, I will tell you about everything that I managed and did not have time to admire, and how much it cost me.

What to see in Minsk in 3 days?

If you, like me once, are wondering what to see in Minsk? — I recommend making a route in advance so as not to miss all the most popular and interesting things that the capital of Belarus has to offer. In this article, I will present my description of all those cool places that are waiting for you in the city.

For the seed, there will be about:

• Pischalovsky Castle
• Komarovsky market
• The Red Courtyard
• Rakovskoe suburb
• Galleries, museums, temples…

Wow, the names alone arouse interest. Now I will add details, decorate with photos — and now you already find yourself on Air Sales or an Island in search of tickets and hotels!

Station Square and Karl Marx Street

Let’s imagine that you (like me) arrived by train at Minsk-Passazhirsky railway station. We just got out of the car and immediately plunged into the atmosphere of bygone times, and vivid examples of the Stalinist Empire will serve as a “teleport” — the Station Square and the so-called Gates of Minsk: two 11-storey majestic towers.

After passing through the Minsk Gate, you will exit along Kirov Street to Karl Marx Street. Beautiful architectural structures will continue to circle your eyes here, but a scattering of restaurants and cafes will also be added, where it is a sin not to arrange the first Minsk snack (there will be a separate section about food here!).

Independence Avenue

Another street worthy of attention is Independence Avenue. It is so long that in 1 day you can manage to see only it if you set out to complete the avenue completely. What interesting things can be found on the way:

• In the center of the avenue, you can buy provisions at the Tsentralny supermarket, simultaneously admiring the frescoes and luxurious stucco on the ceiling.
• You can look at Lee Harvey Oswald’s house from the side. I’m sure that name has tickled the edge of your long-term memory right now. It’s not the most obvious turn, but this comrade, the finisher of President Kennedy’s life, lived in a Minsk one-room apartment for several years.
• You can also turn to Victory Square with eternal flame and Yakub Kolas Square with a huge monument to the writer himself.
• Minsk GUM, the shady Botanical Garden, Chelyuskintsev Park or the Children’s Railway are others, for some mandatory, for others not, marks on the map of Minsk along Independence Avenue.

A little further away is the National Library with a small park and giant mosaics on the houses opposite.

The National Library of Belarus

This place tops my personal list called “the most interesting places in Minsk”. In the introduction, I have already told you how the library prompted me to come to the city.

There is an observation deck on the roof, at a height of 73 meters. The entrance costs 4 BYN (120 rubles), but the views are per million. The library, of course, still needs to take a couple of steps forward — for example, to put fashionable guys with laptops inside or get their own coffee shop (I’m writing this spoiled trip to Kazan) — but I definitely recommend visiting it, even if the word library bores you.

Komarovsky market

All the most delicious things that grow and are produced in Belarus (mmm, Belarusian sour cream and lard!) can be found, tasted and bought at the Komarovsky market.

This is a large indoor hall in the best traditions of the market and rows of open vegetable and fruit shops in the summer. It is difficult to leave here empty—handed, but it is very easy to be emotionally exhausted. Thanks to the touts! It’s good that there is a metro station next to the market — you can throw your mortal body on the seats of the car and retire to absorb the typed in silence to the hotel room.

Rakovskoe suburb

This is an area in the center that is being actively restored and improved. Previously, there was a bakery on the territory, but now the former workshops are being rebuilt for buildings more relevant to the center of the capital. Entrance tickets are not needed, you can walk and look at the fabulous houses for free.

Theaters

Kupalovsky Theatre — the performances are in the Belarusian language. The most famous is the “Peacock” by Yanka Kupala. The language barrier will not hurt: you can buy headphones, where you will be duplicated what is happening on stage in Russian or English. This is an option where to go in the evening in Minsk for culturally elevated people. I would go, but I would prefer an evening walk around Minsk.

The Opera and Ballet Theater is the largest theater in Minsk. Tourists call it one of the most beautiful theaters in the city. There is a small park with huge trees nearby, where it is pleasant to linger, hiding from the busy Independence Avenue.

Churches

On a patch in the center of the Upper City — an area full of attractions — stretches Freedom Square, and on it is the Minsk City Hall. The building is magnificent both outside and inside, and there are two permanent exhibitions (7 BYN / 210 rubles). On the last Wednesday of the month, a special price is valid — twice as low.

Within walking distance, on the same square, there isThe Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the main Catholic cathedral in Minsk, which is worth a visit.

The Church of the Holy Trinity (St. Roch) is hidden in the courtyards near Independence Avenue. I advise you to approach it from Kozlov Street, between houses 1 and 3, otherwise you will be like me wandering between houses and garages. The church is active, so it is recommended to wear more modest clothes and quiet and humble behavior indoors. There is a peaceful atmosphere around the church, a lawn with ancient tombstones, benches and a playground.

Museums

The House of Freemasons — or the house where they say the meetings of the Masonic lodge were held. Now it houses the State Museum of the History of Theatrical and Musical Culture. You can carefully look around the building in search of secret messages that could have been left to us by representatives of the Masonic lodge who met here in the early 19th century. Cost: from 6 BYN / 180 rubles.

The Museum of Modern Fine Arts in Minsk is a great idea for a weekend visit. Tourists and locals note the thoughtfulness of the expositions and advise to look into this museum. The entrance fee is 7 BYN / 210 rubles.

The building of the National Art Museum struck me with its monumentality and appearance, reminded me of an ancient temple. I didn’t have time to look inside, but the description of the museum is impressive. The cost starts from 8 BYN / 240 rubles.

Hidden in the courtyards of the very center of the city is an ancient manor — the House of Vankovich — restored in the 20th century according to an ancient tradition. In addition to the interior, which attracts with chic and intelligence, musical evenings, meetings with poets and other events are held in the manor. It is a branch of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. The ticket price is 6 BYN / 180 rubles.

Vershy

“Whoooooooo…” they answered me in surprise on Oktyabrskaya Street when I asked how to find the gallery “Sh”. It turned out that she had not been working for several years. But in its place there is another wonderful place — the Peaks — where you can satisfy both spiritual and physical hunger. There is a small showroom inside, where I bought postcards and looked at jewelry made of recycled plastic for a long time. Admission is free.

The best excursions in Minsk

There are a lot of architectural buildings with history and memorable places in the city. In order not to miss anything, you can think about an excursion. I recommend choosing the best excursions in Minsk in Russian on the websites:

• Sputnik8
• The Tripster

Popular excursions in Minsk — 2024:

Where to go in Minsk with children?

Minsk is a big city where it is easy to find entertainment even for the youngest. Here is an approximate list of places to go in Minsk with children (those sights near which I heard happy childish squeals and saw happy parents):

• Children’s Railway

When traveling, I often saw Children’s Railways on the map. The last time was in Yerevan. The place was unusual, but very abandoned. What was my surprise when I discovered that the Minsk road was functioning and how! The road starts working in May and finishes in September. A train ticket costs 6 BYN / 180 rubles for any passenger. Departures are approximately every half hour, the schedule can be viewed on the website. If you arrive earlier, you can spend time at the station eating cotton candy with your child, or try to control the train simulator.

Almost all railway workers are children. Keep the ticket until the end of the trip, the ticket inspector will check it on the way. To the song “Blue Wagon” and the history of the railway, you will reach the final (and only) stop. You can go out and walk on it, the stop is located in a real forest.

• The Cat Museum

Where can I go in Minsk to chat with animals? In the city center, on the third floor of the house on 23 Mezhdunarodnaya Street, an unusual museum lurks. In which families of cats and cats and several kittens live. You can pet anyone you find!

In addition to cats, you can drink tea or coffee in the museum, play checkers, draw and hang your drawing on the wall and take interesting photos. The main purpose of the museum is to find a real home for the kitties. All four-legged animals have passports and vaccinations. I liked the place, but it was a little uncomfortable from the strong cat smell. Cost: 12 BYN / 355 rubles for children and students, 15 BYN / 445 rubles for adults.

• Gorky Park

The capital of Belarus is full of parks that actually look like forests! Gorky Park is located close to the center. Its noticeable “highlight” from afar is the 54—meter Ferris wheel. There are four open booths, the rest are closed. There are often queues for open ones, but it is much easier to get into closed ones. The views are the same, and the photos are great. In addition to adrenaline rides, you can also take an oxytocin walk along the embankment of the Svisloch River in the park.

• Minsk Circus

One of the buildings on Independence Avenue. The circus hall is designed to show both water extravaganzas and aerial performances. Before the performance, you can take a walk in Gorky Park, which is adjacent to the circus. The event poster can be viewed on the circus website. Prices for performances in 2024 start from 17 BYN / 500 rubles.

My route for 3 days in Minsk

Before the trip, I interviewed all my friends from Minsk, where should I go for a walk in Minsk and what interesting places worth visiting should be marked on the map in my phone. Everyone advised that the first thing to do in Minsk was to go to the Nemiga district and Independence Avenue. These places are the main concentration of architectural attractions.

What to see in Minsk in 1 day?

Having thrown off my backpack at a friend’s house, I decided to devote the first day to a walk around the city center.

I got from the Nemiga metro station directly to the square on March 8 and walked around. I noted for myself (and a future article) that an independent trip to Minsk should definitely include this area in the route. Here you can walk endlessly along the wide river, see flocks of ducks and skyscrapers.

If you walk along the Svisloch River, through Victory Park, you can reach the Palace of Independence — the official residence of the President of Belarus. I did this route in Minsk on my first trip, but it took me a whole day. The distances in Minsk are commensurate with those in Moscow. If this is your first time in the city, I advise you to go to the right, towards the Island of Tears, followed by the Trinity suburb.

The Osmolovka district is located a little further away. It is unlikely that I would have gone to these parts (I do not remember that I would have met this name in guidebooks), but my friend from Minsk advised me to see this area first of all. Low apartment buildings, tall trees in courtyards, cozy coffee shops. The place has sunk into my soul, I would like to return there.

In the evening we went to stand-up at the Stand Up Comedy Hall. After grabbing food from the Sandbox food court, we came to the Tinder Ultimate show, and I laughed until I cried. I highly recommend it! An excellent leisure format and a place to go cheap in Minsk.

What to see on the second day in Minsk?

If Minsk is absolutely clear to you, and you are looking for only one thing here — peace, tranquility — then you can go on a trip outside the city. What to see in Minsk in 1 day? In summer, you can go swimming on the Minsk Sea one day. The Zaslavskoye reservoir, as the sea is officially called, is crowded and equipped with a large number of beaches. A more peaceful place for solitude with nature is the Vyacha reservoir.

The first time I studied Grodno, when I was choosing where to go from Minsk, because I did not know about the castles of Belarus at that time. If I were making a plan now “what to see in Minsk in 3 days”, then the first thing I would do would be to visit the castles.

To get to Grodno, I chose the earliest minibus at the bus station, got to the city, took a walk in the center and returned by minibus back to Minsk. The one-way trip took about 3 hours. Which, of course, is a lot. Something similar can be done with Brest, but the way there is already about 5 hours. It will be more convenient and calmer to go with an overnight stay.

What to see in Minsk in 3 days?

I devoted the third day to a walk along Independence Avenue in order to walk to the train station in the evening with pleasant fatigue and take the train home. I started “from the end” by taking the subway to the National Library and returning to the center. The entire avenue is an architectural monument, a unique integral ensemble, which was built before 1955, when the struggle against excesses in construction began in the USSR.
The avenue itself is quite noisy and lively, but if you walk along it like a snake, then you will meet a lot of sights on your way, which I have already mentioned in the text.

My advice

The most important thing is not to forget the WORLD map! Georgian and Kazakh maps can be safely left at home along with maps of the Russian Federation, which are not the WORLD. You can pay with this card almost anywhere. I didn’t use cash at all. Even buns in the transition for 1 Belarusian ruble could be paid cashless.

There is free Wi-Fi in the city, but not always. I did not buy a local SIM card, and, in general, I managed without it. When connecting to public networks, you will be asked to enter your phone number.

Don’t worry about the language barrier. I have not met a single person in Belarus who does not speak Russian.

Once all Belarusians were millionaires, but a few years ago there was a denomination. Zeros were cut off from prices. Now 1 Belarusian ruble is approximately equal to 30 Russian rubles. I knew about it, but I made a lot of unplanned expenses, because the idea of “buying a bun for a ruble!!!” or anything for a ruble excited me.

The city often has signs for the sights of Minsk and tourist maps. Conveniently, you don’t have to make lists of where to go in Minsk. In addition, a red double-decker group tour bus runs around the city. Departure 4 times a day, in 1 hour and 40 minutes you will see the main sights of the city.

Where to go to eat in Minsk? Coffee shops and bars

It is difficult to stay hungry in Minsk. I was tempted by delicious rolls for a ruble in underground passages, and in the city itself there were restaurants and cafes with more substantial dishes. I’ll tell you about those where I particularly liked it.

• Sandbox — how long have you been invited to the sandbox? In the courtyards of the former Horizon factory, a space with street food trucks is hidden, where you can try everything from tacos to coveted pancakes. In addition to the gastronomic delight, you will also find delight for the eyes and minds — various events are held on the site, and the organizers know a lot about entertainment in Minsk. For example, in the New Year’s Eve week, warm tents and ice figures are erected on the site to prolong the winter fairy tale.
  Address: Kuibyshev str., 45.
• Oktyabrskaya Street — or another cluster of delicious places near Pervomaiskaya metro station. The former factory buildings are covered with murals (giant graffiti), and behind every door there is a cafe or restaurant. In Laika, I and the tourist guests liked sandwiches and coffee the most, pancakes in the Depot, and you can finish with coffee at Kitchen Coffee Roasters.
• Marx and coffee — This coffee shop became the cherry on the cake of my visit to Minsk. Friendly and sociable staff, delicious desserts, trendy books with minimalistic design, interesting postcards. Coffee and a little bookish, as they call themselves. I rested here body and soul and charged my phone during my walk along the bustling Independence Avenue. The juice and cheesecake cost me 12 BYN / 350 rubles. I recommend this cafe in Minsk, but if the atmosphere does not suit you, you can find other places to have a snack on Marx Street.
  Address: 11 Karl Marx Street
• Soup culture is an unusual place to go to eat in Minsk, I got into my soul during my first trip. It serves soup in a glass of bread. It is convenient to turn off while walking along Independence Avenue or after visiting the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity. It’s a great opportunity to clink glasses with a friend with a cup of soup, not alcohol.
  Address: Kozlova str., 5
• The Red courtyard is located in the back streets of the very center. I advise you to walk along Revolutionary Street and turn into a cozy and quiet place with a European vibe, where you can take great photos. You can sit here at the Blue Goat restaurant.
  Address: Revolyutsionnaya str., 7

Note: you can get more names and recommendations for a Minsk city tour in our separate article-a city guide!

And you can drop into the bars of Minsk even in the format of an excursion. A tour of Minsk bars in the format of a quest game with welcome shots will turn an ordinary evening into an adventure with new acquaintances. Plus, in the evening you can ask the guide all the questions that have accumulated during the day.

And if you are hungry, then the excursions will show you a delicious Minsk. With a guide, you will try mochanka, vereshchaka, zhur, sorcerers and draniki, berry kulaga, leafy leaves and other incomprehensible words.

Where is the best place to stay in Minsk?

Metro lines have been successfully laid in Minsk, which make it convenient to move around the city, so you can live in any area. But if you want to walk, I recommend choosing the so—called areas in Minsk for tourists – namely the Nemiga district, the Upper Town, Troitskiy, Osmolovka, sunk into my heart, Svislochsky, Kupalovsky and Vokzalny districts.

You can select a hotel, hostel or apartment on the same sites that work in Russia:

• Daily. is an excellent replacement for Airbnb with a huge selection of apartments and rooms for rent
• Ostrovok is a specialist in hotels and hostels
• Yandex.Travel is the second specialist in hotels and hostels

I’ll sketch out some nice housing options from each site:

✔Urban Hostel (from 1600 rubles per night) — I almost always travel solo and often stay in inexpensive hostels in the city center. For me, the main thing is to conveniently walk to any place, and I consider the opportunity to meet different people in the kitchen to be their great advantage. Near the Nemiga district, I liked this hostel with excellent reviews.

✔️ Two—bedroom apartment on Nemiga (from 6000 rubles per night) – an apartment in the center, within walking distance from the main streets, with snow-white interiors and impeccable reviews.

✔5* Renaissance Minsk Congress Hotel and SPA Center (from 10,000 rubles per night) is one of the best hotels in the city. Its “highlight” is the spa area with a swimming pool and sauna, where you can relax after long walks.

How to get to Minsk?

If you have already sketched out a plan for where you can go in Minsk, but you have not yet decided on the issue of moving yourself to Belarus, then this section is for you.

There are many ways to get there — but how else can it be with a friend state? I used an airplane and a train on my trips.

1. Train
The train seemed to me the most convenient way to get from Moscow. The train station in Minsk is located close to the center, and in Moscow trains arrive at the Belorussky railway station. Besides, there are night flights.

Belarus is a country where you can go without a visa. On the way from Minsk to Moscow, we were warned that they might look at our passports in Smolensk, but this did not happen, and I even managed to get enough sleep.

2. The plane
A flight from Moscow costs from 4,200 rubles one way. The further into Russia, the more expensive the flights are — a direct Novosibirsk-Minsk ticket costs from 12,000 rubles one way.

It is very convenient to get to Minsk airport, from the bus station there are routes directly to the airport (5-6 BYN; that is, Belarusian rubles or 150-180 Russian rubles). You can order Yandex.A taxi ride to the center costs an average of 40 BYN (1200 rubles).

3. Bus
Buses also leave for Minsk from Moscow every day. This is the cheapest way to get there, there are flights from 1,900 rubles one way. But the travel time is about 10 hours.

4. The car
720 km to Minsk from Moscow can be completed in 8-10 hours. Motorists praise the M1 highway and advise to buy a “Green card” before traveling (Belarusian CTP).

To summarize! Where to go in Minsk and what to see in 3 days? In principle, three days is enough to see the city “galloping through Europe”, and you are already planning your next trip, leaving some of the sights for the future. I would recommend coming to Minsk for a week and more than once. He surprised me with the number of sights, the kindness of the people I met, the breadth of the streets and the delicious food. Hopefully I can come back here for the third time to see more, especially outside the city.

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