We asked people who visited Belarus about their impressions from visiting this country. They were impressed, indeed! So did we by their answers.

Traveler from Leon, France. Visited Belarus in November 2017.

Привет (it means “hello” in Russian). I didn’t have many expectations before I went to Belarus. Actually, I had no expectations at all as well as I didn’t have any image of Belarus in my head. I also didn’t google much nor read about the country beforehand.

How surprising I was when (like it often happens in such cases) the place just blew me away!

Normally, getting a visa can be pretty difficult and time-consuming with all the invitations, reservations and insurance – but now thanks to visa facilitation there is an opportunity to stay in Belarus 5 days without making it [MeetnGreetMe already wrote about it, check out this blog post].

I spent there 4 days and can say that this time is just more than enough to see all the sights of Minsk (the capital city). I even managed to visit the Mir Castle complex – it is an extremely beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site surrounded by an old park. I advise you to buy tickets and go inside to look at the art objects, furniture and decoration of past centuries.

Later, I found out that there is also a beautiful Nesvizh Castle nearby (less than 30 km from Mir). I wish I visited it either. In case you have spare time, it will be reasonable to pop into it, too.

As for Minsk, it seems like a calm, cheap, clean and safe place to live in. I rented an apartment near Gorky Park (it is situated in the city center) and found the neighborhood really nice!

I paid a visit to the National Art Museum, Art Belarus Gallery and Lebyazhy Waterpark.

I even went to see a movie in Pobeda cinema – I am learning Russian, but I barely understood anything. Maybe it is the right reason to return here in summer and attend a language school, who knows? :))

 

Traveler from Katowice, Poland. Visited Belarus in January 2018.

I decided to come to Minsk on a weekend after my business trip to Vilnius, as it is located not so far away (3 hours by train). And, to say the truth, Minsk impressed me more than Lithuania’s capital – it looks more modern, vibrant, full of interesting people and places.

On my first day a wonderful MeetnGreeter Katya was my guide (thank you so much!). She showed me the center of the city (Vierchni Horad was my favorite one – this is Minsk historic center dated back to early 19th century) and provided me with lots of historical details! She also guided me through several best coffee places. I am a coffeehouse owner, so it was super interesting to compare the ambiance, service and, surely, the coffee itself. And, honestly, the coffee culture is very developed in Minsk, there are plenty of places to go. The price varies from 2 to 3,5 euros per cup.

On the second day, I discovered the city myself: shopped, walked around and went to several snack bars and pubs. The most popular nightlife street where all the young people hang out is called Zybitskaya. There is even a building there that encompasses something like 16-18 bars in it.

My happy observation: lots of new constructions, mostly good service, interesting Soviet architecture in the center and overall feeling of safety.

Belarus impressed me, and in a positive way. It was different from what I expected and also different from all the countries I’ve seen so far (even comparing it to Russia).

 

If you are planning your visit to Belarus, don’t forget you can always count on our local MeetnGreeters. No matter what your goal is – to visit all the best shops, watch the ballet, organize an event or go skiing, you’ll receive the most personalized approach ever possible!

And don’t forget to check out our other posts about Minsk and Belarus – we worked hard to collect all the most interesting and useful information especially for you!