Traveling to Minsk has always been on my bucket list, and once you get it in your mind to travel to these places, you will take every opportunity to get there!
Since 2016, the Belarusian authorities have been gradually opening up the country to foreigners. Around 80 countries can travel to Belarus ‘visa-free’ for up to 30 days as long as they enter by air through Minsk National Airport, provide proof of medical insurance (covering €10,000), and €25 per day of stay (up to 30 days).
Where is Belarus?
Good question. In fact, many people asked me that, and they live in nearby countries. Belarus is a land-locked country on the borders of Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine.
Why Travel to Minsk?
Because no one else is right now, and it’s a dream to walk to beautiful, giant streets without hoards of annoying tourists ruining your jam. One of the main reasons that drew me to Belarus was that it’s one of the last countries still lured by its USSR past. That means statues of Lenin everywhere.
The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation. – Lenin
The history of the country is also quite interesting, and I’m a sucker for anything with a seedy underbelly. Many people might recognize Minsk from HBO’s Chernobyl, but the city dates back to the 11th century and has been under Poland and Lithuania, but mostly an annex of Russia since the 1700s. When the USSR formed at the beginning of the 1900s, Belarus got sucked into that mess and never truly got independence until the USSR disintegrated in 1991.
Is Minsk safe?
We get it, Belarus really isn’t known for much other than it’s harsh past. Let me put it this way…according to the U.S. government’s rating system, France is considered a ‘Level 2’ country, which is to exercise extreme caution. Belarus…is a ‘Level 1’ which means proceed as normal. We were two early 30s blonde girls walking around by ourselves even at night, and no one batted an eye or bothered us. You’re fine. ✌️
The vibe in Minsk was not what I was expecting. It’s a city of almost 2 million people, many of those who probably have never traveled outside of Belarus, or much outside of former USSR countries. The days we spent were bright and sunny, so many of the women were dressed in old fashioned sundresses, or outfits you might imagine out of the 1950s. It was really charming and gave the city a ‘small town’ vibe. I was digging it.
Unique Things to see in Minsk
I might as well write blog posts about unique things to do in these countries since I try to get that type of experience. The top attractions in Minsk might not be what you are looking for when traveling to ancient cities of Europe. The allure is more of a recent historical one. I was shocked at how enormous the streets, sidewalks, and squares were! If you’re looking to see a lot of statues depicting the socialist leaders of USSR, look no further – you’ll get all the Lenins, Marx and Stalins your heart desires. Not to mention numerous hammer and sickle symbols decorating the squares.
- The Red Church
- Hipster Industrial Area
- KGB Headquarters
- All Saints Church
- Victory Square
- Independence Square (complete with monumental Lenin statue)
How to get to Minsk?
If you’re from a country that falls under the visa-free waiver for Belarus, you need to fly into the airport. We used their own airlines, Belavia, and caught a €70 flight to Minsk from Kiev, Ukraine (about a 60 minute flight time). I thought their website was so easy to use, and their planes are small but extremely spacious and comfortable. I also used AirBaltic to get back to Stockholm. Can’t say the same about their airlines. My whole trip from Stockholm > Kiev > Minsk > Stockholm cost me around $250.
Where to stay?
There are for sure many euro-trashy hotels in the city that have not quite caught up with modern times. If you’re looking to be in the more modern part of town, check out the DoubleTree by Hilton ($140 per night). I preferred something a bit weirder and about 10 minutes bike ride outside of town, the Beijing Hotel ($110 per night). We took Beijing because it looked AWESOME and was surrounded by beautiful weeping willow trees. It was great!
What to Eat?
We only had 48-hours in Minsk, so it was important to figure out the best places to eat for a great experience. To save time, we actually booked reservations before we arrived in Minsk. Check out my top picked restaurants in Minsk. Foods you need to try:
- Pickled vegetables
- Kletskis (similar to pirogies)
- Machsnka (thick stew served with yeast pancakes on the side to dip!)
- Borchst (classic Slavic soup made from beets, sometimes served cold)
How to get around
Yandex.taxi for the WIN, ya’ll! Your Uber won’t work, so you will have to use Russia’s famous Yandex brand instead. I was totally impressed with how cheap it was, and the app was in English! Note: There is a cash payments option, which I used everywhere. However, one driver had suggested I pay 2 rubles more ($1.50), and then ‘cancelled’ the trip later and tried to stiff the company. I had contacted support, and they were amazingly fast at helping the situation.
Rent a bike or a scooter! We also rented bicycles for our 3-hour bike tour. Near our hotel (Beijing) by the river, there were many bike paths and it was extremely useful for anyone renting scooters (I believe they have only 1 called Eleven)
Go for a jog! We usually ran around 10k a day (ok, I ran about 6k because my friend is a pro and I am lazy). This was one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of monuments or areas you might not see while taking a walk.
