West Belarus at a Glance
A journey that leads you to Minsk, the old towns of Pinsk and Grodno, castles and palaces in Mir and Neswizh, a primeval forest in a national park and the Fortress of Brest.
Western Belarus offers a lot of history in relaxed cities and towns. You will be pleasantly surprised by the good roads, clean towns and friendly people …
It is also possible to make this tour as a self-drive in a rental car. Or even by using public transport, when we will provide for the necessary tickets. In that case however you would need more time to follow the complete program.
Prices for both these two options are considerably lower than with the full-service program.
Day 1
We warmly welcome you in Minsk – the capital of the Republic of Belarus, its political and cultural centre. It was first mentioned in the chronicles of the XIth century. Today, it is a dynamic city with expansive boulevards, modern and historical buildings, endless parks and well-developed infrastructure. Being an impressive example of the Soviet planning on a grand scale, Minsk however has a number of outstanding historical sights, proving the city’s rich history.
Overnight in Minsk.
Day 2
Sightseeing tour of Minsk includes the main avenues (Independence avenue, Victory avenue) and the architectural monuments of the XVIIth – XXth centuries (the Upper Town with the City Hall, Holy Spirit Cathedral and the Cathedral of Holy Virgin Mary, old streets of the Trinity Suburb). The Victory Monument and the National Library (included into the list of the most outstanding buildings of the world) are waiting to be explored.
Transfer to Grodno via Mir, which is a small town 90 km to the south-west of Minsk. It is most famous for the fairy-tale Mir Castle, still known today as the “medieval flower”. The castle is an impressive architectural monument, included into the list of World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. It was erected at the end of the XVth century and today it is a combination of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture that makes Mir Castle so unique. This red brick castle is also a historical monument, which used to belong to several aristocratic families, who have left their mark in the history of the town and of the country in general.
Transfer to Grodno. Overnight in Grodno.
Day 3
Grodno city tour. The name of the city is tightly connected to the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Indeed, under the rule of Grand Duke Vitautis the town acquired equal status with Vilnius as a second state capital. It also used to be the main residence of the Polish King Stefan Batory in the XVIth century. His influence can be widely seen today in much of the city’s architecture. The most interesting sights of Grodno include the Jesuit Farny Cathedral, Kolozhskaya Church of St Boris and St Hleb, Old and New Castles, Great Choral Synagogue, Sovetskaya Street and others.
Transfer to the national park Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Overnight at the national park in a hotel.
Day 4
Excursion at Belovezhskaya Pushcha – the world-famous park, which is included into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has recently celebrated its 600th anniversary. It is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest which once spread across the European Plain. Some oaks here are really believed to be over 600 years old! The park once used to be a home and playground of Polish princes and Russian tsars, who spent there much time resting and hunting.
Pushcha’s present animal and bird world is very rich and diverse. The reserve is home to around 200 species of bird, including corncrake, eagle owl, white stork, along with 60 species of mammal, including wild boar, wild horses, roaming elk, deer and perhaps most famously, bison, which is supposed to be one of the symbols of the country.
Excursion includes the tour around Pushcha and visit to the Museum of Nature.
Transfer to Brest. Brest city tour. Brest is a traditional “western gate” of the country. It is a calm and relaxed city, with famous Sovetskaya Street and alike boulevards, which are perfect for promenading. But the main attraction of the city is the Brest fortress, which is of course included into the city tour. The fortress made a prolonged defense against the Nazis in 1941 and was ruined in the result of severe battles. Only a handful of men had survived but citizens all over the USSR had been inspired by the heroism of the Brest fortress defenders. Today it is a giant deeply-affecting memorial.
Overnight in Brest.
Day 5
Transfer to Pinsk – the ancient capital of Polyesye, southern region of Belarus along the river Pripyat. It was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1097 as Pinesk, a town belonging to Sviatopolk of Turov. Today Pinsk’s main landmarks include St Francis Monastery and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Roman Catholic Church (one of the oldest religious sites in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), as well as the Jesuit Collegium, which today houses the Belarus Polyesye Museum.
Transfer to Neswizh– a delightful historic town, one of the oldest in the country.
Overnight in the Neswizh Palace!
Day 6
You will visit the magnificent Nesvizh Palace – former residence of the aristocratic Radzivili family, which also includes beautiful park and Farny Roman-Catholic Church of the XVIth century. The complex once numbered around 170 rooms, with a series of underground passages connecting it to the town’s monasteries. Today the exposition of the Palace includes more than 30 exhibition halls, including Prince’s apartments, Golden and Star halls, Hunter’s hall and others.
Transfer to Minsk. Free time in Minsk.
Overnight in Minsk.
Day 7
Departure
At two people the price of this program is €1.450 per person, at four people it is €995 per person. For other group sizes please mail us for an offer.
Included in the offer are:
– Letter of Invitation (LOI) for the visa
– a total of six nights of accommodations in 3* hotels in Minsk (2x), Grodno, Brest, Puscha, plus in Neswish Palace. Breakfast included, stay in TWIN rooms
– transfers during the whole program in a car with driver & guide-interpreter (resp. a minivan when 3-6 people)
– services of an English speaking guide during the whole program
– entry tickets for all museums and sites as mentioned in the program
Not included in the offer are the international flight tickets, the visa, lunches & dinners and services not mentioned. Finally we charge €15 per booking as a contribution to the GGTO Guarantee Fund.
We can offer you this program also on the basis of accommodations & self-drive, including a rental car. An indication of the cost of this budget-tour is €525 per person at two persons. Included are six nights of accommodation including breakfast, your invitation letter and the rent of a car for seven days. The exact cost will depend on the exact period for renting the car, and the type of car.
Excursions are not included in this offer but can be booked with us. Please write to us of an offer.
Finally we can offer this program with the option of travelling by public transport in Belarus. In this case however you would require somewhat more time for this program. The cost will be comparable with the self-ride option.
PLACE |
West Belarus |
DATES |
You determine |
PRICE |
€1.450 p.p. at 2 persons full-service; €525 p.p. indication when self-drive |
LENGTH |
7 days |
Contact
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Telephone
tel. (00)31 23 700 12 22
(00)31 6 47 12 64 09
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Email