Visit the Dudutki open-air museum
If you want to know more about the culture of Belarus, then you should visit the Dudutki open-air museum. Here you will find traditional handcrafted pieces by locals, and you will learn more about Belarusian carpentry, handicrafts, pottery and even baking. The museum exhibits the cultural items in traditional wood-and-hay houses instead of modern display cases.
You can roam around the museum and see the farms that are still being used in the area. You can even climb the windmill, or ride a horse and explore the rest of Dudutki.
But the main attraction of the Dudutki is the food it serves. You can order homemade cheese, draniki (potato pancakes), bread, kolduni (stuffed potato dumplings), and mouth-watering pork sausages. If you’re up to it, you can even order moonshine, which the locals love to make. But the best part of dining at the museum is that the prices are very cheap.
Enjoy the vibrant nightlife
There are several exciting clubs and bars in Belarus. So if you’re in the mood to party the nights away, then you should definitely check out a few of them, such as Max Show, Reaktor, Alcatraz, and Rakovsky Brovar.
Max Show is one of the most popular bars in Belarus. It used to be a casino and one of the most expensive nightclubs in Minsk. A favorite hangout, Max Show plays music such as Russian disco of the ’90s, and a lot of people, locals and tourists alike, love it. This club is also cheaper than others.
For more than just a fun time at a bar, you can check out Reaktor. This Minsk nightclub is quite spacious; it can accommodate a concert on special nights, so you just might chance upon a great performance by a local musician.
You can also go to Alcatraz, right on Minsk’s main street, beside the Palace of the Republic. The beer here is very cheap, but you have to be careful with the krepkoe pivo, the club’s strongest beer.
And when it comes to brewing beer, Belarus can easily rival Germany. One of the best places to sample Belarus’s brew is at Rakovsky Brovar. This bar has its own brewery, and almost every tour guide or online travel guide encourages tourists to visit this bar for its delicious beer. But it can be a bit difficult to find the place even though it’s located right in Minsk. So be sure to check out the directions online or ask the locals before heading out.
Do some cross-country skiing
If you want to enjoy the scenery in Belarus and do some exercises for your heart at the same time, then you should try cross-country skiing at one of the ski resorts in the country. One popular venue is the Raubichy Olympic Sports complex, which is 22 kilometers (14 miles) from Minsk.
For mountain skiing, you can go to Silichy or Logoysk, both 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the capital. These popular ski resorts also have ice skating rinks.
Visit some of the museums in Minsk
Take in the culture and learn more about the history of Belarus by visiting these museums: the National Museum of Belarusian History and Culture, the Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War, the National Arts Museum, and the Old Belarusian Culture.
If you visit the National Gallery, you will also learn about Belarus’s famous writers, such as Kolas, Bogdanovich and Kupala.
Bask in Belarusian art
Theater and the arts receive high esteem in Belarus. Much of the country’s masterpieces enjoy state protection and are widely showcased in libraries and museums. Classic Belarusian drama and music are regularly performed in the country’s many theaters and concert halls. Modern art exhibitions are also frequently held in the country and are quite accessible to locals and tourists alike.
To see the largest collection of Belarusian art, go to the National Museum of Art, the Polotsk art gallery, or the Vitebsk Art Museum.
For classical music performances – which, by the way, consistently draw large audiences in the country – you can check out the performance schedules of some of the country’s most popular orchestra groups, which include the Christy Golos vocal band, the National Concert Orchestra of Belarus, and the Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus, among many others.
For theater, you can find ballet theaters, opera theaters, and puppet theaters in almost every town.
Hello fellow travelers! My name is Mary and I am the main author of Traveling East. Just like any other travel enthusiasts, traveling has also been our passion! For inquiries, suggestions or anything travel related, please feel free to send us an E-mail at support@travelingeast.com.
