Belarus

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Holy Spirit Cathedral, Belarus

Introducing Belarus

Europe's outcast, Belarus lies at the edge of Eastern Europe and seems determined to avoid integration with the rest of the continent at all costs, taking its lead from the Soviet Union rather than the European Union. Yet this lies at the heart of its appeal - while the rest of Eastern Europe has charged headlong into capitalism, Belarus offers a chance to visit a Europe with almost no advertising, litter or graffiti. Far more than just the 'last dictatorship in Europe' - Condoleezza Rice's phrase has come to haunt Alexander Lukashenko's democratically challenged country - Belarus is a land of earthy humour, friendly people and courage in the face of bleak political adversity. Outside the capital, Belarus offers a simple yet pleasing landscape of cornflower fields, thick primeval forests and picturesque villages. While travellers will always be subject to curiosity, they'll invariably also be on the receiving end of extremely warm hospitality.

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While the country's flattening in WWII means that there's relatively little of historic interest to see, Belarus' three most appealing cities - Minsk, Brest and Vitsebsk - offer a surprising amount to visitors - from nightlife and cosmopolitan spark in the capital, to the tragic remnants of the Brest Fortress, and the childhood home of painter Marc Chagall in Vitsebsk. The country also offers two excellent national parks, both well worth a visit. Europe's largest mammal, the zoobr, or European bison, can be seen at Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park, while the Pripyatsky National Park, the 'lungs of Europe', offers great birdwatching in its vast wetlands.

Last updated: Feb 25, 2010

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Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. abhishekhalder avatar
    Visas for Indian resident in Italy

    by abhishekhalder 14 September 2011

    Hi all I am an Indian national residing in Milan, Italy since the 8th of September 2011. I have a long term Italian (D Type) STUDY visa…
  2. lafcadio1 avatar
    RE: Belarus trip report

    by lafcadio1 12 September 2011

    Hi mangosteve, glad the report was useful to you. By the way, if you have ten days, I really would encourage you to think about adding…
  3. mangosteve avatar
    Re: Belarus trip report

    by mangosteve 12 September 2011

    Just want to add my thanks and apprecaition of this post. I'm coming to Belarus in less than 2 weeks time (just got my passport with visa…

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