What to see in Minsk: attractions, what to visit in 1, 2, 3 days

Minsk is a fairytale city if you love draniki, have long dreamed of visiting the Lego Museum, and want to cycle along the Svislach River embankment. If you don’t yet have a plan for the capital of Belarus, check out our top attractions in Minsk and its surroundings.

A quick important note: residents feel respected by tourists if you call them “Belarusians” and the country “Belarus”. Let’s be cool and polite travelers!

Main Museums

A visit to the city without museums? Unacceptable. We have compiled a list of the most interesting places in the capital for intellectual recreation.

National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus

The National Art Museum houses the largest collection of Belarusian art from various periods. Both temporary exhibitions and permanent displays are presented here. For example, until mid-summer 2023, the museum will showcase works by painter Alexander Kishchenko and landscape artist Stanislav Zhukovsky. There are also souvenir, clothing, and ceramics shops with national motifs for those who don’t like to return home empty-handed.

Ticket price: about 14 BYN for an adult visitor.

Official website: https://artmuseum.by

Address: Lenina St., 20.

Miniature Museum “Strana Mini”

“Strana Mini” features 22 unique miniatures of Belarus’s most popular attractions. To learn more about the features of each model, you can use a free audio guide or consult the tour guides. The latter conduct lectures in English, so brush up on your past and present simple beforehand. We are sure that after visiting “Strana Mini”, you will want to visit in Minsk each of the miniature objects in full scale, admiring them in person.

P.S. We give a special shout-out to the museum for allowing animals inside.

Ticket price: about 19 BYN for an adult visitor.

Official website: https://belarusmini.by

Address: N ezavisimosti Ave., 25.

Las-Legas Museum

Lego fans, rejoice! A museum of models made from iconic bricks has opened in Minsk. Las-Legas boasts the world’s largest private collection of Lego sets (about 8,000 pieces), confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. For something like this, you really need to urgently buy a ticket on Kupi.com to Minsk.

Some exhibits feature themes from popular films and TV series. For example, you can see an installation of “Star Wars” or the iconic “Friends” here. Tour guides will always be happy to answer your questions — their work is already included in the ticket price.

Ticket price: about 19 BYN on weekdays, about 25 BYN on weekends.

Official website: https://las-legas.by

Address: Pobediteley Ave., 133A.

Minsk Planetarium

The Minsk Planetarium opened in 1965 with the beginning of the space age in the Soviet Union. It was built at the highest point of Gorky Park. The planetarium building is constructed in a unique architectural style. The Star Hall, with a dome-shaped screen 12 meters in diameter, accommodates 100 spectators.

The Minsk Planetarium shows interactive spherical films about space, and astronomers and cosmonauts give lectures. In addition, you can visit the observatory for free or by donation to find binary stars, galaxies, and planets in the sky. This place is a must-visit for family travelers with children.

Ticket price: from 4 to 10 BYN depending on the excursion.

Official website: https://planetarium.by

Address: Frunze St., 2k6.

Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life

Let’s head outside the city! This open-air museum is located four kilometers from Minsk. It reflects a typical Belarusian settlement with a late 19th- to early 20th-century layout, focusing on architecture, interior design, and daily life. Thematic and even traditional ceremonial events are held here. In short, the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life is an ideal place for those who enjoy a rural getaway. Don’t forget to take a photo as a souvenir!

Ticket price: about 10 BYN for an adult visitor.

Official website: https://etna.by

Address: Ozyortso village, Shchomyslitsa rural council.

Minsk Architecture

Now let’s go enjoy the facades.

Gates of Minsk

If you arrive at the railway station, you will definitely notice the Gates of Minsk. This structure on Privokzalnaya Square was built in the Stalinist Empire style in 1953. The Gates consist of two symmetrical towers, built by architect Boris Rubanenko on a five-story residential building.

The left tower features the largest clock in Belarus, with a diameter of 3.5 meters, created in Germany and brought to Belarus as a trophy after World War II. The right tower is adorned with the coat of arms of the former BSSR.

Trinity and Rakov Suburbs

Trinity Suburb was once one of the largest, but that time has passed. Now it is represented by a small quarter on the bank of the Svislach River. But what a quarter! Tiled roofs, picturesque courtyards, and cozy coffee shops adorn the houses, built in the 1980s on the site of older architectural monuments.

Cross the Khlusov Bridge and you’ll find yourself in the Rakov Suburb. Here, 19th-century buildings are preserved, interspersed with factory productions. This area skillfully combines various architectural styles from several historical eras. A must-see in Rakov is the street of the same name with incredibly beautiful temples.

Osmolovka District

Osmolovka began to be developed immediately after the Great Patriotic War to create the first elite microdistrict in Minsk. The layout of the houses is unlike any other: apartments with small rooms and kitchens and high ceilings. The appearance of Osmolovka’s houses will captivate any tourist: balconies with balusters, porticos and bay windows, as well as attic windows. In 2019, Osmolovka was granted a unique historical and cultural status. Moreover, the green groves of the microdistrict perform an ecological function, purifying the air of all Minsk.

Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus

The Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus is one of the largest in Minsk and the only opera house in the country. The building’s constructivist design was developed by the renowned architect Iosif Langbard. The theatre stands on the site of the former Trinity Market, where a large park was organized next to the building after the war.

Currently, the Bolshoi building is adorned with five-meter bronze sculptures of muses and Apollo by Gennady Buralkin, Mikhail Shkrobot, and Alexander Finsky. We recommend not limiting your acquaintance to the theatre’s exterior and definitely checking out current performances.

Temples and Churches

Church of Saints Simon and Helena

The Church of Saints Simon and Helena (also known as the Red Church) was built at the initiative of public figure Edward Voynilovich by 1910. Its history is quite sad: Edward dedicated this Neo-Gothic church to his children, Simon and Helena, who died young. The building features a 50-meter four-tiered tower, which was transferred to the Catholic Church for free use in 1990. Be sure to look inside — organ music concerts are often held within the church’s walls.

Address: Sovetskaya St., 15.

Holy Spirit Cathedral

The Orthodox church on Kirilla i Mefodiya Street, built in 1642, is a classic Baroque basilica with snow-white walls. Initially, it was considered a Catholic church, but in the 1960s, it became Orthodox. Parishioners visit the Holy Spirit Cathedral to venerate the miraculous icon of the Minsk Mother of God and the relics of Sophia of Slutsk.

The church operates according to the following schedule:

Monday from 9:00 to 12:00;
Sunday from 7:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00;
Saturday and other weekdays from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00.

Address: Kirilla i Mefodiya St., 3.

Bernardine Monastery

Adjacent to the Holy Spirit Cathedral is the Bernardine Monastery, founded by Andrei and Jan Kensowski in 1624. Initially, the building was wooden, but in 1644, a fire destroyed it. The monastery was rebuilt several times, but in 1860, it was abolished. Currently, it is a three-nave, towerless basilica, each of whose walls features special decor. When visiting the Holy Spirit Cathedral, be sure to stop by here.

Address:Kirilla i Mefodiya St., 6.

What to Visit in Minsk in One, Two, Three Days

Now we are putting together ready-made itineraries where you can see most of the local attractions and have a delicious lunch.

One-Day Itinerary in Minsk

We move from the Osmolovka district, simultaneously admiring the architecture of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus and the Trinity Suburb. The next step is the Orthodox churches, the Minsk Holy Spirit Cathedral, and the Bernardine Monastery. From there — to the “Lido” self-service canteen with the best draniki in the city and pleasant prices. Simultaneously, we admire the architecture of the Rakov Suburb. The next stop is the “Strana Mini” miniature museum, to plan your next large-scale trip to Minsk in advance. Finally, we will pay attention to the architecture of the Catholic Red Church. We conclude our journey at the Minsk railway station, admiring the ensemble of the Gates of Minsk.

Bike Route: A Journey on the Second Day in Minsk

Let’s diversify our trip through the center of Minsk with an active walk and delight cyclists, if you want to explore Minsk on your own.

We’ll ride along the Main Minsk Cycle Path, which stretches from “Drozdzy” to Chizhovka along the Svislach River. Its total length is approximately 27 km. We will take only a part of the route (about 7 km), where you can see the most interesting places in the city along the way.

Before the trip, head to the “Lyen” bakery for good coffee and the best pastries in the city. We recommend taking treats with you to have a picnic. We start from Nemiga metro station, ride through Starostinskaya Sloboda square to the northwest, passing Victory Park and “Dreamland” Park. We stop at the picturesque “Drozdzy” Park: here it’s easy to find a secluded alley to have a snack, feed the ducks, and relax from the city bustle.

Third Day in Minsk: Gastro Tour and Best Museums

For dessert, we leave desserts (and not only). Since we are staying in Minsk for three days, we will dedicate the last day of the trip to dishes and cultural recreation. One of the best places with national cuisine, which you definitely need to visit, is the “Kamenitsa” restaurant. Here they serve delicious potato babka, kolduny, kholodnik, and kulaga.

Next, we go to watch a film about space at the Minsk Planetarium observatory. After that, we take a short coffee break and go to the “Kommunarka” confectionery, where they serve delicious Soviet pastries and the best chocolate candies. Be sure to buy souvenirs with Belarusian symbols as gifts.

We conclude our journey with a visit to the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus to see unique paintings and buy authentic souvenirs for friends.

We wish you a great trip to Minsk!

What to see in Minsk