Posted:
06.05.2022 17:55:00
Hike in Belarus
Compact but at the same time picturesque Belarus boasts a variety of routes — literary, natural and partisan
Ride through the swamp
Tourist trend — routes along ecological paths. The most popular path in Belarus is located in the Vitebsk Region, in the Yelnya National Landscape Reserve. Wooden flooring with railings meanders through the swampy landscapes, and beckons into the swampy depths to the incredible beauty of the lake. Along the way, one can climb observation towers, admire the crane flocks and relax among the emerald moss carpets. The main rule is not to go off the route even a metre. A swamp is a swamp: no one could help if a person is dragged into it.
The most daring tourists have the opportunity to walk the untrodden paths in bogshoes, accompanied by an experienced employee of the reserve. There is also an extreme service — riding on swamp buggy.
Arrange a safari
Three-hour drive south from Minsk — and you are in the heart of the wildlife. The Pripyatsky National Park is a place where you can catch Belarusian Zen. Centuries-old oak forests, swampy meadows, forest lakes and even sand dunes there is much to see upon.
The abundance of untouched nature impresses even the most sophisticated tourists. However, the safari park is the main zest, which is called a reserve within the reserve. 250 hectares of forest are inhabited by wild animals, which can be found on the eight-kilometre route. No one deliberately brought animals here. Workers simply fenced off the area around the perimeter. Who got caught — stayed. Here one can enjoy the Belarusian fauna in the form in which nature intended it.
Hunting is prohibited, visitors can only watch and make photos. Deer with branched horns and wild boars with a litter of piglets will definitely get on the photo.
Walk the partisan paths
The best way to celebrate May 9th is to go to the place where the real struggle against the Nazi occupiers unfolded. Belarus received the status of a ‘Partisan Republic’ for a reason. Here, every forest kilometre remembers that the people’s avengers did not let the Nazis relax on a foreign land.
For maximum immersion in the atmosphere — welcome to the Khovanshchina Memorial Complex of Partisan Glory. The only way to get to the island among marshy swamps is on foot. Dugouts and squat log cabins remind that almost eighty years ago there was a large partisan camp. In the Khovanshchina, they coordinated the work of the forest army, treated the wounded, published the Zarya newspaper, and even organised a school.
There is no road to the island. Previously, it was possible to get there only through a secret masonry hidden underwater. Today, a bridge was laid for convenience. Every year, thousands of people come to take part in patriotic quests or get to know the history of the partisan movement in the Brest Region. But the most interesting thing happens on the last weekend of spring. To remind of the feat of our ancestors, the legendary forest army comes to life for two days during a grandiose theatrical reconstruction.
Visit Uncle Yakub
‘My native land, how dear you are to me!
I don’t have enough strength to forget you!’
The author of the famous lines, Yakub Kolas, actually had several native shores at once. The future national poet spent his childhood in the Stolbtsy District near the Neman River. His father was a forester for the Radziwill magnates. The family often moved from one farmstead to another — Akinchitsy, Albut, Lastok, Smolnya... Nowadays, this is an amazing walking route for lovers of poetry and nature. On the way from one authentic house to another, from oak forests to the high bank of the river, one can read poetry or just make stop to enjoy the modest charm of the Belarusian forest. After a long winter, this is an excellent opportunity to shake off tiredness and breathe in plenty of clean air.
Conquer the Amazon
Polesie is the beauty and pride of Belarusian tourism. The region is famous for its colourful local people who still keep the traditions of their ancestors and speak a special dialect that is not similar to the literary Belarusian language. The best way to travel here is by water. Especially in spring, after all, after the flood, the roads here are fully covered with a mirror surface. Pripyat, Goryn, Sluch, Stviga, Smerd, Tsna — choose any river, jump into a kayak and row towards adventure.
Polesie is compared with the Amazon because of the ‘jungle’ that winds its way to the eyes of tourists. Branches hang low over winding rivers, dense bushes rustle mysteriously, and the smell of wild flowers and herbs goes to your head.
By Sofia Arsenyeva
