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 Main | Archive | Issue 2/2009 |
Come See The National Parks In Berarus
Column: Diplomacy And Tourism
H.E. Mr. V.B. Dolgolyov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Russia, answers the questions put to him by Diplomat.
Your Excellency, we more and more often hear good things about Belarus from our people, especially tourists lately, who have visited our neighbor country. How do you explain that?
The Republic of Belarus is one of the favorite destinations of Russian tourists. Its unspoiled nature is one of the main assets of our country. Central Europe’s only virgin forest that has never been touched by man is located on the territory of Belarus - the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. The year 2009 will be the 600th anniversary of the day the forest was declared a national park. The anniversary is already included on the list of memorable days approved by the UNESCO General Conference.
While being generously endowed with scenic places, Belarus has no shortage of man-made landmarks. Tourists will get the feel of past eras when visiting the Mir and Lida castles, ancient Orthodox and Catholic churches or strolling through the centuries-old parks and estates scattered across the country. To learn more about the history of Belarus, the tourists should first of all go see the ancient town of Zaslavl and the famous city of Polotsk, they should stop in Novogrudok, the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and go on a sightseeing tour of the town of Nesvizh and the former residence of the Radziwill family, who were magnates.
While traveling around Belarus, you can stop over both in large cities and at spots that are a long way from civilization, for example, in the hotels of the national parks. While staying in big cities, vacationers can sample dishes of national cuisine, watch performances or shows at local theaters or go to cultural, amusement or shopping centers.
While traveling around Belarus, a tourist can stop practically anywhere he likes, be it a shore of a lake, in a forest or on a meadow. Twenty six camp sites were created in the summer of 2008. You can choose from 677 sightseeing itineraries. Voyages on water, are yet another way of seeing the scenic Belarusian landscapes. Belarus is a nice place for going on bike rides, too. Horseback riding is a splendid weekend pastime.
Furthermore, Belarus has considerable potential for developing rural tourism. In the republic there are currently 474 rural estates - their number grew by 2.5 times in 2008 alone. Virtually all of the estates are located in scenic places, near lakes and rivers and surrounded by groves and woods.
Besides the official holidays, many interesting folk holidays are celebrated in Belarus. The most popular of them are Maslenitsa (or Shrovetide), Kupalye, Dozhinki, and Kolyada. You can see artifacts from the past by visiting the museum of folk culture and everyday life in the village of Ozertso (4 kilometers from Minsk), the museum of material culture “Dudutki”(40 kilometers from Minsk) and the “Belarusian 19th-Century Ethno Village” in the city of Mogilev.
What’s more, you can combine your vacation with treatment of a variety of illnesses at Belarusian sanatoriums. It is just impossible to find a better price-quality ratio anywhere else! There are 102 such sanatoriums currently operating in Belarus.
I would like to note that the Embassy is doing all it can to increase the number of Russian tourists coming to Belarus. We provide information on leisure and treatment possibilities as well as on direct contact telephones of the republic’s sanatoriums. In 2008, some 60, 000 vacationers from Russia visited Belarus. It is my sincere hope that just as many will come to us despite the current complicated economic situation.
For more information please log on the web site of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism at www.mst.by and the web site of the UP National Tourism Agency at www.belarustourism.by. We also invite you to visit the stand of the Republic of Belarus at the INTOURMARKET exhibition that is to take place in Moscow in March this year.
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