Belarus Travel Guide

Belarus, Travel Guide-Geography

Belarus is an Eastern European country, covering a total area of 207, 600 square kilometers; the country’s capital and largest city is Minsk. It is a medium populated land, having a population of a little over 10 million.

The terrain in Belarus is mostly flat, and the highest altitude is only 346 m above sea level (Dzyarzhynsk Hill). The hydrographic system is very rich, with over 1000 lakes and 4000 rivers. Belarus’s climate is a continental one, with cold winters and cool summers, but from year to year this region’s climate is changing into a maritime one.

The natural resources found in this territory range from moorland, limited amounts of oil and natural gases, granite, sand, limestone, clay, gravel and chalk. From the administrative point of view, Belarus is divided in six districts, and the main religion in this country is Orthodox Christianity. The religious minority is made of Roman Catholics, Jews, Protestants and Muslims. We invite you to continue exploring Belarus in the following paragraphs of our Travel Guide.

Belarus, Travel Guide-Cuisine

The national cuisine has the same roots as Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia. First of all, since the climate is too cold for the cultivation of wheat, the main cereal existent in this country is the rye. The local vodka and the popular sour rye bread are the principal products coming from this grain. Also, buckwheat and oatmeal are common, and delicious pancakes are made out of their flours.

The soup is very popular in Belarus, the most common is the poli′uka, made out of fish, cereals and buttermilk. The borscht is another traditional soup, with cabbage, meat and potato as its main ingredients. Also, khalodnik, cold borscht, is worth mentioning.

The main meat dishes are various types of sausages, the pauguski(goose breat), mačanka and zrazy, a sausage with beef, vegetables, potatoes and other ingredients. Salads are also largely consumes, and are made out a short list of ingredients, including chicken, carrot, apple, onion and cheese. The most popular Belarusian salad is the Belaya Vezha, which contains chicken, mushrooms, cucumbers and mayonnaise.

Belarus, Travel Guide-Cities

Belarus has over 100 cities, but the most important of those are by far, Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev and Polotsk. These cities are a display of the country`s troubled history and diversity, through their architecture and rich culture.

Grodno is a city dating back from the XII century, and it has little over 300.000 inhabitants. It is a center for the chemical industry, with factories that are producing fertilizers and synthetic fiber. This city`s architecture is its landmark, being the richest in all Belarus.

Minsk, the capital city, is also the core of Belarusian culture. You will find yourself being surrounded with the pure culture of Belarus, as the intellectuals in the capital struggled in the past years to get their unique cultural heritage back. Polotsk and Mogilev are other two important cities, dating from the 9th and 13th century, having a wonderful display of national architecture.

Belarus, Travel Guide-Industry

The main industrial branches present in Belarus are: software design, which is developing quickly in this nation, also computer hardware and optics and lasers. The auto industry is a very well developed branch, with Ford and Skoda having factories in this country. There is also the oil and chemical industry producing polymers, mineral fertilizers, pharmaceutical products and others. Another important branch in the Belarusian industry is agriculture.

We hope that you will have a better experience in Belarus using our comprehensive travel guide.