All flights arrive at the [url=http://airport.by/en]National Airport Minsk[/url] ( formerly known as Minsk-2) 37km north-east from the city. If you are applying for a visa in Minsk Airport or just landing there, it is important to know [url=http://www.minskguide.travel/belarus_travel_tips/belarus_immigration/minsk_airport_hazards.html]several tips about insurance, visa office and passport control[/url]
In 2014, the airport underwent a major refurbishment and has mainly lost its grim feel from the USSR period. Just before the passport control, you will find a cash machine; more are available inside the arrivals. Approach the passport control with a smile and already filled-in landing card (unless you are a Belarusian or Russian citizen). Straight after that, you can collect your luggage and follow to the customs control. Even if you choose the green corridor, you may be stopped for questioning. It is a routine practice and shouldn't make anyone anxious: only large sums of cash, luxury products, alcohol and cigarettes will attract the custom officers' attention.
The "Arrivals hall" has few small kiosks with Belarusian souvenirs, alcohol, newspapers and wi-fi cards; also ATMs, currency exchange, car rentals and train/bus ticket machines (more are at the bus stop outside the airport building).
The Departure hall on the third floor has a 24/7 restaurant, several cafes, souvenir shops, bank and post offices. Free wi-fi is available at the Prime Time cafe (password: primecafe, January 2016), otherwise the whole terminal is covered by decent wi-fi from Beltelecom, an access card is required (very cheap, available from the Belsajuzdruk newspaper kiosk in the departure hall).
Upon check-in, you will be advised on the sector number for the custom and passport control - allow 15 to 20 minutes to pass them. Several duty-free shops and bars are available just before the boarding gates.
The number of Flight connections to Minsk is constantly growing. [url=http://en.belavia.by/home/]Belavia[/url] operates regular flights to many capitals across Europe, as well as Israel and Central Asia; to major cities in Russia and Ukraine. Other airlines, such as Aeroflot, Lufthansa, Austrian, LOT, Ukrainian International Airlines, AirBaltik, Air China and Etihad provide good connections to Minsk from across their networks. Although low-cost airlines do not serve Minsk, most of the available carriers offer cheap tickets every now and then.
Alternatively, [wiki=674756b151c1a964546ad103f310fc5b]Vilnius[/wiki] has become a popular base for visiting Belarus. A train journey to Minsk takes less than three hours. Also, [wiki=7e35e74e610188414ad24235dd787c78]Moscow[/wiki] and [wiki=ab014f5797b79c42d078976b9d1a413c]Warsaw[/wiki] are used by some frugal travelers, but a journey time and price are much longer and higher compared to Vilnius.
The width of the train tracks is different in Poland and in Belarus, so if you choose to arrive by train please be prepared for long wheel changing. However, if you are arriving from say, Kiev, Moscow, or Lviv (Lvov) you need not worry about this. Plus as an added bonus, the prices are substantially cheaper from CIS countries.
There are several bus routes from Vilnius central bus station to "Aŭtavakzal Uschodni" ("Avtovokzal Vostochny") bus station in Minsk. The Minsk bus station is not very close to downtown, however you can have a taxi ride with BLR30,000 (less than €4). The bus also drops passengers off outside the railway station (look out for two Stalinist towers) in the centre of Minsk before proceeding to the Uschodni (Eastern) station. The bus service takes up to 5 hours and costs around 36 litas (be prepared to spend more than 1.5 hours at the border). Due to the bad quality of the train service, bus ride should be preferred.
Driving in, while possible, requires knowledge of the border system. This is a border of the European Union, so control is very strict. Crossing it can take 2 hours. They may check your bags. Without knowledge of Russian, Belarusian or Polish, this can be very hard. There is a very long line of cars at every border crossing. However, if you have passport, VISA and car registration papers prepared, act honest and helpful and arrive as a tourist in a personal car, the border crossing can go very smoothly and be over within 45 minutes. Sometimes it takes 3 hours. If you will ride from Polish Side, from Warsaw, you can see the Truck queue, just pass it, and go direct to Polish City TERESPOL / BREST (Belarussian).
Be Carefull! When you are in Poland and you are 30km near border, The Customs, or Border control have this same rights as Police! (Green Cars - "Straż Graniczna") So drive slowly, and carefully
Use of two state languages, Belarusian and Russian, across the transport system in Minsk may pose inconvenience for visitors. Effectively, the same stop, station, street or square may be known and referred to by two names, in Belarusian and Russian. For example, one of the metro interchange stations is known to the Russian-speaking majority as Площадь Октябрьская (Oktiabrskaya Sq.), but maps and announcements in metro refer to it in Belarusian as Плошча Кастрычніцкая (Kastryčnickaja Sq.). As of 2013, transliteration of geographical names (streets, stations etc.) into Latin alphabet is done from Belarusian according to the new system [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instruction_on_transliteration_of_Belarusian_geographical_names_with_letters_of_Latin_script]. Learn it as it is used across Minsk metro and on many other signs already. Elsewhere, you will see plenty of examples of the geographical names transliterated from Russian, e.g. Loshytsa, rather than Belarusian Lošyca.
Get around by using bus, tram, Metro (subway) or rent a car. All are cheap and reliable. The subway is noted for being clean and safe. All public transport in Minsk operates c. 05.30-00.30; taxis are 24/7 naturally.
A panoramic English-language map of the centre of Minsk that shows every building individually is widely available from bookshops and kiosks. It also has a conventional map showing more of Minsk and some tourist information. It is worth buying a copy as early on in your visit as you can because it makes getting around on foot easy and fun.
National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus [url=http://artmuseum.by/eng]]20 Lienina St. (Kastryčnickaja or Kupalaŭskaja subway stations). Wednesdays to Mondays, 11am-7pm. Admission BLR50,000 (as of January 2014; additional fees for photography). Excellent overview of fine arts in Belarus. Many art objects are labeled in English. The first few rooms cover 18-20 century Russian art; the most interesting part of the collection covering 16-20 century Belarusian fine arts is in the back gallery on the first floor. Until 10 July 2014, the Museum hosts Ten Centuries of Art in Belarus [url=http://artmuseum.by/eng/vyst/tek/ten-centuries-of-art-in-belarus[/url],]the largest ever retrospective of Belarusian art (BLR30,000). The museum has a cafe accessible only to the ticket holders. A tiny shop on the right hand from the entry has a good selection of relevant postcards, books, DVDs and other souvenirs.
* Belarus National Museum of History and Culture, 12 Karla Marksa St. Admission BLR7,000. Open Th-Tu 11:00-19:00. There is plenty to see here, sadly there is only Belarusian explanation panels.
* Palac Mastactva (Art Palace), Vulica Kazlova 3. Admission Free. Open Tu-Su 10:00-19:00. Several exhibition spaces showing modern art, second hand books and antiques stalls.
* The Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War , Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci 12. Open Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. Several halls with the WW2 exhibits on display with no English translation to the inscriptions. [url=http://www.warmuseum.by/new_page_0/[/url]WW2 Museum Website[/url].
* Mastacki Salon, Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci 12. Open M-Sa 10:00-20:00. An art gallery with local artists exhibitions and some overpriced souvenirs.
It was built in 1847 in the Russian revival style - with a pointed octagonal bell tower over the entrance.
* Built in 1613 and restored in 1871, it is the oldest church in Minsk. It is very worthwhile to go inside.
Former Residence of Lee Harvey Oswald, Vulica Kamunistyčnaja 4 (the bottom left apartment). Lee arrived in the Soviet Union in December 1959 willing to renounce his US citizenship and was sent to Minsk. He changed his name to Alek and married a native woman, Marina Prusakova, with whom he had a child. The young family left for the [wiki=f253efe302d32ab264a76e0ce65be769]United States[/wiki] on June 1, 1962.
*This impressive building, on one of the main shopping streets of Minsk has a facade that belies what's found within. It is somehow appropriate that in a country like Belarus, the KGB should be located in a landmark building in the centre of the capital.
* If you have ten minutes to spare at the Minsk Airport, in front of the main building you will find five or six old USSR-era planes on display. Free.
* You might be willing to hire a private guide when staying in Minsk or another major Belarusian city. Please note that private guides are licensed by the National Tourism Agency - and you can check the list of their names on the official website of the Agency List of private guides in Russian [http://belarustourism.by/agency/educational/review-list/]. A licensed guide in Belarus must always wear a special badge Badge of a licensed guide in Belarus.
Marx hostel.Address: 8-99 Karla Marksa str., Minsk, Belarus
Phones: +375 29 - 577 41 51, +375 29 - 184 40 50
e-mail: marxhostel@gmail.com
How to find us:
If you are going from the railroad station: go by Kirava str. than turn left on Valadarskaha str. till you reach K. Marksa str.
From Kupalaŭskaja subway station: just go down by K. Marksa str. untill building #8.
Remember: entrance to our hostel is from the side of building closer to building #10.
Outside door code: 3+8.
http://marx-h.com/Contacts.html
Cheap,quiet,central location.
*Unfairly overlooked by international tourism, this Minsk Hostel of the International Relations Center (Belarus Ministry of Education) is a well-located block of budget rooms that has few matches in budget quality/rate category. The hostel can only be booked by telephone. No English-speaking personnel.
*Opened in May 2012. Away from the center but in a fully-renovated house. Spacious rooms and facilities. English is spoken. Check the website of the hostel for more information.
* The Riverside Hostel is so named because it is situated on the left bank of the river Svislač in Trajeckaje Pramiescie, which is the most famous tourist area of Minsk. The hostel has a spacious living room, kitchen, rooms for four and six people, and a double. Free wi-fi is available everywhere. The hostel occupies two floors of a three-floored building. Check the website of the hostel for more information.
* Stay in the city center enjoying calm and cozy atmosphere. Attractive price, comfort and high quality - this combination is to be found in hostel «EasyFlat»
On the web you can find a lot of cheap offers to rent a flat. Average price is about 50 USD for the night. There is also a good rental service provided by [url=http://www.belarusrent.com]]. They rent rooms in good quality in the center of Minsk. They also provide assistance for Visas.
You might receive a call to your hotel room late at night offering a "massage". To avoid being woken up it is worth unplugging your phone.
*Nice rooms, decent location. No internet, few English speaking receptionists.
*Great location, clean Soviet hotel with very old school interior. Great indoor pool/hot tub and a gym, cost $10 extra. Free wifi in lobby. CLOSED FOR OVERHAUL IN APRIL 2011.
* Hotel Orbita Praspiekt Puškina 39, [url=http://www.orbita-hotel.com[/url],]a clean 208 room hotel with friendly but boring staff. There is a supermarket next door and Cash Exchange in the hotel lobby. The airport and train terminal are about 6km away. It is in the western part of Minsk not far from the Republican Exhibition Centre. it is near Pushkinskaya metro Station
* Minsk Vacation Apartments [url=http://www.apartmentinminsk.com/[/url]]and [url=http://minsknightlife.net/apartment_in_belarus.htm[/url]]Vacation apartments for rent in central Minsk. Near major railway stations. 1-3 room flats. Rates: €30-200.
* Apartments Service Minsk [url=http://www.rentinminsk.com/[/url]]Comfortable apartments for short term stay. Studio, 1-bedroom, 2 bedrooms. Location in the center. Prices 50-170 euro.
* Flats for rent [url=http://www.apartmentsinminsk.com/[/url]]Furnished modern apartments for living in Minsk. Short-term rental of lodgings.
* Apartments for Rent in Minsk [http://beltoprent.com/[/url] Furnished apartments for rent in Minsk. Short and long term apartment rentals in Minsk, Belarus.
*They have great services all within the hotel. Internet cafe is open till 8PM. Casino is open 24h.
Exclusive five-star hotel situated in the historical and cultural heart of Minsk, at the intersection of Lienin Street and Internacyjanalnaja Street. The beautiful 7-storey atrium-type building is carried out in Modern Style of early XX century. Late departure (till 11PM (24.00) is charged with 50% of the room rate.
*5 star international hotel in the heart of Minsk. The hotel, with its unique architecture, is opposite the Minsk Dynamo Stadium and within walking distance from the Minsk Niezaliežnasci Square.
*5 star international hotel in the heart of Minsk.Whether you are traveling in Minsk on business or leisure, Renaissance Minsk Hotel is an ideal place in Minsk to stay. Hotel is located on one of the main transport highway in close proximity to the city center.
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* Netherlands, Vostochnaya str.133, office 503, ☎ +375-172-625323"
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* Please note that the US Embassy has been closed indefinitely. Americans with consular issues are required to contact the US Embassy in Moscow.
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