Mayak Hill lies between Lakes Snudy and Strusto in Braslav Lakes National Park. From the viewpoint, you can see stretches of water, islands and shoals, bringing different features of the lake landscape into view together. The Mayak Hill ecological trail begins at the foot of the hill. Along the Slobodkovskaya Ozyovaya Ridge trail, you will encounter rare glacial landforms as well as rare and protected plant species of Belarus.
The same trail brings together themes of nature and history: it includes an archaeological settlement dating from the 7th century BC to the 6th century AD, as well as one dating from the 11th to the 13th century AD. Visitors wishing to compare different ways of exploring the region can take excursions on a tour boat or motorboat in Braslav Lakes National Park, or go cycling or SUP boarding.
Forests, wetlands and trails in Berezinsky
Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is a nature reserve of national significance. It preserves natural complexes of the Eastern European mixed-forest zone, as well as unique forest and wetland ecosystems. The ecological forest trail passes through mixed forest, secondary birch forest, pine forest and raised bog. This route therefore highlights not only different types of forest, but also the raised bog as a distinct habitat.
Activities in the reserve also vary in type and duration: one- and two-hour horseback rides through the forest are available. A cycling route along the Serguch Canal explores the history of the Berezina Water System’s construction and shows how nature is reclaiming areas once used by people. The Biosphere Reserve’s Natural History Museum is open daily, from 09:00 to 18:00 from May to September and from 09:00 to 17:00 from October to April. As opening hours can change, check them before your visit.
Museums and layers of history
In Polotsk, the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve brings together eleven museums within a historic area. The Museum of the Architectural History of St. Sophia Cathedral is housed in the cathedral, an architectural monument dating from the mid-11th to the mid-18th century. On display are fragments of 11th-century masonry, a floor plan or foundation that is almost completely preserved, and frescoes from the late 11th century. Religious and secular works of art in the Polotsk Art Gallery tell the story of the city and Belarus.
Other museums focus on different subjects: the Polotsk Museum of Nature and Ecology is housed in a former water tower and introduces visitors to local fauna and conservation issues in the context of urbanization. The Museum of Military Glory offers an overview of Polotsk’s wartime history and the city’s defense in 1941. The exhibition “A Walk along Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street” offers another perspective on urban life: it opened in May 1998 in the House of Peter I, a 17th-century architectural monument, and recounts the history of a street during that period through a historical guidebook from 1910.
Traditional crafts offer another way to explore the region’s history. The Museum of Traditional Hand Weaving of the Lake District explains flax cultivation and processing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as the weaving tradition of northern Belarus. For a visit with a specific connection to local cuisine, the culinary tour at the Drivyaty restaurant includes pike-perch with vegetables and roast game.
Braslav: settlement history and parkland
An official sightseeing route in Braslav leads to Zamkovaya Hill, a former fortified settlement dating from the 9th to the 18th century. The Braslav Museum of History and Local Lore adds to this perspective with six halls and a permanent exhibition. Belmont Park offers a different historical scale: laid out in the mid-18th century, it covers 62 hectares. Together, these historic sites range from a fortified settlement to museum galleries and a sprawling park.
Discover more destinations: Vitebsk, Novopolotsk, Braslav, Polotsk, Orsha District, Lisna, Strusto, Pushki, Lepel District, Domniki, Verkhnedvinsk, Novka, Hlybokaye, Dubrovna, Miory, Rossony, Senno, Sharkawshchyna, Pastavy, Lyntupy, Moiseevo, Talachyn District, Ushachy District, Polotsk District, Vorcy, Vuscie, Hili, Drykollie, Zastadollie, Kryvoje 2, Perevoz, Zyabki.
Return to the main travel overview: Belarus.
