Holidays with children in Belarus

A small state - the Republic of Belarus - welcomes Russian tourists with children with warmth and hospitality. The small size of the country is successfully compensated for by the beautiful nature, for which Belarus received the unofficial name "Country of Lakes and Rivers".

The tourist cluster of our closest neighbors is just beginning to develop and promises to be impressive. But today you can have a very good rest in Belarus. We will try to tell you how to do this in this article.

Features of rest in Belarus

The main feature of Belarus is its nature and very friendly local population. They treat Russians well, appreciate and respect tourists. They are ready to show all the best - national parks and reserves, about which songs and poems have been composed for centuries, sights, of which, by the way, there are a lot.

Despite the absence of the sea as such, Belarus is ready to provide tourists with the broadest opportunities for recreation - there are many sanatoriums, boarding houses, recreation centers in the country.

There is no language barrier, the population of the republic speaks excellent Russian, and does this not only with tourists, but also in their daily life.

A trip to this country can be useful for those who like to shop on vacation. Shopping is very popular here: you can buy quality but inexpensive goods. Belarusian knitwear is famous all over the world, coats and fur coats made at Belarusian factories can compete with any European brands. Carpets of Belarus and its cosmetics are also known. It's not even worth talking about the tasty and healthy products of local farmers - their quality is excellent.

Rest in this country belongs to the budget category. But this is an ambiguous question, since there are hotels in the country in which accommodation for a week under the all-inclusive system will cost 90,000 rubles, and there are sanatoriums with excellent three meals a day for only 800-1000 rubles per person per day.

It should be noted that "all inclusive" in the understanding of Belarusians differs from "all inclusive" in the understanding of the Turks or Egyptians.

In this republic, food, juices, tea, coffee and fruit drinks, lemonade are usually put into it. Alcohol is not included in the cost of vouchers, as well as some additional services at the hotel - massage, SPA, and in some cases, use of the pool.

Prices in Belarus are pleasing: the average bill in a restaurant in 2017 is 740 Russian rubles, in a cafe - 370 rubles. Grocery stores can surprise Russians with cheaper pork, chicken, cheeses (230 rubles per kilogram of quality cheese), milk and eggs are about half as much as in Russia. You can rent an apartment for a month on average for 10-14 thousand rubles, and the payment of utilities will generally shock you - the payment is about 940 rubles per month.

Considering the average prices, it is quite possible to have a rest here without purchasing a voucher, having entered the country on your own, renting a house and organizing your entertainment on your own. It will not be expensive.

Entry rules: required documents

Entry to Belarus for Russians is visa-free. That is, at the border, it is enough to show your all-Russian passport. A passport is also suitable. The Belarusian border guards will not force to fill out the migration card either.

Children under the age of 14 will need a birth certificate. If the surnames of the child and the parents are different, then you should additionally take documents confirming the relationship: a certificate of marriage, divorce, a certificate from the passport office about changing the surname, if it changed at will.

Teenagers over 14 years old, in order to travel to Belarus, must have their own Russian passport or a foreign passport.

If the child is traveling with only one of the parents, the border guards will ask for a power of attorney for the minor to travel outside the Russian Federation from the second parent. It is drawn up by a notary.

A medical policy, which every person has in Russia, is not a valid document in Belarus, but there is no need to make separate travel medical insurance - in Belarus, medical assistance in an emergency will be provided to Russians completely free of charge.

Russians do not need to register in Belarus for the first 30 days of their stay in the country. When traveling on vacation by car at the border, you will need to purchase the so-called "Green Card" - this is a kind of analogue of our OSAGO. The cost of such a card for 2 weeks is 800 rubles.

How to relax in winter?

In winter, Belarus is especially good. Despite the fact that the continental climate makes the winter months rather cold, it is at this time that you should definitely visit the republic. You can stay here in a boarding house, a rest house that work all year round. You can rent accommodation cheaply or book a hotel room. Winter holidays in cottage settlements in tourist centers are very popular.

The main question that worries tourists who are considering the possibility of a winter trip to Belarus: what can you do here with children in cold weather? And there are a lot of activities here.

Winter fishing

With a teenage child, you can have a great winter vacation, living in one of the houses or cottages, which are rented in abundance at this time in the vicinity of the Berezina River, the Dnieper, on the banks of the Chigirinsky reservoir, Svityaz lakes and in the region of the Bratislava lakes. It is these places that are considered the most "fishy" in winter. Fishing equipment and equipment for rent is available on every reservoir, the prices are quite reasonable.

Skiing

The most popular ski resorts in the country are located near Minsk. There is a ski center "Silichi" in half an hour's drive from the capital. There, tourists will find seven trails, lifts, equipment rental and all the accompanying services - a restaurant, cafe, cottages with a fireplace. Of the seven runs, one is for children. Ski lessons are also given for young skiers. If you are tired of skiing, the whole family can have fun at the ice rink, which is also located in the center.

Ski complex "Logoisk" is located forty minutes from Minsk and its main advantage is that the tracks are well lit, so you can ride even in the dark. Professional instructors work on the tracks for beginners, no one bothers experienced skiers skiing on separate tracks. There is a rental of equipment, snowboards, "cheesecakes".

In Minsk itself there is a center for snowboarders, it is called "Solnechnaya Dolina". Here you can hone your boarding skills or get your first lessons. And lovers of roller skis are waiting at the resort "Raubichi". There are five ski resorts near Minsk and one in the Gomel region.

Husky riding

In Logoisk district of Minsk region there is a picnic-hotel "Expedition", where you can have fun and playful sledding with a real dog sled. Blue-eyed huskies will give a lot of positive emotions to children and adults, and will also ride with the breeze.

Outdoor pools

In frosty weather, you can take water procedures right on the street! For three winter months the hotel "Expedition" is installing large wooden barrels and hot water on the street. There are more than enough people who want to take a steam bath. Japanese baths are also popular. There are several of them all over the country, it will not be difficult to find the nearest one.

Agriturismo

There are many of them throughout the country. In small farmsteads, excellent conditions have been created for tourists - national cuisine, living in houses on the territory of the estate, fresh air, forest, lakes and a lot of entertainment. So, in the estate "Yedishki Khutor" you can take a walk through the frosty forest on a sleigh, which will be carried by three horses. The farmsteads "Verasy" and "Tikhyi Omut" offer snowmobiling, and the recreation center "Krasnogorka" and the farmstead "Antos" offer riding in the snowy forest on powerful ATVs.

Winter excursions

Winter excursions to Grodno are very popular. There you can see amazing historical and architectural monuments, dine at a restaurant that offers national Belarusian dishes. Brest will accept everyone and show amazing cathedrals and a church. In addition, you can visit the famous Brest Fortress. Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk offer sightseeing tours around the city that will definitely be remembered. It is worth visiting Belovezhskaya Pushcha in winter - the reserve is incredibly beautiful in snowy decoration. In addition, the residence of the main Belarusian Father Frost is located here, and the child will remember a visit to it for a lifetime.

Wellness holiday

The republic's sanatoriums work in winter as well, prices for vouchers at this time are reduced to the maximum. Most boarding houses have their own treatment profile, so you should choose based on what kind of health problems you have. Most of the sanatoriums accept children, health-improving measures have also been developed for them.

Best places to travel in summer

In summer, tourists are ready to receive numerous agro-estates and tourist centers on the lakes. Such a secluded vacation in the bosom of nature is ideal for a family with a small child, who does not need crowds of tourists, noise or fuss at all. An older child will be delighted with fishing, boating, horseback riding in the forest, and ATV trips. Fresh natural milk, sour cream, cheese, delicious national cuisine will definitely benefit the baby's health. All this is offered by tourist bases.

The summer tourist season in the republic begins early - at the end of April, and on May holidays many people go for a walk along the clean and well-groomed streets of Belarusian cities or soak up the shores of the purest lake.

The best tourist camps and farmsteads for families with children in summer:

"Merry Rabbit" (Brest region);
"Bear's corner" (Vitebsk region);
"Terrace" (Minsk region);
"Lake" (Minsk region);
"Butterfly" (Vitebsk region);
Berloga Hall (Minsk region);
"Lukomorye" (Vitebsk region).

Summer excursions to the cities of Belarus can be safely supplemented with a large sightseeing trip to Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

The Nalibokskaya Pushcha is also worthy of attention - another nature reserve of the republic, which will surprise and delight with its almost pristine nature. Vacation prices in the summer in the republic are growing, but not very much, so the choice of accommodation is large - from renting private houses and apartments to mini-hotels and guest houses, as well as large hotels, hotels, sanatoriums, boarding houses.

Summer activities, in addition to swimming in rivers and lakes, can also be planned in cities. There are water parks in six Belarusian cities (Molodechno, Zhlobin, Pruzhany, Grodno, Kobrin and the village of Ozerny). Water parks themselves are small, high slides, as in Turkey or Egypt, you will not find here. But they are clean, bright, varied and well thought out for families.

Popular children's camps

There is nothing easier than sending a child to rest in one of the children's camps in Belarus. There are many of them, they are diverse, many are known far beyond the borders of the country:

"Zubrenok". This camp in the Minsk region has long ceased to be international. The shifts here are of a recreational nature; numerous international events, forums, and competitions are held on the basis of the camp. Children from 6 to 17 years old are accepted to Zubrenok.
Only English Land. This is a language camp located on the territory of the prestigious sanatorium "Belarus". Speakers of different languages come here, and during the shift, children manage to improve their knowledge of English. Children from 9 years old are accepted.
Dreamcamp... This is a famous linguistic camp in Minsk. Children from 6 to 16 years old can come here. Each shift is not only linguistic, but also vocational guidance.
Smile House Is another well-known linguistic camp, which, in addition to learning the language, offers health services. It is located in an ecologically clean area of Minsk, next to Lake Drozdy.
Health camp them. Gastello. This camp is located in the Minsk region in the city of Zaslavl. The beautiful nature and various thematic shifts for the summer period will be of interest to Russian children of all ages.

There are many children's camps in the Brest region, in the Vitebsk region.

They have preserved the best traditions of the Soviet pioneer camps, this inspires confidence in the parents and intrigues the children. Tours to Belarusian camps should be bought in advance (at the beginning of spring for the coming summer). You can buy a voucher on the website of the selected children's camp.

Options for health-improving rest: sanatoriums and boarding houses

Pensions and sanatoriums in Belarus are focused on the treatment of a variety of diseases. Not all are ready to accept a family with a small child, but most of them have a family vacation. Here are the best healing options:

Sanatorium "Borovoe" (Vitebsk region). The resting place is located in a pine forest. In 2016, the sanatorium was completely reconstructed, and it received the highest rating from a special expert commission. It accepts families with children from 3 years old. The cost of living is about 3000 rubles in summer and from 2000 rubles in winter per person per day. For children there is a pool and a playground with slides. From the sanatorium, guests are taken out on various excursions, there is an entertainment program every day. Medical direction - treatment of diseases of the digestive system, blood circulation, bone skeleton and muscular system.

Sanatorium "Priozerny" (Minsk region). There are good rehabilitation programs for nervous diseases and ailments of the musculoskeletal system. The sanatorium is located in the territory of the national natural park. Children are admitted until they reach the age of five, but treatment is possible only from the age of 15. For all guests there is a pool with mineral water, the beach on the local Lake Naroch is equipped with toilets and showers. For children there is a playroom and an outdoor playground.

Sanatorium "Sosny" (Mogilev region). In this sanatorium, respiratory diseases are well treated. The resting place itself is located in a forest 350 meters from the Dnieper. Children are accepted from the age of 3, and for them at this age, medical procedures are already prescribed and carried out. The main building has a large indoor pool and sauna. Children can play in a special room or on an outdoor playground with slides and swings. The cost of living in summer is about 1800 rubles per person, in winter - about 1500 rubles.

Sanatorium "Ruzhansky" (Brest region). This is one of the few sanatoriums in the country where children are accepted from birth, that is, you can go here with a baby and not regret such a trip at all. The sanatorium has its own small indoor water park with children's slides and attractions. Diseases of digestion and metabolism are well treated here. There is a separate wellness program for pediatrics, and the mother will have the opportunity, under the supervision of specialists, to quickly lose weight and put herself in order after childbirth.

Sanatorium "Golden Sands" (Gomel region). Here you can get treatment for diseases of the respiratory and nervous system. Local doctors have extensive experience in the field of gynecology. Children are accepted and treated from 2 years old. The cost of living, taking into account five meals a day, is about 2000 rubles per day from each guest.

Sanatorium "Solnechny" (Brest region). Nervous disorders and respiratory diseases are well treated here. Children are accepted from 3 years old. The sanatorium has a mineral pool with separate children's paths. The river Mukhovets flows nearby, where the sanatorium has its own beach with sun loungers. For children, the sanatorium offers the services of a tutor, a large playroom with lots of toys and a playground. Here mothers can try a unique cosmetic method of wine wrapping and lifting procedures. The average cost of living is about 1900-2000 rubles per person per day.

Sanatorium "Pearl" (Grodno region). This sanatorium is considered an excellent option for a joint holiday with children. The medical base is large, the list of diseases for which assistance is provided here is very large. Children are accepted from 3 years old, there are personal health programs for them. On the territory of the sanatorium there is a pool with artesian mineral water, aquatics, saunas and baths. Children can visit the playroom and playground. From the sanatorium there is an opportunity to go on any excursion, it is enough to declare your desire to the administrator. The average cost of living per day is about 2,000 rubles.

Attractions and excursions

In Belarus, connoisseurs of quiet outdoor recreation will get everything they dreamed of. But if you want to have fun, see the country, then guests will certainly be offered a lot of excursion programs. It is physically impossible to go everywhere, so you should give preference to some of the most interesting, according to tourists, directions. Some are for a few hours, others for the weekend, and still others for a few days.

Natural excursions

Avgustovskaya Pushcha and the Augustow Canal. The unique landscape of these places and the stunning hydrotechnical structure, similar to the British canal, will open a completely different Belarus for guests. A lot of plants listed in the Red Book grow in the Pushcha, as well as a lot of animals and birds live here, which are under special protection of nature conservationists. In the tourist park, which is located here, you can ride a boat, take a boat trip along the canal along which there are pillboxes that have survived from the Second World War and the forts of the Grodno fortress.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha. This is the main national park of the republic. It won't be just a walk in a great location. On the way, you will definitely see a museum where there are foxes, wild boars and roe deer, as well as bison - symbols of the Pushcha. You can rent a bike and ride along the paths of the reserve or go horseback riding with the whole family.

Blue Lakes. This is a whole tour of the numerous lakes of the country. It will take about two days. Overnight stay is provided. Guests will be shown the most beautiful reservoirs of the republic, their history will be told. At each one it will be possible to make a stop, swim, if the weather permits, go fishing, ride a boat. In two days it will be possible to see the unique, UNESCO-marked Bolduk, Imsharitsa, Yachmenka lakes, as well as the Dead Lake, shrouded in fairy tales and legends of the Belarusian people.

Sights

Nesvizh palace and park ensemble. Here you should definitely visit the Nesvizh Castle, the Palace Park, the 16th century town hall, a unique church of the Corpus Christi.
Khatyn. The memorial complex, built on the site of the village of Khatyn, whose inhabitants, young and old, were burned alive by the Germans in 1943. On the way, you can stop by and see the Mound of Glory.

Brest Fortress. The small fortress, which was the first to meet the Great Patriotic War, has now become a large museum, the importance of which can hardly be overestimated. During the excursion, which lasts all day, guests are shown not only the broken and shelled remains of the fortress, but also several memorial museums, which are now located on its territory.
Zhirovichi Monastery. This is the largest architectural ensemble of Belarus in the 17th century. You can not only visit the monastery itself, but also visit the font, which is located nearby. It is she who is a place of pilgrimage, as it is considered healing and miraculous.

Entertainment

Gorky Park in Minsk is the largest amusement park.
Minsk Planetarium.
Belarusian State Circus (Minsk).
Minsk Zoo.
Aquapark "Lebyazhy" (Minsk).
Minsk Dolphinarium.
Gomel palace and park ensemble.
Brest Regional Philharmonic.
Gomel State Puppet Theater.
Bowling club "Spartak" (Gomel).
Adventure Park "Highmountain" (Perkhurovo).
Unique park of dinosaurs "DinoPark" (Minsk).

Reviews

This tourist destination earned a solid 4.5 out of 5.0 in the Internet users' rating. Russians who spent their holidays in Belarus enthusiastically speak about cleanliness in cities and towns, excellent roads, neat and well-groomed facades of buildings.

The service in hotels and boarding houses is especially noted - it is at a high level and is definitely worth the money that vacationers paid. Experienced tourists, who have visited the republic with children more than once, argue that it is imperative to visit all six regions of Belarus, because each has its own unique flavor.

As the disadvantages due to which the country lost half of the point in the assessments, tourists note the inconvenience of converting the local currency into Russian rubles, as well as the need to change money, because Russian ones are not accepted. Exchangers, by the way, are not at every step, and sometimes this causes serious inconvenience. In mass places, pickpockets are operating, but they act "according to their conscience" - they take the money, and the documents of tourists are thrown into the police.