Tour “Highlights Of Belarusian Architecture”
Itinerary 2: Minsk – Polotsk – Mir – Nesvizh – Minsk
Duration: 5 days/ 4 nights
Day 1
Arrival at “Minsk-2” International Airport
Transfer to the hotel with guide assistance
Check-in at a hotel in the centre of the city
Meeting with “Belarustourist” management, “Friendly cocktail” (with
representatives of Central Architecture Administration)
Time at leisure
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Sightseeing tour of Minsk including architectural, historical and cultural
monuments of the 17th – 18th cents., historic part of the city – Trinity Suburb
Visit to the Local Art Museum
Visit to the Museum of Country Architecture and Life on the open air in
Strochitsy (18 km from Minsk) displaying the original pieces of rural
architecture from various regions of Belarus as well as numerous domestic
utensils, articles of applied arts and agricultural implements used by the rural
population in the past
Dinner
Evening entertainment program: Belarusian ballet, opera performance,
philharmonic society, circus etc.
Day 3
Early breakfast
Departure for Polotsk (252 km) – the oldest Belarusian city (founded 862)
and the centre of old Slavic history and culture. Polotsk is famous for the
11th cent. St. Sophia Cathedral, Convent of St. Ephrosinia of Polotsk (12th
cent.) a benefactress and matron Saint of Belarus, St. Ephrosinia Church
(12th cent.) with beautiful frescoes and where the Cross of Ephrosinia – the
national heritage is kept. Among other objects worth seeing are the Museum
of book-printing – one of the best in Europe. “The Stone of Boris“ – the
example of old Slavic culture, its weight is 25 tons; organ show in St. Sophia
Cathedral
Tour of Polotsk includes all above-mentioned objects
Departure for Minsk
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Departure for Mir (130 km from Minsk; the 16h cent. Castle of Mir offers a
unique example of architecture of this period. The architecture of the castle
has features of the late Belarusian Gothic. In the 16th cent. the castle was
rebuilt in the style of Renaissance. Today it has features of Gothic,
Renaissance, defensive and palace architecture
Tour of Mir
Departure for Nesvizh (40 km from Mir and 170 from Minsk; Nesvizh
Castle, a former residence of Radzivills family of medieval Belarusian
magnates with its beautiful park ensemble and a neighbouring the 16th cent.
Church designed by Bernardoni would charm any visitor. Tour of Nesvizh
Return to Minsk
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Transfer to the Airport for the departure