{"id":23009,"date":"2019-11-28T18:16:30","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T16:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/?p=23009"},"modified":"2025-11-12T07:44:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T05:44:25","slug":"visit-minsk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/visit-minsk\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in Minsk in 3 days (includes offbeat stuff)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Minsk is the capital of Belarus, a country which, despite its large size and belonging to Europe, we tend to forget about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I often wondered why travelers weren’t interested in visiting Minsk, and all I could think of was that most people see the country as a mere uninteresting extension of its sister Russia<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is that the capital of Belarus<\/a><\/strong> feels like a distant and weird place to visit but, since I do feel a special attraction to barely visited places, I was pretty excited about this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I traveled to Minsk from Odesa by plane, after spending nearly two months traveling in Moldova<\/a><\/strong> and Ukraine<\/a><\/strong>, so what I expected to find was a very Soviet city, full of gray concrete, similar to other Ukrainian cities such as Kharkiv or Dnipro, but less developed and decadent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was right in one thing: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk is indeed a very Soviet city, perhaps the most Soviet place that remains on Earth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I was completely wrong about thinking that Minsk would be a sort of decadent city because, despite being very Soviet, Minsk is a majestic capital that was built precisely to convey the superpower of the Soviet Union to the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, this used to be one of the finest and most impressive cities in the entire USSR and, today, visiting Minsk is a trip full of surprises that can satisfy both the intrepid traveler, seeker of offbeat stuff, and the one interested in history and sightseeing in an Eastern capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide contains everything you need to know to visit Minsk<\/strong>, including transportation and accommodation tips, things to do in Minsk, best day trips, and a special mention of all the offbeat stuff to visit in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in Kiev, as well? Read my Kiev travel guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this Minsk travel guide, you will find:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Table of Contents<\/p>\n\n\n\n