The history of Minsk reflects the history of Belarus like a mirror. First mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years in 1067, despite the difficult fate, it has retained the spirit of a cultural city that values its past and confidently moves into the future.
Minsk experienced periods of prosperity and decline, it was both the rich capital of the principality and a provincial provincial town. Wars swept through it like hurricanes, changing absolutely everything beyond recognition: from architecture to the national composition of the inhabitants. Walking around Minsk, one can only be surprised that only 100 years ago, on the site of the majestic Independence Avenue, there was a narrow street with small elegant tenement houses, and the river of the same name flowed along today’s Nemiga Street. See citypopulationreview.com for weather in Minsk, Belarus.
Today’s Minsk is the largest city in Belarus, which is visited annually by tens of thousands of tourists. Despite the youth of architecture, there is something to see here.
How to get to Minsk
Getting to Minsk is very easy. The capital of Belarus is connected by direct air, rail and bus routes with the largest cities of the European part of Russia.
The fastest way to get to the Belarusian capital is by plane. For an hour and a half flight to Minsk airport, you will not even have time to get tired. As for the train and bus, the time will fly by almost unnoticed here too: make yourself comfortable and fall asleep – the next morning you will wake up and you will already be in Minsk.
How to get from Moscow to Minsk by car? Easily! The excellent quality of the four-lane international highway M1 and the lack of border control make it possible to overcome the distance between the capitals in just 7-8 hours. In addition, the international status of the motorway guarantees the presence of a developed roadside infrastructure: you can have a bite to eat and drink coffee here without any problems.
What to try
Today in Minsk there are a lot of establishments offering dishes of Belarusian cuisine. Of course, many of them are not the most authentic, but still you will try the key dishes in them.
First of all, these are potato pancakes. It is difficult to find a Belarusian who would not love these hearty potato pancakes. Due to the ease of preparation, potato pancakes can be tried in almost all establishments in Minsk, even in expensive restaurants. Of course, in few places they are made according to the traditional recipe (potatoes, onions and salt), but even with the addition of flour or eggs, you will remember their taste for a long time. Draniki are served with sour cream. If you are seriously hungry, take “sorcerers” – this is the name of the variant of pancakes with meat filling.
A close relative of potato pancakes is “grandmother”. This dish is also prepared from mashed potatoes, but this time the potato mass with the addition of cracklings is poured into a pot and baked. Like potato pancakes, “babka” is served with sour cream.
Machanka is another popular national dish. This is a cold cut (fillets, sausages and ribs) in a thick broth, in which you need to dip fluffy pancakes.
With the onset of summer, almost all establishments in Minsk offer a cold drink. This is a beetroot decoction with the addition of kefir with fresh cucumbers, green onions and dill. Served with boiled or baked potatoes.
Cafes and restaurants in Minsk
As in any European city, there are many cafes and restaurants in Minsk. Of course, the absolute leader is European cuisine. This is what most Minsk establishments offer, including the most rated ones: Grand Cafe, Golden Scallop, Bistro de Lux, News.
Of course, guests of the city from other countries are primarily interested in local cuisine. And here the capital of Belarus has something to boast about – every year more and more establishments of Belarusian cuisine open in Minsk.
One of the most popular establishments is the Kamyanitsa restaurant. Its interior is decorated in the old Belarusian style, dishes are served in earthenware, and on weekends an ensemble of medieval music performs for guests. Such establishments as “Right”, “Kuhmistr”, “Talaka” are also popular. You can try traditional Belarusian food at affordable prices in the Vasilki cafe network. The average cost of dinner is 35-50 BYN.
