Belarus

Belarusian and Russian are both official languages, and in practice most people, especially in cities, speak Russian day to day. English is spoken at hotels and major sights in Minsk, but far less so outside the capital, on public transport, or with older people. Signage is in Cyrillic script, which makes independent navigation harder than in Latin-script countries; a translation app or offline map with Cyrillic place names is worth preparing in advance.

Buying a local prepaid SIM requires showing a passport for registration; kiosks at Minsk National Airport and city phone-operator stores handle this in a few minutes. Coverage is solid in cities and along main roads, weaker in rural areas.

Internet access is monitored, and some Western social media platforms and independent news sites are periodically blocked or slowed. A VPN, installed and tested before arrival, is worth having if staying connected to these services matters.

Pharmacies (аптека) are common in cities and stock most everyday medicines; look for a green cross sign. They are sparser in small towns and villages. No special vaccinations are required for entry, but routine vaccines should be up to date, and a tick-borne encephalitis vaccination is worth considering for anyone spending extended time hiking or camping in forests between spring and autumn. Tap water is treated and safe in Minsk; in other towns, bottled water is the more comfortable choice.

Citizens of 76 countries can enter Belarus visa-free for up to 30 days through Minsk National Airport or the airports at Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev, and Vitebsk, provided entry and exit both happen through one of these airports. This route requires a passport valid at least 90 days past departure, proof of sufficient funds, and medical insurance valid in Belarus with at least €10,000 of coverage. Travelers who need a visa can apply at a Belarusian embassy or consulate in advance. A stay longer than 10 working days requires registration with local authorities, which hotels normally handle automatically at check-in.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

A firm handshake is the standard greeting; close friends may greet with a light cheek kiss. Cover shoulders and knees when visiting an Orthodox or Catholic church, and women are often expected to cover their heads inside an Orthodox church, especially outside Minsk. Ask before photographing people, and avoid photographing government buildings, military installations, checkpoints, or anything near the borders with Ukraine or the EU. Public political discussion is best avoided with people you don't know well, given the current climate.

Public holidays combine Soviet-era dates, Orthodox and Catholic Christmas, and national commemorations, so expect closures around both January 7 and December 25. Shops in cities generally keep long hours seven days a week; smaller-town shops and offices often close on Sundays and take a midday break.

• By train: Belarusian Railway (Belaruskaja čyhunka) connects all regional capitals and most historic towns; trains are reliable and inexpensive. Book through Belarusian Railway – ticket booking.
• By bus: Intercity coaches cover routes trains don't reach, including smaller towns like Niasvizh and villages near Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park.
• By air: International flight options into Belarus are limited, since most European and North American carriers no longer fly there and EU airspace is closed to Belarusian aircraft; most travelers arrive overland from a neighboring country or connect through Russia, Turkey, or the Gulf. Domestic flights are not worth using given the country's small size.

Minsk has a small, efficient metro plus buses and trams; a rechargeable transit card or contactless bank card works across the system.

Belarusian food is hearty and built around potatoes, rye bread, and slow-cooked meat. Breakfast is often syrniki (fried curd-cheese patties) or bread with cold cuts; lunch and dinner center on soups, stews, and potato dishes, eaten later than in Western Europe. The best-known dish is draniki, fried potato pancakes usually served with sour cream. They appear on nearly every menu, often alongside machanka, a thick meat gravy meant for dipping bread or pancakes into.

Markets and canteen-style cafeterias (stalovaya) are a cheap, filling way to eat like a local, especially outside Minsk. Kvass, a lightly fermented rye drink, is sold from street tanks in summer, and Belarusian craft beer has grown popular in Minsk in recent years alongside the more traditional vodka.

The capital, Minsk, is a rebuilt Soviet showcase city with wide boulevards, and the natural base for a first visit.

West of Minsk, Brest sits on the Polish border and is best known for its World War II fortress, while Grodno keeps the country's best-preserved historic center and closest ties to its Polish-Lithuanian past. The small town of Niasvizh, between the two, holds one of Belarus's UNESCO castles.

In the east, Gomel and Mogilev are the country's second- and third-largest cities, each built around a grand riverside palace or historic center. In the north, Vitebsk is known as the hometown of painter Marc Chagall, and nearby Polotsk is Belarus's oldest city, home to the country's oldest stone church.