Minsk isn't the world's biggest tourist destination and as such the attractions and distractions you might normally expect aren't really here. We've got a full list and of bars and cafes in our Eating and drinking section as well (huzzah!). However, that doesn't mean there's nothing to see, especially if museums and cathedrals are your bag.
If you only go to one tourist location, visit the Musuem of the Great Patriotic War. If you don’t then you will never truly understand Belarus. Few countries were as devastated as Belarus was during World War II and the full horror is depicted here over three floors.
Although the exhibits aren’t labelled in English a lot of what you see will be fairly self-explanatory from the first floor depicting the invasion, the concentration camps and the public executions, through to the second, which demonstrates the actions of the partisans. Towards the end of the tour you reach an exhibition showing photos of all the hero cities of the Soviet Union, places like Minsk that were honoured for the actions of their citizens during the war. Don’t forget to pop round the back of the museum afterwards where you’ll find all sorts of military vehicles on display. The museum is on Ploshad Oktyabrskoy, which is the huge open space about 100 metres from McDonalds.
If you worship at the alter of both football and religion it might be worth a visit to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit - Minsk’s most important Orthodox place of worship looks down across the vast expanse of the river Svisloch, and dominates the area. Originally built in 1642 it is one of the city’s oldest buildings, although it has had to be patched up or restored on a number of occasions.
The church was closed after the revolution but services resumed in 1943. It is recorded in one local guide that a book-burning of church literature was arranged outside the entrance soon after the revolution, when a local ideologist swore that he would clean peoples minds of religion or else fall from trying. As he stepped down from his podium he slipped and broke both his legs.
Minsk has an excellent metro system as well as trams, buses and trolleybuses. Most of the hotels, bars and restaurants are within a relatively small area of the city centre so it’s possible that you may not need to use any of them.
The metro has two lines. They run from approximately 5am – 1am and one token costing 600 roubles (15p) covers a single trip. Trains run every 2-4 minutes most of the day but you can wait for up to 10 minutes late at night. Unusually, you can get a mobile phone reception along some stretches of the track in the city centre.
If you are in the area around Nemiga and Prospekt Pobediteley on the evening of the match then it’s one stop from Nemiga to Kupalovskaya (1 min) in the city centre or two stops to Pervomaysksaya (3 min). The latter brings you out on the side of the stadium where England fans will enter.
Tickets for trams, buses and trolleybuses also cost 600 roubles and are available from any newspaper kiosk or metro station. Punch your ticket when you board.
Taxis are heavily regulated however it’s highly likely that if you don’t speak Russian they’ll try to get away without turning the meter on. If in doubt agree a price before you get in. Alternatively you can guarantee you’ll only pay the correct fare by asking your hotel or restaurant to book a taxi for you. If you do pay over the odds then it shouldn’t be more than a couple of quid over the official fare.
