Престиж Акватур

EXCURSION  NAME   &

DURATION

       DESCRIPTION         

Minsk-- the Capital of the Republic of Belarus

(3 hours)

The capital city of Belarus was first settled over 900 years ago in 1067. Much of old Minsk was razed to the ground during World War II. Among the sights that you will see are: 

• Independence Square with the House of Government
• the “Red” Roman Catholic Church
• Victory Square with its 38 metres grey obelisk and the Eternal Flame  commemorating  the heroes of World War II
• Yanka Kupala Park with a wonderful fountain
• Troitskoye Predmestye (Trinity Suburb) –  an example of Minsk urban architecture of the previous century
• Holy Trinity Cathedral and St.Catherine’s Church – architectural monuments of the 17th century.
• Lots of parks and other modern architectural ensembles.

Minsk is the city where one can find the best of the Belarusian cultural heritage museums and exhibitions, theatres, world-famous Belarusian ballet.

PRICES

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Available also in: 

French,

German,

Italian

Khatyn Memorial &  Glory Mound

(4,5--5 hours)

Built on the site of the village burnt to ashes during World War II. The small village of Khatyn was burnt down together with its 149 residents (75 children among them) by the Nazi on March 22,1943. On the remains of the village a memorial complex was opened in 1969 to honour the names of all Belarusian villages (over 150 destroyed villages) that shared Khatyn’s fate. Small bells ring to commemorate the massacred.

Glory Mound is an imposing monument located on the top of the artificial hill. It was built in honour of the Soviet Army which liberated Belarus from the German Nazi invaders in 1944. The soil from the nine «Hero Cities» of the former Soviet Union and from the battlegrounds of World War II was brought handful by handful to be piled into a mound. It’s a distinctive landmark on the airport highway.

PRICES

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Available also in:

French,

German,

Italian

Half Day Trip to DUDUTKI

(the Museum of Ancient National Crafts and Technologies)

(4-5 hours)

The first and at the moment the only private museum of material culture where the past and present are brought together, a museum of handicrafts where a piece of clay, steel or wood are brought to life before your eyes.

Founded in 1993, covers the territory of 160 hectares.

On the picturesque banks of the river Ptich (once it was one of the waterways «from the Vikings to the Greeks») you will find this unique DUDUTKI museum where activities and entertainment combine in harmony with nature and history.

Former inhabitants of Dudutki estate in the 19th century, the Elskys Family - the representatives of Igumen shlachta (old Belarusian dynasty), owned it for 130 years. They made Dudutky to one of the centres of cultural life in Belarus.

Whoever you are, irrespective of age or position, plunge yourself into the atmosphere of the 19th century Belarus, get to know the ways of country life and discover the secrets of ancient handicrafts. 

Tourists are taken

•          to the old and the only working windmill in Belarus, where they can see how grain was turned into flower and find a surprise 

•          to the pottery shop, where one can see traditional work of a skilled potter and join the artisan in creative process

•          to the ancient smithy, where one can watch a blacksmith at work and receive a lucky horse shoe as a gift

•          to the village bakery with tasting fresh village rye bread made before your eyes, farmer’s butter, cheese and milk

•          to the only legal in Belarus apparatus for “SAMOGON” (local vodka) tasting it  with fresh cucumbers or marinated pickles with honey

•          to the water park where you can walk along its riverside pathways, enjoy nature and share the admiration and delight of the former inhabitants - musicians, historians and writers who lived here in the 19th century and made this country estate to the «Manor of Muses».

•          to the ethnographic gallery

PRICES

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Available also in:

French,

German,

Italian

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Extra Services in DUDUTKI  are also available!

Historical and Cultural Complex  "STALIN LINE"  

(for lovers of military history and military technique and for the inquisitive)

(4 hours)

In the thirties of the 20-th century on the Western border of the former USSR a network of defense military fortifications was built. These fortifications stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. All in all 23 fortified zones were constructed including 4 on the territory of Belarus.

In those days the Western border in Belarus was within 35-40 km from Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

All this network of defense installations is also known in the world as “Stalin Line” (we are sure you still remember the name…).

Over 60 years by now the sky has been peaceful over Belarus and we are confident it will last forever.

But the memory of those days will always be cherished in Belarus. During 1941 – 1945 Great Patriotic War the life of 1 in every 3 inhabitants of Belarus was lost.

On June, 30, 2005, there took place the ceremonial opening of “Stalin Line”, historical and cultural complex reconstructed in strict conformity with what it used to be in prewar years near the town of Zaslavl (35 km from Minsk). The management of the complex is of the opinion that it is one of the largest in the world. Separate fortifications were restored in Finland, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, but the complete complex is only in Belarus (total area is 40 hectares) and in France (“Maginot Line”)…

When on the territory of the complex you can do everything – get into 2 or 3-embrasure pillbox and to become “a machine-gunner”, sit down on a chair of a gun-layer and become an artillery man, stroll along trenches or climb up the tank, one of the museum of military equipment exhibits, just to feel yourself in combat situation on the front line of defense… and thank God, this is not a reality but only a touch to the history the memory of which will be preserved in souvenirs bought from there and photos taken.

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Available also in:

French,

German,

Italian

Half  Day  Trip  to ZASLAVL 

(an Ancient Town)

(4 hours)

Zaslavl, National State Historical Reserve (30 km from Minsk)- a town with the history of above 1,000 years, located in one of the most picturesque places on the bank of the Svisloch river.

The interesting sights here are the ruins of a castle and its fortifications - the first and the oldest fortification system in Belarus, dated by XVI-XVII c.c. The Reformist Church, now the Church of the Saviour and Transfiguration (XVI c.). Monument of the later Renaissance architecture. The Virgin Mary catholic church (XVIII c.) on the Marc St. Square is a magnificent monument of  baroque architecture. It might be of great interest to visit the Zaslavl historical and cultural preserve, which includes a real steam mill of the XIX century, a miller's house, an ancient barn and a smithy. Also there s a museum of history and culture of this ancient place where one can see the exhibition of musical instruments, hand-made carpets, etc. .

PRICES

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Available also in:

German

National  Park  "BELAVEZHSKAYA  PUSHCHA"

(14 hours)

Located part in Belarus and part in Poland Belavezhskaya Pushcha (380 km from Minsk) is a National Park, a Biosphere Reserve and a Europe's last surviving primeval forest which has preserved its prehistoric nature with relic plants and animals, the European bison in the first place. And as such it is placed on the United Nations World's Heritage list. UNESCO gave the Pushcha the status of biosphere reserve. Thus Pushcha entered a world system for surveying changes in the environment. This National Park located in the southwest of Belarus, at 340 km from Minsk. Its territory is about 90,000 hectares. The flora and fauna of the Belavezha Forest Reserve is remarkable because of the great number of various types of plants and animals. Experts registered here more than 1000 oaks aged 300-700 years, 450-year-old ash-trees, 220-year-old pine-trees, 150-year-old junipers. You can also find here white firs, various types of spruce, pines, hornbeams. The governmental residence was built in the part of Pushcha called Viskuli. The World learnt about Viskuli in December 1991 when the USSR ceased to exist. It is in Viskuli where the leaders of three Slavonic republics of the USSR were summoned to dissolve the Soviet Union.

PRICES

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Available also in:

French,

German

Full Day  Trip  to  "BEREZINSKY" Biosphere  Reserve +  City Tour of Polotsk

(14  hours)

Biosphere Reserve “Berezinsky” (in the north of the country in 120 km from Minsk). Boundless forests, deep rivers, and beautiful lakes have existed here for thousand years. The reserve, set up in 1925, is a unique place in the world with no analogues in Europe (approved by UNESCO in 1979). Until now its territory of 82000 hectares has untouched corners of nature, with one of the largest marsh tracts in Europe. It’s famous for its natural variety. The reserve is an ideal place for living for multiple species of animals and birds. It is inhabited with 52 types of mammals, 217 types of birds, 10 types of amphibians, 5 types of reptiles and 34 types of fish. The flora is also diverse, the number of flower plants only exceeds 780 types. The river Berezina flows for of 110 km in the reserve. There are also a lot of big and small rivers and lakes here. You will have a chance to visit the Nature museum and open-air cages with wild animals, investigate natural environment while hiking on an ecological route (4 km), enjoy boat riding along Berezina waterway - part of the former waterway from the Scandinavian countries to the Old Greece, "from the Vikings to the Greeks" as we call this route. Lakes on the route are good for fishing. If you go in for fishing you can try your luck.

PRICES

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Available also in:

French,

German

Brest  Fortress.  Visit  to Brest (the Western Gate of  Belarus).

(12-14 hours)

PRICES

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Available also in:

French,

German

PRICES  

Mir and Nesvizh Castles

(6--8 hours)

PRICES

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Available also in:

French,

German