Fly from Nice to Minsk

For years Minsk was a favourite destination for westerners looking for a Slavic adventure. But unlike many of its neighbours, the capital of Belarus wasn’t able to find its feet after the Second World War. 98% of the city was destroyed. But Minsk rebuilt in the 50s in the style so characteristic of classic Stalinist architecture. Wide avenues, vast squares, immense columns, severe façades, grandiose monuments and even a statue of Lenin: it all adds up to a city that’s a veritable open-air museum of the Soviet era.

The resonance of the Iron Curtain is not unique around Minsk. This Slavic beauty also shines with culture, be it classic within the walls of the National Art Museum, more pop at a spectacular show by the Belarusian State Circus, or more modern in Kastrycnitskaya with its street art.

Then there’s the setting: Minsk is the in the centre of the country. Perfect for discovering all the charms of Belarusian nature, from admiring the ballet of swans on the calm waters of Lake Naratch, hiking through old-growth forests that haven’t changed since prehistoric times, or else wandering the halls of enchanted castles. With so much to share, it’s ideal for a romantic getaway as a couple!

• Hey Lenin! At seven metres high, the statue of Lenin has towered over Independence Square (formerly Lenin Square), opposite City Hall, for more than 80 years.
• See the best of Soviet heritage around the city: the Minsk City Gates opposite the main train station, Victory Monument on the square of the same name, the Palace of the Republic and Trade Union Palace of Culture on October Square, and more.
• Check out one of the most original libraries in the world. This 74-metre tall avant-garde glass building is a rhombicuboctahedron - or for those who are a bit rusty on their geometry, an Archimedean solid with 8 triangular and 18 square faces.
• Let yourself imagine Minsk as it was before the war in the streets of Trinity Hill (also called Trinity Suburb), the only district to have escaped the ravages of war. It’s home to the last wooden house in the city, the opera (not to be missed!) and the Island of Tears memorial dedicated to soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
• Visit the Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum. It houses an impressive arsenal (planes, tanks, guns, uniforms, and more) and moving accounts of the Second World War, during which one in four Belarusians died, or 1.5 million civilians.
• Stroll through Kastrycnitskaya, which has become the coolest part of the city since Brazilian artists moved in and showed their Belarusian counterparts the joys of street art. Since then enormous murals covering entire buildings have sprung up all over.
• Place your bets! With 18 casinos, the Belarusian capital is considered the Slavic Las Vegas. Celebrities and Russian oligarchs can often be spotted on their green carpets. Just be careful not to lose your shirt - or more! - in Belarus.
• Head out of Minsk and get a taste of the royal. Nesvizh Castle is a gorgeous residential castle surrounded by parks and ponds. Follow it up with a visit to Mir Castle, a magnificent 16th century fortress. Both are listed as World Heritage Sites.
• Sample draniki, the local speciality: potato pancakes made with sour cream and served with mince and mushrooms.
• Relax on the beaches along the shores of Lake Naratch, the largest of the blue lakes of Belarus. A small “sea” surrounded by green where you can water ski and windsurf. A must for outdoor entertainment in Belarus.