In Minsk you are unlikely to feel truly abroad – the shared Soviet past is more palpable here than in any other former USSR city. Yet Belarus keeps everything immaculately clean and orderly. You won't see advertising billboards or giant painted facades covering buildings anywhere in Minsk. The city feels more open and airy for it. Numerous parks, squares, and shady avenues cover almost half the territory of the Belarusian capital – a statistic few European cities can match.

In Minsk you can easily become a millionaire overnight – don't be surprised if the change from buying a pastry turns out to be a thick wad of banknotes. Russian is spoken everywhere, but signs and shop fronts are in Belarusian. Russian visitors always get a kick out of local job ads seeking a prodavacha (female shop assistant) or a strakhar-blyakhar (don't worry – it just means a roofer-tinsmith). Overall, Minsk is a wonderfully welcoming, attractive, and comfortable city – the kind of place you'll want to return to, to stroll its spacious streets and squares again and sink into a serene calm quite unlike any other capital.

Planning a trip to Minsk takes just minutes! Use the interactive attractions map, where dozens of interesting places are already marked – simply choose the ones you want to see. Spread them across your travel days, discuss plans with friends, and don't forget to download the free Ever.Travel mobile app to sync your itinerary. Never planned a trip on our site before? Read our guide – we show just how quick and easy it is!