How to organize an unforgettable and educational hike or trip around the Vitebsk region?

Amidst the pandemic, many will be staying home this summer. But travel enthusiasts have no reason to be sad: a wonderful opportunity has arisen to rediscover their homeland – the Vitebsk region, rich in amazing nature and unique places. Nikolai Pivovar, a tireless traveler, Candidate of Historical Sciences, and author of over 70 scientific and popular science books and publications about the amazing places of the Vitebsk region, shared how to organize an unforgettable and educational hike or trip around the areas of the regional center and the region as a whole.

– Nikolai Vasilyevich, one often hears the opinion that there are few remarkable historical monuments left in Belarus, and in the Vitebsk region in particular – that it’s boring for tourists. How true is this?

– This opinion is held by those who know little about Belarus and do not travel. Of course, we have fewer medieval castles and noble palaces than in Western European countries. But they exist, and many are in good condition, yet people know little about them. And what about the amazing nature? I have been studying local history for a quarter of a century and every year I am amazed – how unusual and beautiful the Vitebsk region is.

– And what sparked your passion for your homeland?

– I graduated from the history department of the Minsk Pedagogical University and was assigned to work in Luzhesno. I admit, it was a bit boring. How to engage children? With trips and hikes, of course. I encountered a severe lack of information about Vitebsk and its surroundings. What to see, where? I came across the book “Collection of Monuments of History and Culture of Belarus.” We went with the children to the early Iron Age burial mounds, and on the way, we encountered a 19th-century postal station, then – natural monuments, interesting people… I even started writing articles for magazines and newspapers, wanting to tell people that we too have something to be proud of. Now, 10 full-fledged books have been published – about the museums of Vitebsk, the estates of the region, natural monuments, and so on.

– Tell us about the most interesting discoveries during your travels?

– Only in the vicinity of Vitebsk, 40 unique natural monuments were discovered – these are huge oaks and pines. During hikes, I was surprised to learn that we have quite a few well-preserved estates and churches, whose history spans several centuries. For example, when we went to Pyotr Masherov's small homeland, we visited the small village of Pobyl and found a hundred-year-old wooden (!) church there. Moreover, there is no information about it anywhere, but it stands.

– Mostly you go on "one-day trips" with schoolchildren. What can you see in that time?

– A lot, and it's very convenient. For example, we took a diesel train to Sosnovka near Vitebsk – there is a huge oak tree there, probably the largest in the area. At the same time, we admired the beautiful Grodnyanskoye Lake and looked at an ancient settlement of the early Iron Age. Nearby, you can lay flowers at one of the largest burial sites of fallen Soviet soldiers. Not far away is a magnificent House of Culture, which, although built after the war, is based on an author's design – like a noble estate.

Or we take a diesel train to Lyottsy – many people know this place only for the "Zheleznodorozhnik" sanatorium and the lake, which is not so easy to get to anymore. But there is also an amazing "creeping" pine, the beautiful Lake Shevino and Lysaya Gora, the botanical reserve "Pridvinsky", where giant oaks grow. Not far away is the Astreyko estate of the 19th century (unfortunately, it burned down, but there is something to see). Nearby is the deepest and widest place on the Western Dvina within Belarus. And what about the estate in Bolshiye Lyottsy of the famous geobotanist Adamov – a scientist with a world-renowned name.

And so it is almost everywhere – there are highlights that are simply not widely known yet.

– Tell us, how to properly organize a short trip around the Vitebsk region?

– It’s all very simple. You go to the train station and randomly choose a destination (laughs. – Ed.). And you’ll find something interesting everywhere. For example, let’s go to Lake Losvido. There you can see the “Napoleon Road” – the only place in Belarus where you can wade across the entire lake. Two kilometers further – there’s a tourist base and the “Dubrava” reserve, which has a giant oak tree, one of the largest in the republic. You can also drink the purest water from a spring that gushes right next to the oak tree. A great trip if you don’t want to sit still. Or, for example, Gorodok. A real resort! Take a bicycle with you and enjoy one of the largest ski-roller tracks in the country. Or the former urban-type settlement of Ruba, which became part of Vitebsk – there’s a unique dolomite quarry. There are places there that are no different from Switzerland in terms of nature. And nearby, there’s also the Repin estate in Zdravnevo. It’s not for nothing that they say: beauty is in simplicity.

Of course, it’s best to plan your trip in advance to see as much as possible in one day. For example, choose one direction of travel and plan your route within an hour using the internet. In this regard, I recommend using the website “Globus Belarusi” – it contains all the architectural attractions of the country, and there are maps. Start with them as reference points.

If you have a car, you can plan a great weekend trip – visit the best-preserved estates and churches, take a dip in the springs, and sunbathe by the lakes. The natural monuments in Braslavshchyna, Ushachchyna, and Glubochchyna are very well-maintained. This is a lake region! And there’s plenty to see. For example, in the town of Vidzy – the tallest church in Belarus, Lake Shо in Gluboksky district – the scientifically established geographical center of Europe, and Lake Dolgoye – the deepest in the country (over 50 meters). In the same district, near Lake Gin’kovo, there is the only cave in Belarus. On the Vyata River in Miorsky district – there is a real waterfall, and on Lake Osveyskoye (Verkhnedvinsky district) – the only floating island in the republic.

If you set a goal, it is easy to find, as they say in tourism, growth points in the Vitebsk region, where many interesting objects are concentrated. To begin with, go on a journey precisely there.

Alexander KUTYNKO, Vitebsk, photos by Dmitry OSIPOV, "Vitebskiye vesti".