Tourism

Vitebsk region lies in the north-west of Belarus, in the centre of Europe, occupying the territory of 40, 000 sq.km.

Due to its geographical position Vitebsk region has well-developed road and railway links with other countries. Thoroughfares, connecting largest economic regions of Russia to Europe, run across it. Thus, two European transportation corridors intersect the region’s territory: Berlin-Warsaw-Minsk-Moscow, connecting Germany, Poland, Belarus and Russia; and Helsinki - St. Petersburg-Kiev-Chisinau-Bucharest, linking Finland, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece.

These international transportation corridors include 44 national highways with thick net of roadside infrastructure, offering travellers a wide range of services. There you can refuel, have a rest, snack and sleep, and buy a variety of goods.

There is an International airport in Vitebsk.

The ancient Belarusian city of Vitebsk is the regional center. Another, even an older city, Polotsk, was first mentioned in chronicles back to 862, as the birthplace of Belarusian statehood, culture and spiritual life. The ancient cities of Orsha, Braslav, Postavy, Glubokoye, and others are also well-known for their fortresses, or shopping malls.

Vitebsk region possesses a great potential for tourism development, especially educational one, ecotourism, health and agroecotourism, pilgrimage and transit tourism.

The region’s centuries-old cultural and historical heritage is of a great international interest, and its ecosystems and natural landscapes are truly unique.

Cultural and educational tourism

Vitebsk region is remarkable for its 3,000 monuments, historic and cultural landmarks, relics of the past, 1,000 of which are included into the list of historical and cultural values of Belarus. Ancient settlements and barrows, time-honoured mansions and grand temples, old city centres attract visitors to Vitebsk, Polotsk, Postavy and Glubokoye.

The City Hall, an architectural and historical symbol of Vitebsk, dates back to 1775 and hosts Vitebsk Regional Museum. One can admire the “bird view” panorama of an old city architectural ensemble, narrow belts of streets, old houses and street lamps, golden domes and the Dvina River; experience the most breathtaking walk around the rotunda of the City hall tower at a height of 40 meters.

The Governor's Palace, built in the 19th century, is situated in the public garden opposite the Monument to the Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812. It walls saw Napoleon Bonaparte, waiting here for Alexander I’s envoys and making his fatal decision to advance towards Moscow.

Vitebsk region takes pride in the world famous countrymen: Euphrosyne of Polotsk, a saint-enlightener, Francysk Skoryna, a first printer, Simeon of Polotsk, a poet - enlightener, Ivan Khrutsky, an artist, Vasil Bykov and Vladimir Korotkevich, Belarusian writers, Ivan Chersky, a famous explorer of Eastern Siberia and many others. And, of course, Mark Chagall, the world famous graphic artist and painter, who brought Vitebsk with him to St. Petersburg, New York and Paris, as Vitebsk was in his heart. Many interesting places are connected with Chagall: Art Centre of Marc Chagall with the collection of his original drawings, the art school building he taught at. No museum possesses what Vitebsk has – a house where Chagall spent his youth. Now the House-Museum greets its visitors in Pokrovskaya Street. Marc Chagall called Vitebsk a second Paris and Paris his second Vitebsk for the city’s beauty and oneness.

Ilya Repin, the great Russian artist, discovered a special attractiveness of Vitebsk region for himself, staying at his Zdravnevo estate. Now a museum, an unusual mansion in beautiful surroundings attracts millions of tourists from all over the world to visit and participate in the exhibitions, open air sessions, folk ceremonies and theatrical performances.

Museums and art galleries of the region own really unique collections, exhibits, virtu and rarities.

Postavy is another tourist attraction. The main site to visit is Tyzengauz Palace, a magnificent 19th century-old piece of classicism, in the shade of rare trees, an old alley, and canals. One can see a monument to Konstantin Tyzengauz, an ornithologist and scientist, one of the owners of this ancestral home which was gladly visited by Nicolai II.

An old part of Postavy is a historical monument in itself. The architectural ensemble was designed by an Italian architect Giuseppe de Sacco in the 18th century. One can still visit a well-preserved craftsman house, a doctor’s house, and an old chemistry, a palace and park ensemble on the lake bank. Other landmarks are a 19th century stone watermill and St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral.

Sofia Cathedral of Polotsk, an example of the 11-18th centuries architecture, is rightly called a pearl of Belarusian building art. The oldest stone building for public worship in Byzantine style has always been admired for its beauty and grandeur. Now visitors can enjoy magnificent sounds of organ music there. Sofia of Polotsk, a symbol of cultural and historic traditions in Vitebsk region, is inscribed into the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The ancient city of Orsha is also rich in historical, spiritual and architectural landmarks. They are Jesuit Collegium Complex and Kuteinsky Monastery, the centre of book printing in the 17th century. Right there, Spiridon Sobol, a Belarusian printer and enlightener published the first primer in1631. You can still see an ancient wooden church on the monastery’s territory.

Tourists and visitor tend to visit the centre of Europe. This very geographical centre was positioned in Polotsk. A commemorative monument with the inscriptions in 5 languages was set up to indicate the four corners of the earth.

Religious and pilgrimage tourism

Lying at the crossroads of Western and Eastern European cultures ,Vitebsk region has always been a specific cultural and religious place where manifold traditions blend and various national and religious confession peacefully coexist. Each confession has left a great spiritual legacy and splendid temples, churches, and cathedrals, which are truly regarded as masterpieces of religious architecture and make up the golden fund of the national culture. They number nearly 400, out of which 100 being the monuments of historical and cultural heritage. Vitebsk region can be proud of this heritage, a legacy of rural and city, ancient and renewed, wooden and stone, tiny and majestic architectural masterpieces.

The region has become a real mecca for tourists as pilgrimage and sightseeing tours are especially popular nowadays.

The Savior and St Euphrosyne’s Convent in Polotsk is the center of the Orthodox Church. Founded in the 12th century, it makes thousands of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world flock to the ancient monastery to venerate St. Euphrosyne’s relics and the Cross, the shrines and sacred symbol of the Belarusian spirituality revival. The Holy Transfiguration Church is the heart of the monastery complex. It was built in the mid-12th century by a Polotsk architect John on behalf of Abbess Euphrosyne of Polotsk. The church is definitely an architectural masterpiece. Its interior is decorated with unique frescoes of the 12th century. The Holy Transfiguration Church is inscribed into in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Annunciation Church in Vitebsk was built by Byzantine craftsmen in the 12th century and was the first stone church in the city. One can really sense the past touching the open fragments of an unrivalled ancient masonry, nothing like that can be found in ancient architecture.

Vitebsk churches own their uniqueness to the Vilna Baroque style. It took more than 40 years to build The Holy Assumption Cathedral, one of the most beautiful and magnificent Orthodox churches famous for the biggest bell in Belarus. A monumental staircase descends from Uspenskaya Hill leading to the embankment and the Holy Spirit Convent.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Glubokoye, built in the 17th century, St. Anne’s Church and Mosar Park Ensemble in Glubokoye district, called a Belarusian Versailles, continue the list of sacred places.

St. John the Baptist’ fortified castle -church in Kamai, Postavy district, shows an implementation of forms and techniques of defensive architecture, Gothic and Renaissance Styles. Being built in 1603-1606, it has never been closed, even in the Soviet period. With its 118 objects of historical value it is inscribed into in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Health tourism

An impressive beauty and natural diversity of Vitebsk region contribute to both a comfortable rest and an effective treatment.

A reasonable price-quality ratio, modern technologies and highly skilled specialists of our health resorts enable them to take an advantage over the others alike. Here one can find a wide range of services for treatment and rehabilitation of respiratory, digestive, nervous and musculoskeletal systems, gynecology and urology, as well as wellness, dentistry, cosmetology and spa.

Vitebsk Region health resorts are located in ecologically clean areas, mainly in mixed and pine forests, on the banks of deep rivers and crystal-clear lakes. The very nature is a healing factor to the human body. The region’s moderate continental climate with its mild wet winters and warm summers favours rest and recovery all year round.

The complex of climatic and medical factors features dozens of mineral springs, used in treatment for various diseases. Some of them are similar to mineral water resorts Truskavets and Druskininkai, others to the ones in Alma-Ata and Georgia. Radon baths are used for spa treatment. Sapropelic muds from Belarusian deposits, as well as mineral sulphide muds of Saki Lake, are widely used for treatment and cosmetology. One can also improve health in speleo complexes, made of red and white salt blocks of Soligorsk potash mines, one of the world's leading manufacturers of potash fertilizers JSC "Belaruskali". In all these hospitals, patients take effective cure similar to the one in the salt caves with a peculiar composition of natural salt aerosol and a combination of "red" and "white" salt.

In the Vitebsk region there are more than 100 sanatorium and health resorts: 9 sanatoriums, 3 student sanatoriums, 2 health centers, 29 recreation centers and others.

The most popular health resorts are:

sanatorium Letsy of the Federation of trade unions of the Republic of Belarus,

Lepel military sanatorium of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus,

sanatorium Borovoe of the department of Presidential affairs of the Republic of Belarus,

sanatorium Lesnye ozera of the Federation of trade unions of the Republic of Belarus ,

sanatorium Lesnoe of KGB of the Republic of Belarus

sanatorium Naftan of open joint-stock company Naftan

Children`s sanatorium Rosinka of the sanatorium-resort enterprise open joint-stock company Belagrozdravnitsa

Children`s rehabilitation and health-improving centre Jemchujina.