The Best Things to See and Do in Babruysk, Belarus

Babruysk
Babruysk | © Андрэй Дзмiтрыеў / WikiCommons

Babruysk is one of the oldest cities in Belarus and is the country’s seventh-largest settlement. It was first mentioned in writing in the middle of the 14th century, and these days houses a population of around 215,000. The city is also sometimes spelt Bobruisk when transliterated into English, and remains a less-visited tourist spot. Work your way through these activities on your visit to this up-and-coming city.

Babruysk

Walk around Lenin Square

Communist history is clear to see for anyone travelling in Belarus. Babruysk’s Lenin Square contains leafy gardens and a pedestrian only zone. Military parades are sometimes held in the main square. The most photographed parts of the square are the Lenin Statue itself, and the rectangular City Hall that sits behind it. There are benches to relax on and some cafes and bars nearby.

Lenin Square, Babruysk, Belarus

Lenin Square | © Paju / WikiCommons | © Paju / WikiCommons

See a genuine Soviet Union tank

Downtown Babruysk also has some memorials and reminders of the Soviet days. A former Soviet tank sits on the other side of the main square. Beside it there is a war memorial dedicated to soldiers from Babruysk who died in battle.

Lenin Square, Babruysk, Belarus

Tank in Babruysk | © Paju / WikiCommons

Visit the UNESCO-listed Berezina Preserve

Probably the most essential tourist place to visit in Babruysk is this UNESCO-listed nature reserve. The Berezina Preserve is on the UNESCO list of biosphere preserves. There is some tourist information on boards by the river and you can get a tour on the waters, but the main point is to preserve the nature and wildlife here. You can see many mammals in the preserve, including elk, deer, beaver, wild boar, foxes and squirrels. Bird watchers can also enjoy the many species of birds that live here, such as the black grouse and the willow ptarmigan. A good spot to watch the sunset by the Berezina River is the park at the back of the Hotel Tourist.

Berezina Preserve, Babruysk, Belarus

Berezina Preserve

Tour the ruins of Babruysk's fortress

Ruins

Remains of Babruysk fortress
© Iskan156 / WikiCommons
Don’t expect a masterpiece or anything to blow your mind here, as the ruins mean exactly that. The fortress has never returned to its former glory and only small parts of it remain. But before your visit, read up on the history, particularly the Battle of Berezina. It was here, back in 1812, where Napoleon Bonaparte’s army lost around 36,000 troops when crossing the Berezina River. As a result, Berezina is sometimes used in the French language to mean ‘catastrophe’.

Watch Belshina Babruysk at the Sparta Stadium

Stadium

Sparta Stadium, Babruysk
© Don't Stop Living
Football is alive and well in Belarus, and the tidy little Sparta Stadium is the proud home of Belshina Bobruisk. You can get a ticket to watch the local team play here, as Belshina ply their trade in the Belarussian top flight. They have won the Belarussian league once (in 2001) and the cup three times. Impressively, the stadium has been used by the Belarus international women’s team through the years. Around the pitch is also an athletics track. The stadium is on Kastryčnickaja Street.

Visit Babruysk History Museum

Museum

Understand the history of Babruysk
© Don't Stop Living
To fully understand the city’s history, take a stroll through Babruysk History Museum. Here you can read all about Napoleon’s defeat, the impact of the First and Second World Wars and communist times in Babruysk. Most of the information is written in Russian, but this is slowly changing and you can ask for English translations. One of the biggest shocks for the visitor is the sheer number of Belarussians killed in the wars. In 1941, Hitler’s forces invaded Babruysk, killing around 20,000 local Jews and burying them in mass graves. Nazi German labour camps were also established in the southwest part of the city.

Read a book in Babruysk's green library

Building, Library

Get your fix of truly unusual and striking buildings. The green library is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. It’s not just the colour – the shape and design are equally intriguing. The building is officially known as Katsnelson House. The biggest challenge is to get inside – it was once a library but hasn’t been open to visitors for that purpose in years.

Ulitsa Internatsional’naya 25, Babruysk 213826, Belarus

Babruysk Library | © Andrei Kuzmin / WikiCommons

Tour Chernobyl the alternative way

Most tourists and scientists wishing to visit the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone do so from the Ukrainian side of the border. However, for the intrepid tourist wanting an alternative glimpse of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Babruysk is a good base for this day trip. You’ll first head to Gomel to meet your guide, then go into the zone itself, where the sadness of this disaster still exists, more than thirty years later. There are minor risks associated with such a tour of course, but Wow Belarus come recommended. Understand how this area of Belarus was badly affected by the explosion in the infamous Reactor Number 4.

Chernobyl Tours from Gomel, Belarus

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone | © Don’t Stop Living

Admire the architecture of St. Nicholas Cathedral

Cathedral, Church

The city’s prominent cathedral is a true work of art and certainly one for Instagram lovers. St. Nicholas Cathedral has a white exterior with impressive gold and blue domes and tilted green roofs. It’s a Russian Orthodox church and holds regular services.

St. Nicholas Cathedral, Babruysk, Belarus

Babryusk, Belarus | © Андрэй Дзмiтрыеў / WikiCommons

Take a train to Minsk from Babruysk Train Station

Train Station

Babruysk train station
© Michael E / WikiCommons
Head on the slow train to Minsk, from the magnificent Babruysk Train Station. The trains are traditional, and have an on-board restaurant. You can choose second or first class and admire the views of stunning countryside on the way to the country’s capital. Tickets should be purchased in the train station terminal and the journey takes between two and three hours.
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article