Schedule: Saturday – Sunday.

day 1

8.00 Departure from Minsk. On the way to Vitebsk you will see the most beautiful landscapes of Belarus (“Belarusian Switzerland”), including the unique Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve; get acquainted with important events and people who have left a bright mark in the history and culture of the country. Acquaintance with the rich nature of the reserve begins at the Museum of Nature with an interactive exhibition of the animal and plant world. Then you will visit the open-air cages with animals: you will find the characteristic inhabitants of our protected forest and, moreover, in conditions close to natural; there are bears, bisons, lynxes, deer, roe deer, foxes, wolves and many others.

Departure to Vitebsk, check-in at the hotel.

Lunch.

During a sightseeing tour you will visit its historical part with the preserved and restored buildings of the 18th-19th centuries. You will see the symbol of the Magdeburg law of the city – the graceful Town Hall, built in 1775. On the high bank of the Western Dvina there is one of the monumental buildings of old Vitebsk – the Governor’s Palace (XVIII century), which keeps the memory of the turbulent past of the city. The cultural heritage of Vitebsk also includes the historically established planning structure of the city, buildings in the Art Nouveau style. During the tour you will see a stylized medieval tower “Dukhovskaya Kruglik“, funny street sculptures, original small architectural forms.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vitebsk turned into a symbol of the dynamic art of the world famous “Vitebsk School”, whose brilliant representatives were the brilliant Marc Chagall, the author of the mysterious “Black Square” Konstantin Malevich, the creator of Russian seasons in Paris, Mstislav Dobuzhinsky. The museum presents household items from the 19th-20th centuries, archival documents telling about the life of Marc Chagall in Vitebsk.

Free time, walks around the city, shopping.

Overnight in Vitebsk.

day 2

Breakfast (buffet), eviction from the hotel.

Continuation of acquaintance with Vitebsk. The events of the early twentieth century in Vitebsk laid the foundation not only for Russian, but also for the world avant-garde. Visiting the new museum of the Vitebsk Folk School, located in the original pre-revolutionary building; here you will plunge into a unique atmosphere of the avant-garde of the 20s. The XX century, where art was born that changed the world. The museum is high-tech, equipped with exclusive multimedia equipment – you will get acquainted with interactive expositions of the European level, get a lot of positive emotions and impressions.

And today, Vitebsk is also known as the musical capital of festivals. It hosts jazz, bard, piano festivals. Since 1992, Vitebsk has become the capital of the International Festival of Arts “Slavic Bazaar”, the musical arena of which – the Summer Amphitheater – you will see during the tour. Almost every year, new monuments are erected in the city, creative city spaces are created, and new cafes are opened. In addition, local craftsmen are famous for their unique souvenirs. In the Art Space on Tolstoy regularly hosts exhibitions of contemporary Belarusian artists. 

Lunch. Then we go out of town, to the restored estate of Ilya Repin in Zdravnevo with its interesting museum exposition, picturesque buildings and wonderful surrounding landscapes.

Return to Vitebsk. Free time in the city center until 17.00: walks, purchase of souvenirs.

Arrival to Minsk at around 22.00.

Price per person:

The cost includes:

• comfortable coach travel;
• accommodation in Hotel Luchesa*** in TWIN or SINGLE;
• meals: 1 buffet breakfast + 2 lunches;
• russian-speaking guide;
• museum audio guides in English;
• excursions (all entrance tickets included):
      • excursion to the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve;
      • excursion to the Museum of Nature in the Berezinsky Reserve;
      • excursion to the Forest Zoo (animal enclosures);
      • sightseeing tour of Vitebsk;
      • excursion to the Museum of Marc Chagall;
      • excursion to the Museum of the Vitebsk People Art School;
      • excursion to the estate of Ilya Repin in Zdravnevo;
• souvenirs and relevant city maps.
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