The turbulent history of the 20th century completely redrawn the map of ancient Minsk. Narrow streets gave way to wide avenues, and surrounding villages became urban neighborhoods. Despite the fact that in Soviet times Minsk was divided into 9 administrative districts, the townspeople never got used to them. They, most likely, will not remember where the Oktyabrsky district is located, but they will say exactly where Kurasovshchina is located.
Upper town
One of the oldest parts of Minsk. Since the 16th century, this area has become the center of the city due to the fact that its predecessor, Zamchische, was often subjected to fires and destruction. It is the Upper Town that is today called the historical center of Minsk. The most important sights are located here: the Town Hall and the architectural ensemble on Freedom Square, the Gostiny Dvor, the Europe Hotel, the Church of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the complex of Basilian monasteries, the Holy Spirit Cathedral.
Trinity Suburb
According to simplyyellowpages, near the Upper Town, on the left bank of the Svisloch, there is a cozy quarter of cute 2-3-storey houses. This is Trinity Suburb. Previously, there were many churches (including the first Catholic church in Minsk) and monasteries here. Unfortunately, almost none of this is left. And the quarter itself was essentially built in the 80s. on preserved foundations. Nevertheless, the Trinity Suburb looks quite authentic. There are a large number of cafes and restaurants, antique shops and art workshops, book and souvenir shops. Near the Trinity Suburb is the Island of Courage and Sorrow with a memorial dedicated to Belarusians who died during the war in Afghanistan.
Rakovskoye Suburb
The area began to be settled by merchants and artisans as early as the 11th century. Today, very little remains of the rich suburb: several small streets and the oldest church in Minsk – the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul built in 1612.
Independence Avenue
We decided to allocate the main street of Minsk, or rather the section from Independence Square to the Park Chelyuskintsev metro station, into a separate area. It is here that you can get acquainted with a unique architectural style: the Stalinist Empire style. The vast majority of buildings were built from scratch after the war, but there are also pre-war buildings, restored and restored.
Komarovka
The symbol of the entrepreneurial spirit of Minsk residents is located not far from the Trinity Suburb. Even 100 years ago, on the then still poor city outskirts, there was a swampy lowland, literally teeming with mosquitoes. In 1979, an indoor collective farm market was built here, which the Minskers called “Komarovsky”. Literally immediately, Komarovka became one of the symbols of the capital. Today there are many shopping centers here, but out of habit people continue to come from all over the city to buy fresh products, namely to the covered market.
Traktorozavodskoy village
A relatively young area, located not far from the famous Minsk Tractor Plant. Beautiful low-rise buildings were built after the war by German prisoners of war. Minsk residents are just beginning to discover this area of the city. Therefore, there are no cozy coffee houses and wine bars here yet, but there is no doubt that in a decade the Traktorozavodskaya settlement will become one of the most fashionable places in Minsk.
Minsk Hotels
In recent years, Minsk has experienced a real hotel boom. Large operators such as Hilton, Marriott, Novotel come to the city en masse. The number of 2-3* hotels is growing. This allows hotels to annually select a small piece of the pie from apartments per day. It so happened that for a long time it was the short-term rental of apartments that was the most affordable option for lodging for the night compared to a not very numerous chain of hotels that offered Soviet-style rooms at very high prices. However, keep in mind that the cost of a room in Minsk hotels is still 20-30% higher than in Vilnius or Warsaw, and is about 150-200 BYN per day.
Most Minsk hotels are located in the city center. But other districts of Minsk are also being actively built up with hotels that cost less than their central counterparts.
A network of hostels is also developing in Minsk. Almost all of them are located in the center, within walking distance from the main attractions. The average cost of a bed in a dormitory is 30-40 BYN.
