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2011
2011www.inyourpocket.com
MINSK
Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps
Inside
A thoroughly researched,impartial scrutiny of the best things Minsk has to offer
National Art Museum
An in-depth look at oneof Belarus’ best culturaltreasures
2011
"
In Your Pocket
: A cheeky, well-written series of guidebooks."
The New York Times
3
CONTENTS
ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
2011
minsk.inyourpocket.com
Archangel Michael dispatches the Devil in the form of adragon in front of the Catholic Church of Sts. Simon & Helena.Read the sad story behind its construction on p. 33.
Arriving in Minsk
5
Are we there yet?
Basics
6
Essential information, from alcohol to visas
History
9
Some useful background information
Mail & phones
10
Keeping in touch
Culture & Events
11
Galleries, theatres, events and more
Where to stay
13
A bed for all budgets
Dining & Nightlife
Restaurants 15
A roll call of recommended eateries
Contents
Get In Your Pocket before you go
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
RIGA
HockeyFever
Everythingyouneedtoknowabout IIHF WorldChampionshipinRiga
ExploreLatvia
Take a day triptotheseasidetownsof Jūrmala and Liepāja
April-May2006
N°7 -Free copy
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
BELFAST
TheGreatOutdoors
Cycling,skydivingandcountry pursuits
GastroTourism
Seafood,whiskey andSt.George’sMarket
August-September2006
HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
WARSAW
Wilanów
ExplorethePolishVersailles
Outoftown
Poland‘stopspa town:Nałęczów
August-September2006
N°34-5zł
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ISSN 1641-5264
Wrw34.ndb128..0062:9:6
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
TIRANA
Shoppingfever
Tirana’sfirst malls
Facadeart
Paintingthecity pink
2006 - 2007
Museumnight
100museumsinonenight
Floating theboat
Spreeriver tours
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
BERLIN
August-September2006
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ST. PETERSBURG
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Eggbreaking& churchwalking…
RussianinRussia
Thebest waysto discover thelanguage
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SimpleMinds,t.A.T.u.&Cosmonaut’sDay
Apri
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April 2006N°24
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NEW
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TALLINN
Tourin
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Cool sightsat theEU‘seastern border
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Theinside scooponthenewlook inside
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PRAGUE
Goin
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Karlštejn’srenovated jewel
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VisitingtheBohemianParadise
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Apri
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KRAKÓW
Tarnów
ExplorethePearl of theRenaissance
Leisure
GettingactiveinKraków
August-September2006
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FRANKF
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August-September2006
Beachbars
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Dram tram
Sippingebbelwei onthecider express
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COLOGNE
Footballevents
Winor lose,thisiswhereto party
Rivertours
WineanddineontheRhine
June- July2006
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GDAŃSK
Kashubia
ExploringthePolish Alps
Hotspots
TheBaltic’sBeaches
August-November2006
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Including
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Harbour tours
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ŁÓDŹ
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FromPolanski to MaxFactor,readabout the famousnatives.
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
SKOPJE
Skopjesnapshots
TheMarubi photocollection
Aroundtown
Daytripsto thelake,beach andmountains
2006 - 2007
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
SHKODRA
Shkodrasnapshots
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Aroundtown
Daytripsto thelake,beach andmountains
2006 - 2007
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
PRISTINA
Footballevents
Winor lose,thisiswhereto party
Feature2- max 2lines
Short descriptionof the feature.Shouldbemax.3lines.
2006 - 2007
N°1Complimentarycopy
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HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
KAISERSLA
U
TERN
Footballevents
Winor lose,thisiswhereto party
Going Palatine
Strollingintheforest
June- July2006
The magnificent Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Spirit isone of Minsk’s most well known sights. Find it on p. 33along with a whole host of other great places to visit.
Cafés 25
Where to find the best espresso
Nightlife 27
Drinking, dancing and other after-dark treats
Sightseeing
What to see 32
Unmissable Minsk
Getting around
37
When legs just aren’t enough
Shopping
43
What you need to know
Directory
46
Everything else you need to know
Sport & Leisure
51
Where to partake and observe
Maps
Street index 53City centre map 54City map 56Country map 57
Minsk
In Your Pocketminsk.inyourpocket.com
4
FOREWORD
2011
minsk.inyourpocket.com
5
ARRIVING IN MINSK
customs torture, you end up at the arrivals hall on the first floor. The currency exchange, directly opposite, usually oper-ates when flights arrive. Otherwise, head to the larger oneon the second floor (Open 09:00 - 13:00, 13:30 - 20:00).An ATM is located on the third floor, next to departure gateN°1. For public telephones, long distance calls, Internet andpost, head to the post office on the third floor.
Getting to town
Taxis can be found parked outside gatesN°5 and 6. If you’re quoted more than €25 for a ride into thecity centre you’re literally and metaphorically being taken for a ride. Bus N°300 goes to both bus stations in the city. Pay the driver, currently about 6,000BYR. Buses run betweenaround 04:15 and 01:00.
By train
Minsk’s gleaming train station is a tribute to the modernity of Belarus, and proof that no matter how much money youspend you can still come up with something just as chaoticas the old train station. It does have the welcoming look of ashopping mall though, and if you follow the pictographic signsyou shouldn’t get lost. Currency exchange can be found at thetop of the escalator. Find public telephones accepting chipcards on the ground floor and in the basement. The basement also contains public toilets (currently 800BYR) and a large,24hr left luggage room.
Getting to Town
The station is in the centre of city, so walking might be an option. Otherwise, head to the basement leveland follow the underground passage, which eventually leadsto the entrance of the Ploschad Nezavismosti Metro station(see Public transport). Otherwise, take one of the taxis parkedin the immediate area (see Taxis). To be safe, go for one of theyellow, state-run taxis or a private one with 135, 157, 158 or 181 displayed on the car. Be sure they turn on the meter.
ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
Minsk In Your Pocket
published by JLLC TopPRINT/ In Your Pocket.Belarus, 220040 Minsk,155, ul. M.Bogdanovicha, 131 minsk@inyourpocket.comtel./fax: (+375 17) 331 34 52,www.inyourpocket.com
EditorialEditor
Sco
Contributors
Andrew Quested,Tim Orr
Researchers
Victor Martynov,Elena Chudnikova
Photos
Anatoly Dribas
General Manager
Vadim Martynov
Layout & Design
Elena Pavlova
Distribution
(+375 17) 334 87 23
Справочное
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Минск
в
твоем
кармане
Справочник
На
английском
языкеСоставители
:
В
.
В
.
Мартынов
,
Е
.
А
.
ЧудниковаФотограф
А
.
П
.
ДрибасОтветственный
за
выпуск
М
.
В
.
ЧудниковРедактор
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.
В
.
МартыновКомпьютерная
верстка
Е
.
В
.
Павлова
Подписано
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Pocket.
Печать
офсетная
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Усл
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печ
.
л
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СООО
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ТОППРИНТ
”
ЛИ
№
02330/0131956
от
20.10.2006.
ЛП
№
02330/0494191
от
03.04.2009.
Ул
.
Богдановича
, 155-131, 220040,
Минск
.
ISBN 978-985-90160-3-5
L
The Belarusian National Opera &Ballet Theatre recently received acomplete overhaul and is looking better than ever.Worthy of a look without visiting a performance (see p. 11), thebuilding is the work of one of Belarus’ most famous Soviet-era architects, Joseph Langbard(1882-1951).
Cover story
(
2011
2011www.inyourpocket.com
MINSK
HotelsRestaurantsCafésNightlifeSightseeingEventsMaps
Inside
Athoroughly researched,impartialscrutiny of thebest thingsMinsk hasto offer
National Art Museum
Anin-depth look at oneof Belarus’best culturaltreasures
201122000111112011111111120112200011111
2011
"
In Your Pocket
: A cheeky, well-writtenseriesof guidebooks."
TheNewYorkTimes
Despite claiming a few outstanding historical sightsrepresenting the city’s rich and illustrious past,Minsk is best known as a living monument to thegrandiose aspirations of Soviet architecture andurban planning. Famously destroyed during theGreat Patriotic War, the Belarusian capital grew out of the ashes of conflict to become a Socialist Realist masterpiece complete with spacious avenues, lushgreen parks and a battalion of buildings dating fromthe 1940s and 1950s that simply have to be seento be believed. Minsk really is a city like no other. Yet beneath its clean and regimented exterior lies anunderbelly of exuberance in the guise of exceptionalrestaurants, world-class bars, clubs to rival thosein any major city around the world and a culturallife offering everything from theatre to opera toexperimental dance. The only thing missing in thepast has been a comprehensive, English-languageguidebook to the city, a situation now remedied by the regularly updated publication of Minsk In Your Pocket, produced by natives of the city and packedwith everything a visitor needs from informationon the best hotels to where to get your hair cut.Minsk In Your Pocket welcomes comments andsuggestions on any subject related to the city.Email us at minsk@inyourpocket.com or join theconversation online at minsk.inyourpocket.com.
In Your Pocket
has broken much new ground of late, publishing new guides in the Netherlands (
DenBosch, Utrecht
), Austria (
Vienna
), Croatia (
Bra
č
and
Senj
), Slovenia (
Celje
), Serbia (
Niš
) and Swit-zerland (
Zurich
). A new guide to
Minsk
in Belarusis the next
In Your Pocket
to launch, the proof of which you’re now holding in your hands. We’vealso started rolling out iPhone apps to all our citiesand will be launching even more
In Your Pocket
guides as apps throughout the year. To find out which cities we’ll be covering and to keep up todate with all
In Your Pocket
news and events, join
In Your Pocket
on Facebook (
facebook.com/ inyourpocket
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Europe In Your Pocket
Arriving in and getting around Minsk are fairly simple affairsonce you understand the basics. Accordingly, travelling further afield is relatively painless if you’re prepared to doyour research beforehand and use some sign languagewhen using buses and trains. Car rental is relatively cheapby Western standards.
By bus
The conveniently located Central Bus Station is closed for reconstruction until the end of 2011, leaving the far less convenient Vostochny (Eastern) and Moscovsky (Moscow) bus stations to deal with international buses.Both stations have lockers for luggage and other basic faculties including pay toilets, cafés, currency exchangeand numerous kiosks.
Getting to town
Taking a bus to the city centre is complicatedand involves multiple stops so a taxi is the best bet.
By car
Driving in Belarus is generally much better than it used tobe, and certainly less fraught with danger than in some of its EU neighbours. There’s a risk of receiving on-the-spot ‘fines’ from traffic police, so stay within the speed limits.Road signs are in Belarusian only with the exception of theM1 (E30) Brest-Minsk highway. At the border it’s necessary to fill out a declaration on your car and buy Belarusian vehicleinsurance which is cheap, but be sure you have the money in cash (Russian roubles, US dollars and euros only). Theremay not be controls at the border coming in from Russia,but there could be sporadic checks. You’ll have to pay asmall toll for using the Brest-Minsk highway, again payableonly in Russian roubles, US dollars and euros. In the event of a breakdown trouble, call tel. 116.
By plane
Minsk has two airports, the tiny and hardly used Minsk-1 inthe city centre and the larger Minsk-2, where the majority of international flights arrive and depart.
Minsk-1
A classic Socialist Realist building not dissimilar to the façadeof the nearby airport in Vilnius, Minsk-1, some 3km south of the centre, hardly qualifies as an airport at all. A currency exchange and café are the only services.
Getting to town
Bus N°100 goes to the city centre andruns along Nezavisimosti. Buy a ticket on board for 850BYR.Taxis outside may or may not be reliable. See Taxis for details on how to spot which is which.
Minsk-2
The city’s main international airport, Minsk-2, is located42km north-east of the city. Once you go through the usualMinsk-2 International Airport
Copyright notice
Text and photos copyright JLLC TopPRINT1992-2011. Maps copyright JLLC TopPRINT.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced in any form, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without written permission from the publisher andcopyright.
Editor’s note
The editorial content of In Your Pocket guides is independent from paid-for advertising. Sponsored listings are clearly marked as such. We welcome all readers‘comments and suggestions. We havemade every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of going topress and assume no responsibility for changes and errors.
©
СООО
“
ТОППРИНТ
”,
составление
,
оформление
, 2011 ©
А
.
П
.
Дрибас
,
фото
, 2011 ©
Государственный
комитет
по
имуществу
Республики
Беларусь
,
картоснова
, 2011
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