Minsk Region
Minsk Oblast (Belarusian: Мінская вобласць) is a region in the central part of Belarus.
Cities and towns
- Minsk — the center of the region and the capital of the country. A city of fascinating Stalinist and late-Soviet architecture that also preserves a few monuments from the 17th-18th century.
- Barysaw — the second largest city of the region with numerous buildings from the 19th century.
- Budslau — a popular Catholic pilgrimage destination, home of the National Sanctuary of the Mother of God of Budslau.
- Ivyanets — a small town with a magnificent Catholic church from the 18th century, a neo-gothic church, and a wooden synagogue.
- Myadzyel — a gateway to the lakes of Narachansky National Park.
- Molodechno — an industrial city that used to be the center of a separate oblast until their number was reduced from 12 to 6 in 1960.
- Nesvizh — a historical town with a castle and a huge park from the 18th century.
- Valozhyn — a town that is home to several nice monuments in the classical style from the early 19th century.
- Vileyka — a town with some fine churches and interesting old cemeteries.
- Zaslawye — an ancient picturesque town that preserves two original churches (late 16th and late 18th centuries) and the remains of old fortifications.
Other destinations
- Khatyn' — memorial complex on the spot of the village savagely burnt during World War II
- Narachansky National Park — a natural woodland reserve with lots of lakes in the northern part of the region
- Snou — a country estate from the early 19th century