Neighbourhood and Landmark Sights

Lebyazhy Waterpark is one of Europe’s five biggest entertainment sites. The five-level structure is adjacent to the Artificial Lake of Drozdy. It comprises a children’s center with a pool and amusement rides, a park area with a pond, cycle paths and sporting grounds, a promenade and a beach with amenities. There is also a SPA center here offering a wide range of SPA programmes, a protected acquatic zone with water amusements and waterslides, a beach party area, and a family entertainment center, etc.

Minsk Arena is a multifunctional sports and entertainment center. Its unique design is a blend of the world’s most advanced technologies. The center comprises a hockey area, a bicycle track, and a speed skating stadium and is one of our country’s major concert halls. It hosted top sportsmen during the 2014 World Hockey Championship and the KHL All-Star Game as well as many world’s biggest show business stars. Besides, its premises are suitable for handball or indoor soccer games. In fact, Minsk Arena was the hosting ground for the 2015 Indoor Soccer Championship.

Arena City is a major shopping and entertainment center, comprising numerous boutiques, amusements for children, cafes and restaurants, currency exchanges, pharmacies, etc. The Arena City also has a two-level parking, available free of charge.

The Belarusian National Olympic Committee was founded on March 22, 1991, and officially recognized as a member of the International Olympic Committee at its 101st Session, two years later, on September 21, 1993. The February of 1994 was the first time when our team of 33 sportsmen representing seven sports took part in the XVIIth Olympic Games in Lillehammer (Norway). Back then, our team won two silver medals.

The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God is situated in a picturesque corner of Minsk, its design embodying the traditions of the ancient Russian art of building. According to a legend, a miraculous visitation of the Mother of God happened there three hundred years ago, and the Orthodox believers built a wooden chapel. Crowds of pilgrims came to the place to pray to the wonder-working icon that was said to heal people. After the 1917 revolution, the church was destroyed, and in the 1990’s – reconstructed. It is now open daily. Each Sunday, a water blessing prayer service takes place here. In the park near the holy place, there is a spring coming out from under the ground. Believers claim the spring water to be holy and healing.

The picturesque park area with impressive views runs along the river Svislotch and comprises Minsk’s major cycling path, which is the city’s pride and a popular recreation sight among both Minskers and our guests.

The football arena is considered to be the largest sports facility in Belarus. In winter, it is a ground for training sessions and exhibition matches of Belarusian football clubs. Football, basketball, handball, volleyball, and tennis competitions as well as other sport events are often held there. The football arena hosted the Davis Cup International matches, martial arts competitions, the Miss Intercontinental Pageant, etc. Every year, the football arena turns into a major exhibition ground for events, such as Tibo, Motorshow, and Budpragres Construction Fair.

Zamok is one of Minsk’s biggest shopping and entertainment centers with a free parking area. It comprises numerous shops and cafes, and a children’s entertainment center. Here, you can both enjoy your shopping, and visit a 5D cinema or a skating rink, which is open to the public all the year round. The ground floor of the shopping center is the premises of the Korona hypermarket.

The Great Patriotic War Museum is the only Belarusian state museum that opened back in the difficult war years. The foreside of the building resembles the Victory Fireworks. The museum itself comprises 10 exhibition halls, the major of those being the Victory Memorial Hall under a glass dome. The halls are arranged in a chronological order: first, the pre-war times, then – the wartime, and the post-war reconstruction period. The new building boasts modern facilities, such as installations, plasma screens, and multimedia projectors. The holdings of the museum include 141 thousand storage units. You can order a tour of the museum or explore the wartime exhibits on your own.

The cycling ground is a part of the Minsk Arena Multifunctional Complex. The year it opened, it hosted the European Track Cycling Championship. Four years later, it was used as a ground for the World’s Cycling Championship. World’s top sportsmen came here to compete during the renowned international sport event. Here, you can play badminton and table tennis, try curling or roller-skating, or hire a bike. In addition, the second floor of the cycling ground comprises a gym, fitted out with modern equipment, a dance and a sports hall.

Within walking distance of the hotel complex "Victoria Olympus Hotel" there is a swimming pool of the Belarusian State University of Physical Education, which meets the highest international requirements. In fact it is a unique sports complex with a 50 m long swimming pool with 10 lanes, a 6 meter deep swimming pool for diving, and a 10x25 m swimming pool for swimming training, all this provides a possibility for training in many kinds of sports, including the possibility of installation of additional equipment for water polo.
Not only university students and professional athletes can take advantage of the swimming pool, but also people who wish to obtain professional advice, to get training and to spend time in a healthy way.