others

Other issues important to a Minsk tourist: Belarus state holidays, Minsk internet cafes, Minsk weather, Belarus draniki recipe, Belarus travel safety, etc.

Is it safe to travel to Belarus?

Quite so, and some travelers even claim Minsk to be safer than London or Paris. In the first line it comes from the Belarusian tolerance towards different nations and religions. For centuries Christians – Orthodox and Catholic, Muslims and Jews peacefully coexisted together in tight communities of the Belarusian towns and cities. 

Nowadays another factor contributes to the high level of security on the Belarusian streets – a great number of street police – militsia – that outnumbers the army in Belarus. Many police officers are involved in routine road patrols of three and you can always see them on the streets or in the parks. In spite of the comparative safety in Minsk and other Belarusian cities there are still some Belarus safety tips to keep in mind.

Rallies are uncommon for Belarus. In case of an illegal public manifestation, like in many countries, detentions might take place, too. Should you walk into a crowd of excited people with a heavy presence of police nearby, try to pass it by. In case you see a huge crowd and large green trucks with barred windows on red number plates (detention vehicles) near it - turn around and walk away.

Discos are normally safe and you are most welcome to visit such establishments as bowling clubs, discos, night clubs, etc. The only issue here is that when visiting such a place in a small town (in the province) you should be very careful about flirting with wrong girls. People in the countryside are not very tolerant and there might be an argument.

Some private apartments might bring their certain inconveniences. They accommodated customers before you and these might have had very undesirable contacts. Therefore you must always carry the key on you, never open the door to anyone except the landlord, providing the meeting has been arranged over the phone and always close the door using all locks available. And certainly, booking an apartment in Belarus should also be carried out through a recommended provider.

I've toured quite a few women solo-travelers (though not many ladies are coming to Belarus in general) and they didn't seem to experience any kind of problems in Belarus.

How safe is Minsk?