Cool beaches near Minsk

Even if the seashores do not shine this year, there is every chance to have a good rest by the water without leaving your home ground

SERGEY LOZYUK

Minsk Sea

Residents of the capital are incredibly lucky: only ten kilometres northwest of the metropolis — and the waves are splashing on the shore. Indeed, they are not very rough and salty. But they are domestic and clean! The Minsk Sea (aka Zaslavl Water Reservoir) appeared relatively recently — in 1956 after the construction of a dam on the Svisloch River. Its dimensions are — ten by 4.5 kilometres. Along the water, there are a dozen modern beaches with the necessary infrastructure. A nice bonus — many city cafes and restaurants open seasonal catering points here in the summer.
If you wish, you can relax in style — rent a yacht or ride water skiing with the breeze. That’s not including the countless dance parties and concerts that on weekends by the water drag on until late at night.

BELTA

Petrovichi Water Reservoir

It is another large man-made reservoir near Minsk, which appeared in Soviet times. Initially, clean water was accumulated here to water the adjacent farmland, but the people quickly realised that they could also relax.
The shallow depth and the absence of dense thickets allow the water to heat up quickly. At the same time, there are no sharp breaks — the entrance is smooth. Because of this, the reservoir is held in high esteem by families with small children. There are several cosy farmsteads in the area where you can spend the night. Nevertheless, there is also a significant minus — there is no rescue station.

Andrey Sazonov

Dubrovskoye Water Reservoir

The feature of this place is two beaches. On a paid one (entrance for adults — a little more than a hundred Russian rubles) white sand, pure water and no flea market. Sun loungers, kayaks, sapboards are available for rent. In addition to birches and pines, ornamental flowers and outlandish trees grow on the shore, not at all from our latitudes. There are always more people on the conditionally wild beach, but in general, this does not spoil the rest.
By the way, on the southern shore of the reservoir is the village of Raubichi, familiar to fans of winter sports. Of course, you cannot go skiing there in the summer, but you can look into the trendy Dubrov restaurant — the views of the water from the window are simply amazing.

Vyacha

Rest on this reservoir, named after the river of the same name, will be appreciated by lovers of relatively wild conditions. Amazingly beautiful dense coniferous forests, no buildings and excellent ecology. Only rest alone with nature! At the same time, all the beaches are wide — you definitely won’t have to fight for a place with a neighbour, there are much fewer people here than on the Minsk Sea. Despite the bias towards the natural environment, the area near the water is regularly mowed. There are gazebos and barbecues, locker rooms and toilets, sports grounds and car parks.
In addition, it was on Vyach last autumn that the first wood-cutting championship among journalists and bloggers was held. Aleksandr Lukashenko personally gave master classes to press tribe.

Ptich

If you leave Minsk in the direction of Brest, at the sixteenth kilometre you will see a dam that blocks the Ptich River. The local reservoir has served as a base for water skiing competitions for decades. In addition, there are always many fishermen on the shores, occasionally pulling out pike or zander on a fishing rod.
There are also beaches for summer holidays — with sun loungers, cabanas and cafes. It is on this reservoir that capital companies often arrange tours and corporate parties. However, it is convenient for the townsfolk to get here by public transport: there are buses from the Malinovka metro station to the nearest village of Volkovichi. 

By Sofia Arsenyeva