Through Slovakia, Moldova and Belarus, the least explored territory in Eastern Europe

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• In lonelyplanet.es and in the Lonely Planet guide 'Eastern Europe'

Despite the vertiginous advance of global communications, which allow traveling with relative ease to almost any corner of the world, it is surprising to find still on the European map countries where tourists are a rarity.

Moldova,

Belarus

and, to a lesser extent,

Slovakia

, are among the least touristy and least known destinations of the formerly called Eastern countries, former ideological satellites of the extinct

Soviet Union

, of which traces still remain in its cities and monuments.

There are many reasons to discover them.

Bison and Soviet airs in Belarus

Few choose this former territory of the Soviet Union as a travel destination.

At most, they include Belarus as a leg on a longer journey ending in Russia.

The size of its neighboring giant (17 million square kilometers) dwarfs this country whose surface is almost half of the Iberian Peninsula:

207,600 square kilometers

.

This nation is probably the one that has

most and best preserved its communist past

.

Arriving in Belarus is like traveling back in time, since it retains a strong Stalinist aroma in many of its corners.

Aerial panorama of Minsk and Svisloch Bay, Belarus.

Sergey Alimov getty images

Minsk: great museums, urban art and a return to the past

Although it has a reputation for being sad and gray, Minsk has undergone a major transformation in recent years, gradually opening up to the Western way of life.

Now it boasts a

lively nightlife

(until the arrival of the pandemic),

good museums

and

oxygenating parks

combined with impressive and resounding

Stalinist architecture

.

The Belarusian capital proudly displays its modern face, with trendy cafes, ever-full restaurants, sushi bars and art galleries that have settled in an urban center that was once remodeled to the taste of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin (1878- 1953).

And, of course, it also has its old town, quite cozy and pleasant:

Verkhni Horad

(upper city), which was once a prosperous Jewish quarter but was badly destroyed during the Second World War.

Just a few buildings from before this date remain, which together with the rebuilt

ratusha

(Town Hall) in Svabody Square, give the complex a scent of history.

Those who prefer to look for vestiges of the Soviet period, the most impressive buildings of this time are outside the center, especially to the northeast, towards the

sports complex of the Minsk Arena

.

One of these neighborhoods, christened Oktyabrskaya in USSR times, today has become

Vul Kastrychnitskaya

, the “unofficial” arts quarter of Minsk.

Brazilian graffiti artists

have painted murals on the massive facades of the

gray blocks of flats, warehouses and factories

, which in many cases now house spaces for cultural events, galleries and trendy cafes.

The neighborhood, in short, exudes a refreshing

countercultural spirit

, which is allowed here as long as it does not spread to other parts of the capital and the country, governed by the questioned president Aleksandr Lukashenko.

This particular district is one of the few places in Minsk where you can hear about politics.

The

Gallery of Contemporary Art

is also located here

, with huge post-industrial exhibition spaces and a delicious cafeteria.

But the main avenue of the city is that of Independence (Nezalezhnastsi), the optimal place to take the pulse of Minsk and that runs from end to end of the modern city, from the very austere and extensive

Nezalezhnastsi square

until reaching the height of the excessively, the

National Library of Belarus

, a pharaonic construction approved by the controversial Lukashensko, shaped like an octahedral rhomboid cube and which happens to be the third library in the world for books in the Russian language.

The Independence Avenue is the best example of the Stalinist imperial style that emerged after the Second World War, with its extensive squares, utopia parks and great architectural jewels such as the

Central Post Office

.

Strolling through it it is impossible not to see the imposing

Government House,

with a statue of Lenin in front of it.

It is one of the beautiful examples of

Constructivist architecture

— a movement that emerged in Russia in 1914 and became especially present after the October Revolution — from before the war.

If we head north we will pass the eerie

former KGB headquarters

and the also intimidating

Kastrychnitskaya Square

, before crossing the

Svislach river

that borders the two main parks of the city.

The best museum in Minsk is dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, in a striking new building, and is an exhibition about the suffering and

heroism of Belarus during the Nazi occupation

.

A must visit.

A friendlier, less dramatical place is

the Trinity Quarter

, which is actually a recreation of prewar Minsk buildings, on a bend in the river north of downtown, with small cafes, restaurants and stores.

The Belarusian hornor guard, at the Brest Fortress, a ceremonial complex honoring those who fell during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union.

andreslebedev ALAMY

Brest and Grodno, the cities that face the West

The other

capital

of Belarus is

Brest,

a prosperous and cosmopolitan city on the border with Poland that looks much more to the neighboring European Union than to Minsk.

Almost all the points of interest are inside or around

the fortress

which, just a step from the border, weakens the

Bug

and

Mujavéts

rivers

.

You can get there by walking from the central Vul Sovetskaya, a pleasant pedestrian street full of bars and restaurants.

The fortress commemorates

the resistance, much longer than expected, that the Soviet soldiers maintained against the Nazi advance

in June 1941. The Soviet garrison managed to resist heroically for a month, and their feat went down in history.

Presides over the

Valentia

complex

,

a sculpted head of a soldier

, emerging from a massive rock, flanked by a towering commemorative obelisk.

Around it there are several museums related to this siege.

In the surroundings of Brest is the

Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park

, the oldest wildlife reserve in Europe and the pride of Belarus.

This primeval forest, which continues to spread across the border, already under Polish administration under the name

Bialowieza,

is famous for being home to some

300 European bison

.

The possibility of seeing these ungulates in the wild is possible if you make a circuit through the park, although you will always have to have some luck.

The other big city on the border with Poland is

Grodno

, a laid-back town with plenty of architecture that has not suffered any damage from the war.

Its tourist landmarks are the Old Castle and the New Castle, one next to the other, on the banks of the Niemen River.

The Old Castle is largely in ruins but has a restored wing where the

Museum of Archeology and History

is installed

.

The New Castle, in the Rococo style, was built in the 18th century by the Polish-Lithuanian rulers to replace the old one and today it is an eclectic art museum with beautiful paintings from the 19th century.

A tourist gazes at the medieval castle in the town of Mir, in the Belarusian region of Grodno.

Andrei Bortnikau ALAMY

Mir, Nesvizh and Vitebsk, the essence of Belarus

Perhaps to really soak up a country, you have to leave its large metropolises and visit its smaller and more authentic provincial cities.

In Belarus these cities could be Nesvizh, Mir and Vitebsk.

The first is just 120 kilometers southwest of Minsk.

Escaping there is worth it just to see the splendid

Nesvizh Castle

, built by the Radziwill, one of the oldest and richest families of the Polish-Lithuanian nobility, in 1583, although it was rebuilt and renovated many times later.

Today visitors can see more than 30 restored rooms and an impressive courtyard.

The other excursion from Minsk is

Mir,

a charming little town 85 kilometers from the capital, presided over by a romantic 16th-century castle with fabulous gardens and well-restored interiors.

Much further north of the country and almost on the Russian border is

Vitebsk

, which was an important center of Jewish culture because it was one of the main settlement areas of the Russian empire where they were allowed to live.

His most famous son was the expressionist painter

Marc Chagall

(1887 - 1985), who Vitebsk immortalized in his early works.

Today it is a pleasant city, with a pedestrianized street in the center around which bars and restaurants are concentrated, and several churches and museums.

Logically, there are several dedicated to Chagall: the

Marc Chagall Art Center,

with some 300 works by the Russian artist, and the

Mark Chagall House Museum

where the artist lived as a child, between 1897 and 1910, some years wonderfully evoked in his autobiography.

Moldova, the most forgotten Europe

Just as there are nations that always appear in the lists of the happiest countries in the world, there are others that always appear among the most unhappy.

One of them is

Moldova

, a small territory between Romania and Ukraine that continues to be one of the poorest in Europe, although little by little it is gaining in “happiness” (an abstract concept that in this case must be translated as “well-being” or "quality of life").

However, Moldova has its charms and the most travelers are encouraged to discover its unspoiled nature and its fabulous wine routes.

The

little-traveled roads

add charm to the trip, and those looking for something even more curious and unknown can find it in the so-called

independent republic of Transnistria,

a country without any international recognition, except for Russia, nestled on the eastern border of Moldova with Ukraine.

The bell tower of the Cathedral of the Nativity, in Chisnáu, the capital of Moldova.

Leonid Andronov alamy

Chisinau, the center of everything

Almost all the roads in Moldova lead to its capital, Chisinau, in the center of the country, a somewhat lethargic city that enjoys good food and good drinking, with parks where retirees play chess under century-old trees and terraces to have a drink. coffee while contemplating the transit of people.

The most popular and central is the

Parcul Catedralei

, very popular with families who spend the day there on weekends.

Around it: the

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity

with a 19th century bell tower, the

Arc de Triomphe

, also called “Las Puertas Sagradas”, and, to the northwest, the lively

Flower Market

.

Apart from its provincial atmosphere and the pleasant life in its parks, the city can only offer visitors a few museums: the History and Archeology, the Ethnography and Natural History, the Army (with an emotional exhibition on the

repression of the Soviet era)

or the National Museum of Art, although neither alone would justify a trip to Chisinau.

What is interesting is that the city is in the center of the country and allows you to go out on its quiet roads to the surrounding wineries, the true claim of Moldova.

Tourists visiting the Cricova winery, the second largest in Moldova, with more than 120 kilometers of underground galleries.

Leisa Tyler alamy

A wine getaway ... Moldova

Moldova served as the Rhone Valley for the Soviet Union, then the main consumer of its powerful wines.

Currently, two of the main wine producers in the world are 20 kilometers from Chisinau:

Cricova

and

Milestii Mici

, from whose barrels millions of bottles come out every year.

In Cricova are one of

the largest underground cellars in the world

, 60 meters underground and with about 100 kilometers of long passages that are covered by electric train.

It is a highly visited attraction by both Moldovans and tourists from nearby countries.

A more intimate tasting can also be booked at one of the specialty wine shops near Chisinau, such as

Castel Mimi

, a legendary winery 40 kilometers south of the capital, in a restored manor house;

or the

Château Purcari

, 115 kilometers from Chisináu, which produces some of the best wines in the country.

Leaving aside the cult of Bacchus, very close to there we find another of the Moldovan hallmarks: the archaeological and ecclesiastical complex of

Orheiul Vechi

, the most important historical site in the country and a beautiful natural site.

It stands on top of a cliff overlooking the Raut River and is famous for its cave monastery excavated by Orthodox monks in the 13th century, complete with baths, fortifications and ruins from more than 2,000 years ago.

Villages and farms in the Soroca district, northeast of Moldova.

Keren Su getty images

Soroca and the Bajo Prut reserve

Getaways are offered at both ends of the country.

To the south, surrounded by nature, the Bajo Prut biosphere reserve is the opportunity to enjoy its main natural area.

Here you can go kayaking, camping, mountain hiking or even a foray into neighboring Romania.

Lake Beleu occupies two-thirds of the total area and the wetland that runs along the left bank of the River Prout is home to rich aquatic, forest and grassland ecosystems.

And in the far north, in a privileged position on the Dniester, is Soroca, the unofficial Roma capital of Moldova, with its striking and fantastic

mansions of the Roma "kings"

on the hilltop streets.

The Soroca fortress

dates back to the 15th century, when the Moldovan prince Esteban el Grande reigned, who built it on the ruins of an old circular-shaped wooden fortress with five bastions.

The best thing about the fortress are the fabulous views of the Dniester River with the Ukrainian fields in the background.

The House of Soviets in Tiraspol, the capital of the self-proclaimed state of Transnistria.

Konstantin_Novakovic getty images

Transnistria, a state that only exists for itself

Few more exotic places within Europe than Transnistria, a territory that declared its independence from Moldova in 1990 and since then has such a particular political situation that one does not know where it really is.

This self-proclaimed republic is a narrow strip on the eastern bank of the Dniester River that Moldova still considers part of its national territory, segregated under the protection and tutelage of Russia.

In Transinistria they see it differently, and consider that they won their independence after a bloody civil war.

So the country is only recognized as such by its own inhabitants and by Russia, which knows it as Pridnestrovie.

Despite this, it is relatively easy to enter: just show a valid passport at the “border” (or if you arrive by train, at the station itself).

In this small republic, with its capital in

Tiraspol

(the second most populous city in Moldova), an

eerie tranquility

reigns

and everything is reminiscent of Soviet times, from the street signs to the names of the parks.

Among the most interesting points for sightseeing: the

Noul Neamt monastery,

a sober place to the south of Tiraspol, dominated by an amazing 70-meter bell tower, which allows you to contemplate a clear landscape;

the

Museum of the History of Tiraspol

, to learn about the tormented history of the country, or the

Ottoman fortress of Bendery,

near the bridge that connects Bendery with Tiraspol, and which was built in the 16th century.

Since then it has witnessed many fights between Turks and Russians.

You can walk along the ramparts and take in the views of the Dniester River, have a picnic in one of the courtyards or visit its museums.

Panoramic of the city of Bratislava, with the Cathedral of Saint Martin and the castle in the background.

Sorin Colac alamy

Slovakia, the unknown heart of Europe

Although geographically it occupies the center of the Old Continent, Slovakia is part of what we have always known as Eastern countries.

It has been 25 years since the dissolution of the former Czechoslovakia and the easternmost part of that country in the Soviet orbit has established itself as an independent and self-confident nation.

Its capital,

Bratislava,

is an unquestionable tourist attraction, but the country also has attractions for lovers of the outdoors:

the High Tatras hiking trails

run through beautiful landscapes, with mirror-like lakes reflecting peaks of up to 2,000 meters.

Its eastern region is much less visited, despite having indisputable attractions, such as its churches, the charming metropolis of the area, Zosice, or the wine region of Tokay, all in a very sparsely populated rural landscape.

The good thing about Slovakia is its size, which allows you to cover everything, and finish with a good beer in any of its taverns.

It's also a great getaway for a weekend from the Czech Republic, southern Poland, Budapest or Vienna.

Cafe terraces on Panska Street, in the old town of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

Konrad Zelazowski alamy

Bratislava, Central European elegance

On the banks of the Danube, and not far from Vienna,

Bratislava

has been the capital since the country's independence in 1993. It is one of those elegant European cities, which can boast of cafes, lively breweries and a pretty old town with Baroque palaces and a medieval and renaissance castle.

To all this we must add a forceful brutalist architecture from the Soviet era.

Despite everything, it is much less visited than other Central European gems, although it has become very popular as a day trip from Vienna and as a destination for stag parties from Austria.

As early as the 12th century, Bratislava was an important city in Greater Hungary that fell apart as a result of the First World War.

Many of its imposing Baroque palaces were erected during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in the 18th century, but it did not officially become the second city of the Czechoslovak state until after World War II, when the great powers divided Europe. .

Bratislava was coveted above all by Austria, as the majority of its population was German-speaking.

After the war, the communists demolished much of the old town, including the synagogue, to make way for a road.

Still, much remains to be seen: the rebuilt

Bratislava Castle,

which looks like something out of a children's story and with manicured Baroque gardens;

the Plaza Mayor, center of history, festivals and its sophisticated coffee culture, and the various houses that surround it, such as the old town hall or the Gothic and Neo-Baroque palaces.

Gothic is also

the cathedral

, which has hosted 19 royal coronations.

And the

Museum of Jewish Culture

will reveal what Bratislava's flourishing Hebrew community looked like and the city's impressive Jewish architecture that was lost during and after World War II.

Bratislava also has a modernist face and houses an excellent collection of

art nouveau

buildings

.

Like the pastel green villa on

Jesenského street

, in the shape of a palace, and other stately homes and hotels that one could almost imagine in Barcelona, ​​not forgetting the jewel of modernism in Bratislava:

the Blue Church

.

It is somewhat far from the historic center but the walk is worth it to see the temple of St. Elizabeth, from the early 20th century, the work of

Ödön Lechner,

one of the best Hungarian modernist architects (Bratislava was then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire).

One way to visit the center is to look at the small golden crowns that are on the ground, the

coronation route

, and that follow the path that Empress María Teresa made on the day of her coronation, June 25, 1740. They are discovered thus the most charming corners of the Slovak capital.

The Slovak town of Banská Štiavnica in the mist.

Thomas Getty Images

Heading east: Banská Stiavnica, Bojnice and Vikolínec

In central Slovakia, and on the way to the natural wonders of the High Tatras, there are three worthwhile stops.

On the one hand, we have the city of silver,

Banská Stiavnica,

considered the most beautiful city in the country, and since 1993 a world heritage site by Unesco.

The

mines of gold, silver and 140 other minerals provided

enormous wealth to this place in a rugged region, and filled its streets with luxurious mansions, palaces and churches.

Much of its architectural splendor is in the

Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad

(Nám xv Trojice) and in its surroundings, in the old town.

Its streets climb towards the highest part where we find the two essential parts of the city: the

Old Castle

, a fascinating history lesson, and the exceptional

Calvary

, on top of a hill two kilometers from the old town, a place of pilgrimage. and culmination of the baroque in the country.

Another essential stop in this central region is

Bojnice Castle,

with its towers and crenellated pink stone turrets.

It is the most visited fortification in Slovakia.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the

Palffy family

rebuilt it taking inspiration from the French castles of the Loire, elevating Bojnice to its current neo-baroque splendor.

It is considered

one of the 10 most beautiful castles in Europe

and has served as the setting for many film shoots.

It is also interesting to approach

Vikolínec,

a town of squat colored houses that evoke medieval Europe with a touch of the Hobbit of the British writer JRR Tolkien.

This mountain village is a World Heritage Site and preserves 45 traditional log buildings, including an 18th century wooden bell tower, a Baroque Catholic chapel and many peach and light blue painted houses.

The glacial lake of Szczyrbske Pleso, in the High Tatras (Slovakia).

Jan Wlodarczyk ALAMY

The Tatras, the wildest Carpathians

Everything that is said about the majesty of these mountains is little:

their more than 300 peaks

form the highest sector of the central Carpathians.

The

High Tatras

, the highest mountain range in the Carpathians, is an almost mythical place for Slovaks.

Its emblem is the

crooked peak of Mount Krivan

(2,495 meters above sea level), which is also a symbol in popular culture and literature, but there are many other mountains that attract hikers.

Together with the Polish national park of the same name, the Slovak Tatra national park is protected as a Unesco biosphere reserve.

The gateway to the High Tatras is

Poprad

, a great base for hiking or skiing excursions in the day.

There are many places where you can walk through lakes and gorges or ski.

And Propad also has its own attractions, such as the

Spisská Sobota neighborhood

, with well-preserved Renaissance buildings.

The tourist villages of 

Smokovec

are also a convenient access to the High Tatras, an area with a long holiday tradition since the late 18th century that still retains a certain nostalgic air.

A good path to explore the area is the

Tatranská Magistrála route

, which follows the southern slopes of the High Tatras for 65 kilometers, from start to finish.

And among the most beautiful images that this adventure has in

store

for

us

, that

of the glacial lake of

Strbské Pleso

, which receives a large number of visitors throughout the year, thanks also to the skiers who take advantage of the longest season of the year to visit the country.

The castle of Spis (Slovakia).

Rado Kellner getty images

Eastern Slovakia, land of wines

The easternmost part of Slovakia is the land of

mysterious churches, medieval wineries and one of the best wine regions in Europe

.

Among the landmarks of the area is the ancient royal city of

Levoca

, with a medieval old town, protected by Unesco, and a main square that brings together gabled bourgeois mansions and a wonderfully reconstructed City Hall.

Another worthwhile stop is

Spisské Podhradie

, crowned by the most spectacular castle in Slovakia, which has launched this town to tourist stardom.

Spis Castle is a world heritage site and one of the largest fortified complexes in Central Europe.

The

Slovensky Raj National Park,

in eastern Slovakia, has a bit of everything: caves, canyons and waterfalls into which climbs, crawls and it just soaked.

It is a paradise for hikers, who can pause in ruined monasteries or venture into ice caves.

And there is still one more stop to the east, to know the so-called Land of Wine

.

The town of

Kosice

, close to the Hungarian border and whose origins date back to the Middle Ages, has a treasure in the form of Gothic towers, medieval bastions and Baroque sculpture, including a monumental Gothic cathedral.

The center of it all is its long main square, Hlavné Nám, with the state theater, a musical fountain, fountains, gardens, and cafes.

South of Kosice lies the most famous wine region in Slovakia,

Tokay,

which with the same name is introduced into Hungary, where a popular dessert wine is produced.

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