Vitsebsk Region

A lake district in northern Belarus, with Chagall's hometown Vitebsk, the thousand-year-old city of Polotsk and the Braslav Lakes.

Vitebsk Region lies in northern Belarus, bordering Russia, Latvia and Lithuania, with the Western Dvina River running through it and many glacial lakes. Its capital, Vitebsk, is the hometown of the painter Marc Chagall, with a museum in his former home and an art center, and hosts the Slavianski Bazaar international arts festival every summer. Polotsk is one of the oldest cities of the East Slavs, with the long-standing St. Sophia Cathedral and the Convent of St. Euphrosyne, and Braslav Lakes National Park is good for boating and camping. Summer is the best season. You can arrive from Minsk by train.

Destinations

• Vitebsk
• Polotsk

Itineraries

• Polotsk & Vitebsk Rail Journey – Travel north by train to explore Belarus's oldest city, Polotsk, and Marc Chagall's hometown, Vitebsk.
• Belarus North-South Grand Loop – A chartered car loop around the ancient northern cities, western Grodno, Brest, and World Heritage castles.