Braslav Lakes are a group of reservoirs in the north of Belarus, in the vicinity of the city of Braslav. It includes more than 70 reservoirs with a total area of about 130 sq. km.
Braslav Lakes on the map
All lakes are located on the territory of the Braslav Lakes National Park. They are extremely popular among tourists and fishermen; numerous recreation centers and boarding houses are located on their banks.
The lakes are distinguished by their special pristine beauty and lie among picturesque natural landscapes, surrounded by coniferous and deciduous forests and green hills.
Fishing and recreation on the Braslav lakes
The largest reservoirs in the lake group are Snudo, Strusto, and Drivyaty. The most attractive lakes for tourists are Nedrovo, Tsno, Boginskoye, which have sandy beaches, recreation centers and are distinguished by amazing untouched nature.
The lakes are home to more than 34 species of fish. Crucian carp, carp, catfish, bream, pike perch, ide, eel, vendace are caught.
The lakes are mostly shallow, their depth does not exceed 5 meters. The bottom of the reservoirs is sandy, the coastal zone of the lakes is dry, which is very convenient for swimming and relaxing on the water. The lakes are connected by channels, and there are numerous islands on their surface.
The surrounding forests amaze with the diversity of vegetation, of which there are more than 2,000 species. The forest areas are dominated by pine forests and spruce forests.
Many wild animals live here: wild boars, moose, hares, deer, badgers, lynxes and brown bears.
There are more than 200 bird species in the reserve. The lakes are home to seagulls, cranes, ducks, geese, mute swans, and black storks. Photo materials used from Wikimedia © Foto, Wikimedia Commons
National Park“Braslav Lakes” is located in the Vitebsk region, in the vicinity of the small town of Braslav. There are no factories or enterprises that pollute the air, only clean blue lakes and pine forests. People come here to enjoy the purity of nature, go fishing, swim in crystal clear lakes, or take a bike ride in the surrounding area. Camping with tents on the Braslav Lakes is also popular. There are both free and paid tourist parking lots with amenities.
The park's territory covers more than 70 thousand hectares. The park is 50 km long and up to 30 km wide. In total, there are more than 70 lakes in the park. The most popular of them: Drivyaty, Boginskoye, Nedrovo, Snudy, Tsno, Trusto. The deepest lake in the park is Volos (depth reaches 41 meters).
The lakes are home to more than 30 species of fish: perch, pike, roach, bream, bleak, smelt, vendace, and many other species. The forests are inhabited by many animals: squirrel, elk, roe deer, wild boar, hare, fox, otter, mink, as well as rare species of badger, lynx, Brown bear. Many of them are in the red book.
The Braslav lakes were formed approximately 19-20 thousand years ago, as a result of the melting of a glacier whose height reached 100 meters. Thanks to the melting of the glacier, an interesting hilly terrain was formed.
Rest on the Braslav Lakes
Where to go? What to see? First of all, of course, it’s worth seeing the city of Braslav itself. This is the oldest city in Belarus; it was first mentioned in chronicles in 1065. Wander through the streets, climb the castle hill to look at Braslav, the panorama of the nearby lakes and the Church of the Birth of the Mother of God from a bird's eye view. But the most beautiful view of the lakes opens from Mount Mayak.
One of the recreation options is cycling. Bicycle rental is well developed, roads High Quality. An excellent bike ride would be visiting enclosures with wild animals, which are located about 7 kilometers from the town.
Fishing in the park is paid. You can buy a permit in the park administration building, or at the information point at the eastern entrance to the city from Vitebsk. To obtain it you will need a passport. Vouchers for recreational fishing can be purchased from the national park duty officer on the street. Dachnaya-1, Braslav cont. tel. 80215329343. Also at the information post at the intersection of roads P3 and P14 until September 15. Opening hours: Mon-Thu, Sun from 9-21; Fri from 11-23; Saturday: from 05 to 17.00.
The pleasure boat “Braslav Lakes” takes tourists along Lake Drivyaty. The ship is moored at the Drivyaty recreation center. The ship takes an hour-long walk, during which a view of the Braslav temples, Castle Hill, and embankment opens up.
Owners of farmsteads and guest houses provide many services for guests. Horseback riding, boat and catamaran rentals, and even helicopter rides.
Braslav Lakes: photos
— a small hotel in the city center. Free Wi-Fi, organization of fishing and excursions, free bicycle rental.
There are agricultural estates nearby!
Look at all our accommodation options, cottages and recreation centers. Nature, hospitality and national cuisine!
All accommodation options in Braslav are on our website:
Braslav lakes are located near the Belarusian-Latvian border near the city of Braslav
How to get there?
You can get to Braslav from Minsk either by car or by bus. By car you need to drive along the Vitebsk highway (M3) to Begoml, then turn at the sign for Dokshtitsy (P3). After Dokshitsy to Glubokoe, and the last regional center before Braslav will be Sharkovshchina. The drive takes approximately 3 hours (230 km).
Buses and minibuses depart from Minsk bus stations and travel for 4-6 hours.
The Braslav Lakes National Park is easy to find on the map; it is located in the north-west of Belarus, in the vicinity of Braslav, Vitebsk region.
The Braslav Lakes National Park was created in 1995 to preserve the unique ecosystem and organize the study of the landscape, flora and fauna, to make it accessible to everyone to get acquainted with the riches of the region, but to prevent their destruction and destruction.
The Braslav Lakes Park is named after the main attraction of the Vitebsk region - a group of lakes that were formed after the passage of the glacier. The beauty of the lakes is emphasized by the hilly terrain and pine forests with rare plants and wild animals.
Braslav Lakes - an attractive place to relax
It has been interesting since the twenties of the last century, when students and entire families from Vilna and Warsaw came here in the summer. Since the thirties, Braslav welcomed vacationers with summer camps and recreation centers - it flourished.
The shore of Lake Drivyaty (Braslav Lakes includes it in its system) attracted a large marina for boats and yachts, sports and observation areas, there was even a dance hall. After the war, Belarus began to use the Braslav lakes as a vacation spot only in the 70s.
Braslav Lakes on the map of Belarus
It’s better to see the Braslav lakes, photos of which tourists vacationing here spend hours taking for themselves. An indispensable assistant for everyone who is interested in the Braslav Lakes is a map.
The Braslav Lakes are located in the north-west of Belarus, in the vicinity of Braslav. About 50 lakes are united under the general name, which are connected to each other by rivers, streams and channels.
Tourists come to the Braslav Lakes National Park with boats and full equipment to travel through large lakes connected by channels and the Druika River. A boat can pass through these channels freely.
The largest and most famous Braslav lakes, the names of which are indicated on the maps, are Drivyaty, Nespish, Nedrovo, Snudy, Potsekh, Northern Volos, Strusto, Southern Volos. It’s not difficult to find the Braslav Lakes on the map - they stand out clearly in the north of the country.
Braslav lakes - pictures of wildlife
What attracts you to lakes?
- a communication system created by nature between individual lakes, allowing you to come up with a unique travel route
- complex lake shapes
- deep bays formed by an indented coastline
- peninsulas and islands - places for relaxation, picnics and photo sessions
A detailed map of the Braslav Lakes highlights the largest lake - Drivyaty, the fifth largest among the lakes of Belarus. Its maximum depth is only 12 meters, and a strip of shallow water stretches along the shore, allowing you to organize places for swimming.
Fishermen who come to the Braslav Lakes from Minsk in three hours know more than one shoal. They are formed by the complex topography of the lake bottom, reminiscent of hilly terrain. However, nothing stops lovers coming here all year round. People catch here pike perch and vendace, bream and pike, burbot and eel.
Hiking trips to Braslav
The lakes of the Braslav region are also attractive for hiking with tents, campfires and swimming. On the southwestern coast of Lake Drivyaty there is the Ratsky Bor tract, convenient for organizing parking. Other traveler.
A map of the lakes of the Braslav region helps plan routes, choose new places, and the photographs remind travelers of how the Braslav lakes greeted them - bright, lively, capturing special moments.
Braslav Lakes National Park located in the north-west of the Republic of Belarus on the territory of a geographical province with the poetic name “Belarusian Poozerie”. It was created by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated August 10, 1995 No. 440 for the conservation of unique ecosystems, effective and fuller use of recreational opportunities natural resources Braslav region and the natural complex of the Braslav group of lakes as a historically developed landscape and genetic fund of vegetation and fauna, typical of the “Belarusian Lake District”.
The natural complex of the national park is considered as a standard for the landscapes of the Baltic lakes. Moraine ridges, hills and deep depressions separating them create the finely contoured peaks, slopes, convex and concave areas typical of young glacial relief. The impression of a dissected landscape is even more intensified near the lakes, where the elevation differences between the peaks and the bottom of the basins reach 40–60 meters. The uniqueness of the relief structure on the territory of the national park is expressed in the wide distribution of such rare forms as kamas and eskers. The kamas are represented by groups of sandy hills including clays, pebbles and boulders. In the area of Braslav, the height of the kama hills above the edge of Lake Drivyaty is about 30 meters. As a rule, kamas are covered with forest or dry meadows. The eskers create a special impression. These are ridges stretching for hundreds of meters or even kilometers, covered with forest or juniper wasteland. Their steep slopes, narrow ridge-like peaks, and placement make them look like abandoned railway embankments. The eskers are classically represented along the north-eastern slopes of Lake Snudy, as well as on Lake Poteh (Slobodkinsky Lake).
The landscapes of the Mezhozerny reserve are of exceptionally high value, where almost all forms of relief characteristic of the Belarusian Poozerie are represented. The landscape of the national park is diversified by capes protruding deeply into the lakes, high moraine islands, as well as large boulders and their clusters.
Unique ecological environment This lake district bears traces of the Ice Age. The largest lakes: Drivyaty, Snudy, Strusto, Voiso, Voloso Severny, Nedrovo, Berezha, Daubli, Potekh and others lie among the hilly terrain. Each of them has its own characteristics and uniqueness. The total size of the lakes' water surface is 183 square kilometers. On Lake Strusto there is the second largest island in Belarus - Chaichin (area 1.6 sq. km), which has an internal reservoir - a small lake. Lake Voloso Yuzhny is the deepest in the National Park. Its maximum depth is 40.4 m with an area of 1.2 square meters. km. The lake is known for the extraordinary purity of its water, its transparency is 7m. The flora of the region includes over 800 plant species, of which about 20 are rare and endangered, listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus. Typical and unique (including relict) zoo complexes and groups of individual valuable representatives of the animal world are widely represented on the territory of the National Park.
The main wealth of the national park is its lakes. There are about 200 of them. A number of small rivers and streams flow through the territory of the national park, belonging to the basin of the Western Dvina and its left tributary Disna. In the system of lakes of the national park and its security zone In addition to the lakes of the Braslav group, several groups of lakes are distinguished. In the eastern part there is the Obsternovskaya group; in the north - the Obabye group, in the southern part - the Boginskaya, Opsovskaya, Bogdanovskaya lake groups, in the west - the Buje group. Based on the origin and structure of the lake basins in the territory of the national park, hollow, dammed, complex, thermokarst, etc. are distinguished. The landscapes of the complex basins of lakes Strusto, Snudy, Nespish and Nedrovo are particularly beautiful.
The territory of the national park is dominated by shallow and shallow lakes (depth up to 15 m). About a third of the lakes have a depth of 15–25 m or more. Among them are the lakes Northern and Southern Volos, the depth of which reaches 40 m. Most of the lakes are connected in unified system channels and the Druika River. Despite their considerable area, a number of lakes are characterized by the presence of a dry coastal zone, as well as a well-warmed littoral zone, which makes them especially attractive for swimming and other types of water recreation. The bottom of most lakes is composed of sandy or fine gravel sediments. Large water areas, numerous islands and channels create favorable conditions for yachting.
In the center of Braslov small wooden houses with front gardens and vegetable gardens predominate. Here and there you can find old turn-of-the-century red brick buildings with remarkable crushed stone foundations. The areas of new development are dominated by featureless cottages and faceless high-rise buildings. The character of the development of the central hilly part of Braslav, which is located to the west of Castle Hill, is memorable. The streets here are winding and short. In this part of Braslav, construction was first carried out along the most convenient depressions, and later buildings began to climb the slopes and tops of hills. One of the streets here is called Gornaya.
Not far from Gornaya there are several more streets with remarkable names: Peschanaya, Zamkovaya, Podgorny Lane. Narbutovskaya Street also ran here, unfortunately, it did not retain its name. Now this is Kirov Street. In its depths, not far from Castle Hill, there is a building of a former hospital, built in 1906. The design of the hospital was carried out by the provincial architect A. Shpakovsky. The building has quite interesting architecture. It is a U-shaped, one-story red brick building on a ashlar foundation. Its appearance is sometimes compared to the appearance of forts. In the middle of the main facade there is a portal with a gable shield, decorated with tetrahedral turrets. The entire surface of the walls is quite saturated decorative elements made using bricklaying technique.
The Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God stands on a small hill, lined with old maples. The first wooden Catholic church, founded at the beginning of the 15th century, was located on the same site. The church was built at the expense of a well-known statesman at that time, the governor of Vilnius Vojtech Monivid, one of the heroes of the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. Permission to build the temple was given by Prince Vytautas the Great. The current church building was built in 1897 from stone and red brick. The three-nave building, rectangular in plan, is covered gable roof. The main façade is decorated with a three-tiered tower topped with a tent. Of greatest interest is the technique of laying the walls of the temple. Their main part is made of split field stone.
Braslav museums
Lovers of history and antiquity will find a lot of interesting things in the exhibition of the local history museum, opened in 1988. The museum is located in a wooden mansion built in the 30s of the 20th century. for a private printing house. The building has a remarkable three-level layout. The small areas of the six exhibition halls and exhibition space are most suitable for individual visits.
There is a fairly rich archaeological section. It presents materials from studies of the Neolithic site near Braslav, Iron Age settlements, burial mounds, settlements from the period of the Principality of Polotsk, castles from the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, medieval cultural layers of towns. Among the exhibits there are many rare ones.
Braslav lakes
In the vicinity of Braslav there is one of the largest lake groups in Belarus, known as the Braslav Lakes. It includes more than 50 lakes. Their total area exceeds 130 square kilometers, and the basin area is more than 800 square kilometers, or more than a third of the area. The lakes are interconnected by numerous, but mostly shallow, streams, rivers, and channels over 300 kilometers long.
Tourists usually call the Braslav lakes the central part of the group, along which water hiking routes pass. They are connected to each other by the fairly wide and deep Druika River and channels passable for boats. The most famous of the Braslav lakes are Drivyaty, Tsno, Nespish, Ned-rovo, Potsekh, Voiso, Boloiso, Strusto, Snudy, Northern Volos and Southern Volos. The area of these eleven lakes is 93 square kilometers, their length is almost 50 kilometers, and the length of the coastlines is about 190 kilometers. There are 54 islands with a total area of 5.5 square kilometers (this is comparable to the area of a fairly significant lake). The vicinity of Braslav is one of the few regions of Belarus where inhabited lake islands existed.
Most of the lakes along which tourist routes pass have complex configurations, highly indented coastlines, forming many deep bays, peninsulas - a whole water labyrinth. Fans of water travel will find dozens of kilometers of fascinating routes and indelible impressions of meeting lakes that differ in size, depth, appearance, color and even the smell of water.
As a rule, travel routes along the Braslav lakes begin from the shores of Lake Drivyaty, the largest in the Braslav region and the fifth largest in Belarus. Its area is 36.1 square meters. km. The basin stretches for almost 10 km in length, reaching a maximum width of 4.5 km. The length of the coastline is 37.6 km. Despite the considerable size of the lake, its average depth is only 6 meters, the maximum does not exceed 12 meters. The underwater part resembles a hilly terrain - deep-sea areas alternate with extensive uplifts and numerous shoals. Experienced fishermen can easily list the names of more than fifty shoals: Belaya Doroga, Svyata, Rebro, Mikutskaya, Leshchevka, Dolgaya, Zamkovaya, Lodochka, Tolstaya, Okunevka, Cherepy, Malka, Plain, Podrechnaya, etc. There are 6 small islands. A wide strip of shallow water, in some places more than 100 meters, stretches along the shores. The bottom here is mostly sandy. In some places, glacial boulders have been preserved in shallow water. The largest of them, about 3 meters long, is located in the northeastern part of the lake, not far from the beach of the camp site. Only part of it is visible on the surface.
The lake is open to winds of any direction, often raising quite large waves. In cloudy, windy weather, the water takes on a leaden tint. This color, the foamy crests of the waves, the sound of the surf near the shore - just like at sea. You don’t often see Lake Drivyaty calm, but thanks to intense mixing, its water warms up quite quickly and is somewhat warmer than in neighboring, deeper lakes. In addition, the water is well saturated with oxygen, which is very important for most species of fish. Since ancient times, Lake Drivyaty was considered the most fishy in the entire region.
Now the fish value of the lake has decreased significantly. Vendace and pike perch are caught in very small quantities. Valuable species include bream, pike, and burbot. There is also a famous eel in Lake Drivyaty, which is known for its delicious, delicious meat, for which newspaper articles gave it the sonorous nickname “king of the blue fields”, and people lovingly call it “uncle eel”.
The section of the southwestern coast is very beautiful, where a pine forest on high hills forms the picturesque Ratsky Bor tract. Here you can find convenient parking places. From the tops of the coastal hills the lake and its surroundings are clearly visible. Nearby there is a small lake, Bolta, surrounded by forest on almost all sides.
Not only the immediate surroundings of Braslav, but the entire Braslav district is rich in interesting architectural and historical monuments.
Archaeological monuments are widely represented on the territory of the national park, including fortifications and burial mounds in the city of Braslav, near the villages of Akhremovtsy, Bochino, Ustye, Dalekie, Drisvyaty, Zhvirbli, Zazony, Opsa, etc. The fortifications and burial mounds date back to the period from the 7th century . BC e. to early feudalism and belong to the Dneprodvinsk culture, the culture of hatched ceramics and later ones. Folk architecture is represented by an excellent example of a peasant dwelling - the wreath palace in the village of Ikazn, built in 1009, as well as several barns from the beginning of the last century and a well tent in the city of Braslav. Monumental religious architecture is represented by a number of stone and wooden churches of the 17th – early 20th centuries: the Baroque complex of the Bernardine monastery in the town of Druya, a neo-Gothic church in the city of Braslav, a neo-Gothic church in the village of Slobodka, as well as wooden churches in the villages of Mezhany and Dalekie. Orthodox architecture is represented by churches in Braslav, Drisvyaty and Ikazn, built in the forms of the official “pseudo-Russian” style.
The uniqueness of this region lies there are clean lakes framed by picturesque hills covered with pine forests. In the north-west of the Belarusian Lake District there is one of the most beautiful lake systems - the Braslav Lakes, the name of which was given by the city of Braslav. Located in the very center of a group of lakes. The beauty and aesthetic value of this region is given by a bizarre lace of more than 30 lakes connected by channels, as well as picturesque hills covered with forest, separating one lake from another.
The Braslav Lakes National Park is located in the northwestern part of the Vitebsk region. The territory is part of the Braslav region, bordering Latvia and Lithuania. The main office is located in resort town Braslav, almost in the center of the protected area.
The park includes a group of lakes, swamps and forests with hunting grounds. There are almost two thousand species of plants and more than three hundred species of animals on the territory. There are natural, historical and archaeological monuments here.
The area of the national park is almost 64.5 thousand hectares.
Holidays on the Braslav Lakes 2019
Tourists are attracted by ecological trails equipped with paths and stops, boat trips on several lakes connected by channels, cycling routes, laser tag on a desert island, safari tours, swimming in lakes with the purest water, and a variety of water and winter activities. Many come to fish or take part in real hunting. The organizers offer to spend a fun weekend in the park, stay for a few days, or spend a whole vacation surrounded by amazing nature. Descriptions of excursion routes and trails are presented on the official website.
All detailed information can be obtained from the office of the administrative center of the Braslav Lakes NP, located in Braslav at the address: st. Dachnaya, 1.
There are 64 tourist sites of two types in the park - regular and reserved. In the first case, places are provided if there are free gazebos, in the second - guaranteed for a specified period. The latter are usually booked and paid for long before the arrival day.
Lovers of relaxation in the lap of nature prefer to abandon cozy hotels in favor of park tourist sites. The areas are located near the water and are equipped with canopies, gazebos and fire pits. There are tables with benches, trash bins and toilets.
Schemes of tourist sites:
To ensure that your holiday in the park brings only positive emotions and is as comfortable as possible, you should take care of clothing appropriate to the weather conditions. You can see the weather forecast for the next 10 days.
Fishing
Fishing lovers come to the Braslav lakes both in summer and winter. Here you can find perch, roach, silver bream, crucian carp, pike perch, pike, burbot, etc. When purchasing a ticket (according to your passport), you should carefully read the fishing rules and limits. If the requirements are not met, the fisherman may face a fine, confiscation of the catch, or denial of a permit for a year.
Park attractions
Historical, archaeological and cultural monuments dating back to different eras were discovered on the territory of the Braslav Lakes. These are religious buildings, 11 fortifications dating back to the 7th-4th centuries. BC e., as well as 5 burial mounds (burial grounds). In towns and villages you can see Roman Catholic and orthodox churches, water mills and war memorials. There is a local history museum in Braslav.
The most valuable attraction of the national pearl of Belarus is the unique nature of this truly wonderful place, its amazing landscapes, abundance of water bodies and clean air.
Settlements
There are many villages and farmsteads within the boundaries of the environmental protection zone. Most of them are located near bodies of water. The names of the villages are very colorful - Lapki, Leoshki, Milashki, Utinki, Tails, Zamoshye, etc.
Almost in the very center of the environmental site, between the lakes Drivyaty, Berezhe and Novyaty, lies the city of Braslav. Here is the main office of the State Environmental Institution “Braslav Lakes National Park” and a scientific base. The first mention of the ancient settlement dates back to 1065.
The small village of Vasilkishki-1, founded by Old Believers, is known for the fact that the route of the annual Braslav rally runs through its territory.
The agricultural town of Slobodka at the beginning of the 11th century was a border fortress. At the beginning of the 19th century it was famous for its master craftsmen.
All settlements have complex history. They often changed hands, changing owners and state affiliation.