In order not to spend winter months behind the barricades of your apartment it’s time to put on the active mode. To be ready for the season in Minsk and its suburbs, check the list below – here are the main skating-rinks and tracks for skiing and snowboarding.
Ice-skating
Remember that you need your ID to rent the skates.
praspiekt Pieramožcaŭ, 111
Working hours: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Mon-Sat)
Price: 5.50 BYN (€ 2.3) for adults, 3.50 BYN (€ 1.5) for children under 16 (skates rental – 3 BYN / € 1.2 per hour)
Duration of skating: 45 min
Smooth ice, quite a big rink, locker rooms, and rentals. Minsk Arena is a comfortable place for indoor public skating. Better check the schedule and current fares on the Russian website version (the English one doesn't seem to be updated). There are some extra skate options: sessions at the speed track (and on speed skates) and hockey skating (8 BYN / € 3.3).
vulica Taškenckaja, 49
Working hours: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Price: 5 BYN (€ 2) on the big rink, 4 BYN (€ 1.65) of 2.70 BYN (€ 1.10) for children under 14 on the small rink (skates rental – 3 BYN / € 1.2 per hour)
Duration of skating: 45 min
There are two rinks in Čyžoŭka Arena. In general, this is the same story as Minsk Arena, some basic things that differ are only the location and the schedule. As for services, instead of speed skating, you can join a retro discotheque (6 BYN / € 2.4 per hour) or get a family pass.
vulica Prytyckaha, 27
Working hours: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Price: 4 BYN (€ 1.65) for adults, 2.50 BYN (€ 1) for children under 14 (skates rental – 3,5 BYN / € 1.5 per session)
Duration of skating: 45 min
It’s an old-timer, but it’s pretty convenient for ice-skating. And it’s a bit cheaper option as well. Consult the timetable not to miss your session. Besides the public ice-skating the Ice Palace also offers an individual coaching during (7 BYN / € 2.8 for adults, 5 BYN / € 2 for children) or, at the time of another kind of skatings, a refinement of your skills in hockey (8 BYN / € 3.3).
praspiekt Pieramožcaŭ, 4а (by the Sports Palace)
Working hours: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Price: 3 BYN (€ 1.2) till 4 p.m. on weekdays, 4 BYN (€ 1.65) after and on weekends; 2 BYN (€ 0.8) for children under 14 (skates rental – from 2 BYN / € 0.8)
Duration of skating: 45 min
Light and airy rink in the city center and probably the most affordable one. Although being roofed it’s placed outdoor on the bank of the river Svislač. The ice is nice and it’s not crowded all the time so you can enjoy purely easy skating. Don’t forget your scarf and mittens!
praspiekt Pieramožcaŭ, 65 (Zamak Shopping Mall)
Working hours: 10 a.m. – 0 p.m. (till 2 a.m. on weekends and holidays)
Price: 6 BYN (€ 2.4) on weekdays, 7 BYN (€ 2.9) on weekends (skates rental – 5 BYN / € 2)
Duration of skating: 45 min
This rink works all-the-year-round. You can find it on the 4th floor of the shopping mall Zamak. It’s quite spacious – more than 1000 m². As far as you can skate here to your heart's content, there is a possibility to continue the leisure activities with cafés, cinema or children's center.
Skiing / Snowboarding / Tubing
Minsk, vulica Karžanieŭskaha, 45
Working hours: 12 a.m. – 9 p.m. (10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays)
Activities: skiing, snowboarding, tubing, strike ball, laser tag, etc.
The best things about this ski center are the location within the city (so you can rich it using just city transport) and its prices. Here are the lowest fares on passes, rentals and individual coaching with an instructor.
There are also several tubing slopes, an extreme snow park with strike ball and laser tag and all-season picnic zone. Slopes and tracks are perfect for beginning skiers and snowboarders. If you’re already a guru, choose another place for your activities.
Minsk region, Astrašycky haradok, 54°03.743' N, 27°44.349' E
Working hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays)
Activities: cross-country skiing, freestyle, biathlon, skating, etc.
Be attentive while choosing a place for winter activities: each of them can be suitable but for different sports. Raŭbičy doesn’t offer you any chances to pick up snowboard or downhill skis. Nevertheless, it’s a fine place to practice cross-country skiing (biathlon as well), to get a freestyle experience and then joy yourself with indoor skating, relaxing in saunas and playing pool. Check the full list and prices on the Russian version of the website. As the ski center is situated outside the city, you can book a hotel suite right there.
Minsk region, Siličy, 54°09.383' N, 27°50.147' E
Working hours: 24 hr
Activities: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, skating, tubing, snowmobile, etc.
Siličy may be one the most convenient ski centers in Belarus: it works around-the-clock, offers special night sessions, there’s a hotel complex and in general, lots of things to do. There are 4 downhill tracks stretching from 620 up to 900 m, steep slopes where an elevation change within 100 m and extreme park with trampolines, half-pipes and a snow park.
Siličy claims to have good infrastructure. There are 3 elevators: 2 chair lifts (with 2 and 4 seats) and a drag-lift on the tubing track. Here you can also hire an instructor or set up a training if you’re a professional. To get there consult the map and check this price list to see the fares.
Minsk region, Lahojsk, 54° 10' 58" N, 27° 48' 30" E
Working hours: 12 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Mon-Thu), 12 a.m. – 2 a.m. (Fri), 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. (Sat-Sun)
Activities: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, tubing, etc.
There are 5 well-lit long tracks with the difference in altitude around 82 m, a cable car for 4 people, a loop, biathlon and tubing zones. This ski center as well is perfect for newbies because of its 11-meter-high training slope for skis and snowboard that stretches 120 m. Other services are included: sauna, restaurant, hotel, etc.
Minsk region, the Brest direction of the М-1/Е-30 road, 53°39.749' N, 27°08.459' E
Working hours: on request
Activities: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, skating, hockey, sleigh, tubing.
A mini-version of a ski resort. Westa complex seems to be suitable for freshmen in particular. Here you can try 4 slopes: besides the standard one for downhill skis and snowboards (extent – 279 m, height – 37,5 m) there are also a training slope, a tubing slope and a slide for children. The ski center is located in a peaceful and quite a pretty place. In addition to your winter activities get a break for nature.
The important thing is that there’s no artificial snowmaking. Before you go, consult the weather forecast and make sure there’s enough snow.
