Naroch is the first and so far the only one region in Belarus which has received the official status of a resort. With a view to promoting the region that is home to the country’s largest lake the government launched the national program to develop Lake Naroch and nearby territories in 2011.
It is not easy to find a vacant room in the Naroch district in early August. All local health resorts, recreation centers, hotels and agro-tourism facilities are fully booked. But it is not always the case. A lot depends on the weather and the solvency of Russian tourists. The situation with the Russian ruble has hit the still fragile Belarusian tourism. The number of Russian tourists at Naroch resorts has decreased by 30-40% since the beginning of the year.
You can start your journey to the lake district from the town of Budslav and the local Bernardine church which is among the country’s most beautiful sights. For more than 400 years this church has held one of the most revered Catholic icons - The Icon of the Mother of God of Budslav. Every year in early July, the church hosts about 30,000 pilgrims from Belarus and abroad. On other days the church is as busy hosting many tour groups.
The church has a very old organ. But it needs repairs which cost about half a million of U.S. dollars.
The main tourist brand of the region is primarily Lake Naroch with its beaches and hotels build in the Soviet times. All of them have been upgraded under the national program to develop Lake Naroch and nearby territories.
All hotels are completely different, both in terms of a set of services and prices.
For example, this two-bed single room at the Belaya Rus health resort costs Br510,000 per person per day. Prices are flexible here, with prices going down to Br460,000 after 20 August and Br440,000 in November.
A two-bed double will cost Br730,000 per day including medical treatment procedures.
Four meals a day makes part of the package tour. Meals can be chosen and ordered ahead of the trip from the list that shows the size of the portion and its caloric content. A buffet service is available on an extra pay. Vegetarians will find a wide choice of products to their liking in Belaya Rus.
For instance, the menu will offer a set of starters including vegetable salads, curd with jam, yogurts or semolina, and also cheesecakes, beef dumplings, fried poultry or fish rissoles served with rice or stewed cabbage.
The menu also has a variety of soups, meat pockets, boiled beef with a sour cream sauce, cabbage rolls, fish schnitzel, meat balls served with vegetables, barley or potatoes.
The health resort offers over 100 treatment procedures, including leech, acupuncture, coconut and chocolate baths. The cost of some services is included into the package tour. Others are available at some extra payment.
Additional services in Belaya Rus comprise sauna, a sun-parlor, a swimming pool, a gym, billiards, a tennis court, a bike, boat, catamaran and skis hire.
A new mineral water well room has been recently opened in the health resort.
The health resort Priozernyi is considered to be the best on the shores of Lake Naroch. The high-quality decoration and furnishings of the rooms is another reason for choosing this resort. The price for a two-room double is Br850,000 per day (with treatments) and Br748,000 (without treatments). For Russian citizens, the prices are RUB4,700 and RUB4,100 respectively.
The Blue Lakes wildlife reserve offers eco-tours of 4.5km and 7km lon. A part of the route runs along the shores of the lakes so tourists can take a swim. However, the infrastructure is underdeveloped still.
Despite the fact that all the health resorts and hotels in the town of Naroch and its neighborhood are fully booked, calmness and tranquility soar in the air.
There is a unique museum complex called Nanosy-Novoselye, or simply Nanosy.
The price for a house for four people is Br4,350,000. It includes a meal and a tour of the museums. A house for eight will cost Br11,220,000.
In Nanosy there are three museums, including a museum of samovars, a museum of antique cars, and a museum of moonshine stills. The guests are treated to freshly baked bread, offered horse riding tours and other tourist options.
The Nanosy-Novoselye complex is not far from the lakes.
Between the lakes Naroch and Myastro, there is a dendrological garden with a museum of forest.
The Pharmacy Garden complex was opened as part of the national program to develop Lake Naroch and nearby territories. This is another investors’ initiative in the Naroch district and the only facility in the country which was founded using the centuries-old experience of European monasteries in the cultivation of rare medicinal herbs. Dozens of plants, from peppermint and lavender to rare poisonous plants, are grown in the garden. Specialists of the complex use only organic fertilizers and are focused on quality. These plants are used in the production of medications.
Natural herbal teas and dried herbs are available here.
Visitors of the health resort can also buy local blue cheese.
The plans to turn Naroch into the main heath resort of the country were even more pronounced in the past, but the real state of affairs, including the financial situation, dictated the terms. Certain plans were changed, a number of investors refused to implement their projects, but the life of the resort does not stand still. It offers recreation for any taste and budget, ranging from luxurious hotel rooms and cottages in Nanosy to rural houses worth $10 per night.
Naroch has changed a lot over the past five years. However, a lot needs to be done. The potential of Naroch has not been used to the full yet. Naroch will attract even more tourists if the state and enthusiasts join efforts to beautify the region.
