GRODNO, 26 October (BelTA) – Plans have been made to open the Lesnaya-Rudawka border checkpoint in the Augustow Canal area to tourists on bicycles in 2017. The plans were revealed by Grodno Oblast Governor Vladimir Kravtsov when the Augustow Canal Park welcomed the first few tourists, who entered the country without needing visas, on 26 October, BelTA has learned.
The first visa-free tourists crossed the Belarusian-Polish border via the border checkpoint Lesnaya-Rudawka. A delegation of Poland's Podlaskie Voivodeship led by Marshal Jerzy Leszczynski was among them. Among other things Vladimir Kravtsov and Jerzy Leszczynski discussed further development of tourism in the bordering regions. “Changing the status of the border checkpoint Lesnaya-Rudawka is an important step. The relevant interstate procedure has already been launched. I hope that by the time the next tourism season starts this border checkpoint will be available not only to water tourists but also those travelling on foot or on bicycles,” said the Grodno Oblast Governor.
The Polish delegation is getting familiar with the potential of the Belarusian part of the Augustow Canal. Members of the delegation are expected to visit the border checkpoint Sofiyevo-Lipchany on the Belarusian-Polish border and have a meeting at premises of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee. A tourism information center of Podlaskie Voivodeship will be opened in Grodno. A tourism information center dedicated to Grodno will be opened in Bialystok.
BelTA reported earlier that foreign tourists can visit the tourism and recreation park Augustow Canal without visas as from 26 October. Grodno and part of Grodno District now belong to the so-called visa-free zone. To visit the park, foreign citizens will need their passport (or another document for travelling abroad) and the document confirming their right to visit the Augustow Canal. Such documents are issued by travel agencies. Applications can be submitted online at grodnovisafree.by.
Tourists are required to have the means to finance the costs associated with staying in Belarus and leaving the country. In particular, tourists will need at least two base amounts per day in Belarusian rubles or a foreign currency. One base amount equals Br21 at present. Visa-free travels will be available till 31 December 2017.
