Five years ago, I already had an article about Lida. And there I spoke negatively about this city. But now I’m a different person – and I decided to look for the positive in everything (and in the Lead too). Therefore, today we will have a post in which I will write only good things about this city. What to do in Lida? Where to eat delicious food? Where can I taste fresh beer? And why is it worth coming to this city at all?
Are you ready for a little trip? Then let’s not waste time.
How do I get to Lida?
The Belarusian capital of beer, paints and sports shoes is located about halfway between Minsk and Grodno. It is connected to both cities by minibuses and trains. Rail transport is more comfortable and cheaper, but minibuses also have one important plus. There are just a lot of them, so you can get to Lida even in the morning, even in the evening, even for the third round of the program “Field of Miracles”.
You can view the schedule of minibuses on the website atlasbus.by . And look for trains on the website of the Belarusian Railway – RW.BY . Travel time:
- From Minsk – 2 hours 30 minutes
- From Grodno – 1 one hour and 40 minutes.
Train tickets cost from 14 BYN. Minibuses are usually 4 rubles more expensive.
Attractions of Lida: Gedemin Castle
If you walk from the station along Gedemina Boulevard, then in 10 minutes you will see the main symbol of the city – Lida Castle. You can get inside for free on the last Wednesday of each month. On other days, tickets cost 12 BYN.
But personally, I advise you, first of all, to pay attention to this gray building right in front of the historical complex.
This is a hostel of some local construction company and its balconies offer the best view of the castle complex.
The “Viewing room” is free. But there is a catch in this story too. The thing is that in the lobby of the building there is a booth with a strict aunt inside. She let me through without any questions. But if you don’t have the charm of Pikachu, then it will be a little more difficult to get past her.
An alternative way of entering the building can be offered by the city canteen (located next door to the dormitory). There is a toilet, and next to it there is an elevator that will take you to the top floor of the building in 10 seconds.
A little more and you will have the best view of the city.
Where to spend the night?
A beautiful view of the castle also opens from the windows of the local hotel “Lida”. But to admire it, of course, you will have to rent a room. A single room costs 62 BYN. Double room – 114 BYN per day. The hotel itself is sad and tired, like I am in the passport photo. But for a short trip, it will do. You can book a place by phone +37544 599 59 49 .
As for other housing options, here I recommend, first of all, to pay attention to rental apartments. A simple but neat “one-piece” in the Lead can be removed for 80-90 BYN (here is one such as an example).
A stylish but small studio in the center of the city will cost 100 BYN. This is the order of prices and it is worth focusing on.
Other attractions of Lida
Very close to the Gedemin Castle is the Orthodox Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It’s quite small, but it looks nice.
The complex is built in the Vilna Baroque style. Inside there is a beautiful altar and an icon of the Mother of God, which was brought to Belarus by monks of the Franciscan Order in the 14th century.
There is a stone next to the church in honor of the founding of the city, and 500 meters away on the same Sovetskaya Street there is also the Orthodox Church of St. Michael. In 1797 it was built as a Catholic church. But after Lida became part of the Russian Empire, the complex was rebuilt. In Soviet times, the building was used as a planetarium. However, in 1996 it was again transferred to the Orthodox Church.
About Lida gastronomy
There is also one full–fledged gastronomic attraction in Lida – Kumpyak restaurant in Lida Castle. The place is stylized as a medieval tavern. The menu includes traditional dishes made from farm products (such as ribs on kvass or carp in honey glaze). And each serving of the dish turns into a full-fledged show.
In general, the place is cool.BUT! You definitely need to book tables in advance. The contact phone number is 8 (029) 660-03-21. You can also view all the details in the restaurant’s social networks on the page@kumpyak.by .
For more familiar dishes, you can look into the cozy Jinnee cafe (at Sovetskaya 23). Good coffee is brewed here (6-7 byn), and pancakes (7-9 byn), sandwiches (9 byn), croissants (6-11 byn), waffles (8-13 byn) and cheesecakes (9 byn) are also served.
Full breakfasts (14 byn each) are also on the menu, but there is very little choice. Find the detailed menu on social networks at @jinnee.lida.
The coffee shop “SMSL” (on Gagarin Street) offers guests something similar. They have several types of coffee in their arsenal (4.5 – 7.5 byn each), as well as cheesecakes, strudels and sandwiches. The most interesting dish on the menu is a curd casserole with ice cream. Find the detailed menu on the page @smsl.coffee.
Another colorful bar is open at the factory “Lida beer“. There is a beautiful interior (with clusters of hops hanging from the ceiling), fresh beer and quite affordable prices.
It is especially advantageous to come here on weekdays for “business lunches”. You can find this place at the address – Mickiewicz, 32.
Lida Brewery
I am surprised myself, but recently our country has become just an excellent destination for industrial tourism. In Zhodino, cool excursions take place at the BELAZ plant… Tourists are taken to Minsk to the production of legendary tractors… And in Lida, the local brewery is really fighting for the title of the main attraction of the city. Seriously, I still have a lot of questions about the Gedemin castle (or rather, the quality of its restoration). But the Lida brewery, on the contrary, exceeded my expectations on all fronts.
And that’s why…
Firstly, it is very big, like a real city within a city. There are historical buildings and buildings with very modern content. There is a museum at the factory, where you can trace the history of the project back to 1876. And Lida Beer also has a very cool Instagram, which is conducted on behalf of Nosel Pupko (@nosel.pupko), a Belarusian entrepreneur who almost 150 years ago first began brewing beer in Lida.
You can sign up for a tour of the factory on the website museum.lidskae.by .
Tickets are quite expensive (as much as 30 BYN) and you need to buy them in advance. But I’m sure you won’t regret it. They will show you how beer is brewed and teach you how to taste it correctly; they will demonstrate beer bottles from the 19th century and tell you how the plant lives today.
Formally, the Minsk Alivaria is considered to be the oldest brewery in the country. She is 12 years older. But, as for me, the excursions there are not as interesting as in Lida.
What to see near the city?
The sights of Lida end quickly. I walked around the city on foot, climbed the dark corridors of local dormitories and tasted beer at the Lida brewery. But I declare responsibly: there is nothing to do in the city for more than 1 day.
Perhaps in this article you could also write a couple of lines about the old Catholic cemetery of Lida. But I don’t like to photograph such places (no matter how colorful they are).
Instead, let me tell you about the beautiful locations located in the immediate suburbs of Lida. For example:
- About the Gothic temple in the village of Belogruda;
- Fortress churches in the village of Murovanka;
- Or the gingerbread church of Peter and Paul in the village of Rozhanka (which is often called one of the most beautiful in the country).
Photos from social networks. The authors are @vaverka_traveler and @lukashik_lenochka.
Another good destination for a trip is the old mill in the village of Dvorishche. The complex is called “Free Miller” and consists of a museum, a small brewery, a cheese factory and a bakery with traditional pastries. Admission costs 5 BYN. By appointment, one-man shows, kayaking and historical quests are also held here.
Photos from social networks. The author of the photo is Ksenia Bulanova (@bulanovaphoto).
That’s all. If you can also tell us what to see in Lida and its surroundings, welcome to the comments. And I just have to say goodbye. If you liked the article, read my other texts about traveling in Belarus. For example, a post about Grodno and how to spend a weekend in this city. And also subscribe to my Instagram. This way we will definitely not get lost.
