This weekend, my family and I went to the Grand Duchy of Sula. And today I decided to make a small photo report about this trip. I’ve already casually told you about this place many times. But today we will dive into the topic more thoroughly. I’ll tell you:
- How much do tickets cost (and is it worth paying extra for animation)?
- What is the difference between the weekend and weekday program?
- What is included in the price of the standard entrance ticket?
- And which locations in Sula did we like the most?
I myself missed this article a little bit before the trip. Therefore, today we will fill in the gaps. And at the same time enjoy beautiful photos from the coolest ethnographic park in our country.
How much do tickets to Sula Park cost?
A standard ticket to the Sula History Park costs 40 BYN. Formally, the cost is 5 rubles higher, but if you subscribe to the social networks of the Grand Duchy, you can get a small discount. In practice, everyone uses this option. You show the cashier a subscription to one of the social networks and you pay 40 BYN instead of 45.
Children under 7 years old can enter the park for free. Age is usually determined by eye, and no one has asked our Alice (who is already 6.5) for a passport.
There are also special tickets in Sula “with an interactive tour”. They cost 60 BYN. But they include a wider range of entertainment.
In this case, you will be given a special purple bracelet, a guide will be assigned to you, with whom you will walk around the complex, and an extended program will be waiting for you at each location.
Honestly, I bought a regular ticket myself, which includes “self-guided tour of all historical sites.” And you can already think for yourself what to do. On the one hand, I would also love to circle around a pagan temple, sail a “big circle” on a dragon or go to a master class on drinking starkey from the blade of a noble saber. But I think it’s better for adults to choose such programs. And families with children are more suited to a free format – when you decide for yourself where to go and in what order to visit certain locations.
What is included in the price of a standard ticket?
After paying at the checkout, you will be given a yellow bracelet and a brochure with a description of the locations and upcoming activities.
The price also includes:
- A trip on a Varangian boat;
- A tidy coupon for starkey tasting;
- And riding a chaise (which, unfortunately, we did not get to ourselves).
You can visit all locations for free. The only exception is skiinga horse-drawn tram (a special horse-drawn tram). You will have to pay another 15/20 BYN for it (but this is optional).
As for the entertainment program, it consists of two parts. The castle, the watermill, the “witch’s house” and other locations of Sula can be visited any day – from Wednesday to Sunday (from 10 to 17:30). I’ll leave a detailed map of them at the bottom…
But on weekends, temporary (thematic) activities are added to this. On Shrovetide, they bake huge pancakes here. In winter, they arrange outdoor festivities. And in summer, they celebrate bread day and honey Savior.
If you are very lucky, you can see, for example, historical reconstructions (like the theatrical storming of a medieval fortress), or participate in mystical rituals on the night of the Bath.
Such programs always add something new to the park, so it’s interesting to come here not only for the first time, but also for the one hundred and twenty-first time.
You can check the current poster for the coming month on the project’s website parksula.by .
What to see in Sula Park?
So… The tickets were sorted out. Now let’s go inside the park. Right at the door of the complex, we are greeted by musicians with duda and drums.
They’re having fun (although maybe not for us, but for another group with “extended tickets”).
I’m trying to listen to (someone else’s?) the guide. And Alice and Tanya are already running ahead to climb some kind of ship and take pictures on the bridge at the watermill.
The “Zapolsky Castle” next to it also looks very solid, even though it is younger than me in age.
As far as I know, this is a new house built on the ruins of one of the outbuildings of the former Lensky estate. Today, the princely halls have been recreated there…
Knight’s quarters with hide beds…
And a dining room with hunting trophies. The scarecrows, by the way, look very realistic. Alice was visibly afraid, but nevertheless made an attempt to put her finger in the bear’s mouth…
When you walk around the castle, the speakers constantly sound stories about the life of Belarusian castles and how many ancient bastions, unfortunately, remained only on old engravings.
I remember how a month ago I went to the “golden palaces” of Zhilichi and Krasny Bereg – and I am mentally glad that many monuments of Belarus are still gaining a second life.
A deafening VOLLEY sounds outside the doors! A medieval cannon is firing. We go to take a look and soon find ourselves in the courtyard.
The blacksmith tells how during the time of the Great Patriotic War, ore was smelted on our lands, making swords and arrows. Alice doesn’t listen, so she immediately gets her hands on a medieval blade (and goes happily chopping the air).
The fun ends when the blacksmith gets close to the cannon again. The guests are asked to cover their ears, but the shot still turns out to be loud. Everyone around involuntarily shudders and jumps on the spot. We’re bouncing too. Therefore, without finishing listening to the story, we leave the yard and go to the watermill.
There’s excitement again. A local miller (somewhat similar to Yuri Zhigamont) gives Alice a grain bar and sends her to turn stone millstones to turn grain into flour for bread.
She gets down to business very diligently. And I understand what she definitely likes about Sula.
Everything that happened next only reinforced this impression. First, we sat at a desk, listening to how education was built in the Middle Ages.
Then we looked into the pottery workshop, where a local craftsman made a pot out of soft clay right in front of us.
Alice was interested. But all this faded the moment she first saw such a cute donkey…
And then a whole meadow with goats and sheep…
That’s where they and Tanya were overcome with absolute delight. Meanwhile, I went to the very Town Hall to listen to a lecture on Magdeburg law in the Belarusian lands.
By the way, since March 2026, the original statute of the CC (1744) has been on display at the Sula Town Hall, bought at Sotheby’s.
The statute established the status of the Belarusian language as the official language in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. And today it is considered one of the main historical relics of Sula.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, a small performance started on the main square of Sula. First, the musicians appeared in front of the audience…
And then the sweet girl began to invite everyone to a master class in folk dancing.
At the same time, a free tour of Sula started at the local stone circle (similar to a small stonehage) (for all holders of “regular” tickets). Our booklets indicated that there would be only two of them – at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. But I couldn’t get to any of them.
Alice was chasing sheep with all her might and was definitely not going to go on any excursions. Only (a miracle and) the promise of a trip on a real ship helped to drag her away from this plush kingdom.
We went to the pier. And on the way we also saw the “Pagan Temple” and “Ancient Man’s camp”; we looked into the house of a local witch…
And we took some photos against the background of the ancient Slavic settlement.
Very soon, the same Varangian drakar drove up to the pier. We climbed onto the deck, but then my first real disappointment in Sula awaited me. The trip turned out to be quite short – and lasted literally 1-2 minutes.
I even thought about taking a ride on the dragon again (to at least have time to take a couple of photos on the deck). But in the end, we gave up and went to get acquainted with the local gastronomy.
Where to eat (and drink) in Sula?
There are several restaurants with national cuisine on the territory of the historical park. The prices there are quite high (almost twice as high as in Minsk), but the portions are also large.
There are three main establishments in Sula. These are:
- “Bulburg” with dozens of potato-based dishes.
- “Shynok“, which serves food cooked over a fire.
- And “Pan Starki” — the main restaurant of the complex. Here, all dishes are prepared according to ancient recipes from the time of the INC. The menu includes the “Hunting snack of King Augustus”, “Hunting for tours” and, of course, many variations of draniki.
When ordering any dish, guests are given a complimentary glass of starki (rye vodka, which was very much loved by the Belarusian gentry in the Middle Ages). But to be honest, I haven’t tried it myself since I was driving. In the last 10 years, I have never drunk anything stronger than wine (or Korean soju).
However, you can try Belarusian vodka not only in local restaurants, but also in a special complex of the Sul distillery. Here you will be told about the history of this drink, and then you will have a small tasting (the main thing is not to lose the special coupon that is given at the entrance).
I wrote more about this place in an article about the culture of drinking in Belarus. Read it if you want.
As for ourselves, having dealt with medieval alcohol, we went to the bakery to taste freshly baked bread. It cost 10 BYN (which is quite expensive even by Minsk standards). But the bread itself is very cool. There are no questions here. You pick it up in your hands and you can feel the loaf blazing with the heat of the oven.
If you wish, you can stay longer in the bakery to listen to how our ancestors made bread. Or you can go further – to the next one “Zelki Pharmacy“, where they arrange herbal tea tastings and tell a lot of interesting things about the history of pharmacy in Belarus.
Another place that I remember is “Jewish house“, brought to Sulu from the neighboring village of Rubezhevichi. Once it was both a shop, a workshop and the home of a real man named Moses Berezovich. By now, the building is more than 170 years old.
Where to stay in Sula?
In total, we spent 6 hours in Sula, but even that was not enough time to go around all the locations of the complex. It was only when I arrived home that I noticed that we had forgotten to ride in the chaise (although this option is included in the standard ticket)…
And they did not enter the Lensky estate (on the territory of which, in fact, the Sula Park was built).
When we went to the local theater for the performance of the battle, I saw that Alice was already noticeably tired, and even regretted a little that we had not booked accommodation somewhere near Sula. This option is quite popular among other guests. Therefore, Sula has several of its hotels on the territory at once.
You can view photos of rooms and read current reviews on this page.
In the meantime, I’ll add a few words from myself.
I found the cheapest accommodation near Soulahere (but this option is suitable only for those who travel by car).
Also, 1 km from the “Grand Duchy” there is a large cottage called “Farm of the brave”. It can also be considered (especially for those who travel with a large company).
How to get to Sulu?
Commuter buses run from Minsk to Sulu. BUT (!) only in summer, (!) only on weekends and (!) only 3 times a day. Therefore, if you do not have your own car, I recommend that you, first of all, take a closer look at sightseeing tours.
They cost a little more, but the price already includes “tickets with an interactive tour”. And the trip program itself is more comfortable.
You can view the schedule and cost of excursions here.
Also, if you wish, you can book a personal transfer to Sulu, when a special driver will first take you to the park, and then will wait at the door of the complex all day. For large companies of 4-5 people, it can be cheaper than an excursion trip.
As for traveling by car, I recommend that you go to Sulu along the R-1 highway. This route is easier. And along the way, you can stop at several interesting places at once.
Here andthe Hutten-Chapsky Palace in Priluki, and the beautiful church in Rubezhevichi, and sanatorium “Vesta” with an excellent SPA complex. I wrote more about these places (and all travel options) in the post at the link below.
Be sure to read it. And with these words, I will say goodbye. If you liked the article, write me some nice comment. This way this story will get more views (and won’t fail like my previous article about Lake Naroch).
