We spent 24 hours in Brest as part of our Belarus Road Trip. Located in the south western corner of Belarus, close to the Polish border, Brest is home to one of the county’s most visited tourist destinations; Brest Fortress. Here is my pick of the Top 10 Things to do on a visit Brest.
How to get to Brest
We flew to Minsk and hired a car. The drive from Minsk to Brest is basically 215 miles along one long, straight, flat road through mile after mile of flat fields with occasional flat woodlands.
Getting around Brest
Brest Fortress in 2 miles west of the city centre, with the railway museum in between. The remaining attractions are all within walking distance of each other. We stopped at the Fortress en route. Then drove into town, via the railway museum. We visited the remaining attractions on foot. If you choose instead to walk to the Fortress, it’s a pleasant stroll along the River Mukhavets.
Where to stay in Brest
We stayed at the Vesta Hotel; a nice boutique style hotel just off Gogol Street. Our room was enormous; it had a separate living room and two bathrooms.
Brest: Top 10 Things to do
| 1 | Visit the imposing Brest Fortress |
| 2 | Reflect by the Courage Sculpture |
| 3 | Reflect by the Thirst Sculpture |
| 4 | Visit the The Defence of Brest Fortress Museum |
| 5 | Delve into History at The Museum of War, Territory & Peace |
| 6 | Get close to old Trains at the Railway Museum |
| 7 | Admire the Lamppost Sculptures in Gogol Street |
| 8 | Stroll down Sovestskaya Street |
| 9 | Watch the Lamplighter in action |
| 10 | Enjoy Sunset over the River Mukhavets |
No 1 – Visit the imposing Brest Fortress
It is at Brest Fortress that, in 1941, Soviet troops held out against advancing German troops for a month. The site is now a memorial, which you enter through a huge Communist star. On this large site you will find several museums, sculptures and a church.
No 2 – Reflect by the Courage Sculpture
I love a bit of Soviet sculpture and it doesn’t get much bigger and better than here. Pride of place is an enormous carved soldier’s head entitled Courage, which honours the soldiers who courageously attempted to defend Brest from Nazi invasion.
No 3 – Reflect by the Thirst Sculpture
But my favourite is a sculpture, entitled Thirst, of a soldier dispatched from the besieged fortress to collect water from the moat.
No 5 – Visit the Defence of Brest Fortress Museum
There are two museums charting the history the war; first, The Defence of Brest Fortress Museum, which tells the story of the fortress itself and its role in World War II
The museum is open daily except Monday from 9 am until 5 pm. Entry costs 10BYN (around £2.50).
No 6 – Delve into History at the Museum of War, Territory & Peace
Next, The Museum of War, Territory and Peace, which has more general content. These are both quite interesting, but there is a lack of English signage and an excess of scary lady attendants. The only English is a summary of the room’s contents on a sign in each doorway. In order to read it, you must stand in the doorway, thus blocking entry/exit to the room and suffering the wrath of the scary ladies.
The museum is open daily except Tuesday from 10 am until 6 pm. Entry costs 10BYN.
No 6 – Get close to old Trains at the Railway Museum
Close to Brest Fortress, you will find the Railway Engineering Museum. This large open air museum contains around 50, mainly Soviet era, trains. There is also a small indoor section with railway memorabilia.
The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am until 7 pm. Entry costs BYN2.50 (around £0.60).
No 7 – Admire the Lamppost Sculptures in Gogol Street
Take a walk along Gogol Street. Nikolai Gogol was a writer and the street in lined with sculptures, which are lampposts based on the characters in his books. There is also a statue of the man himself.
No 8 – Stroll down Sovestskaya Street
The pedestrian Sovetskaya Street is lined with shops, restaurants and ornate street lights. There’s plenty to see including flower beds, sculptures and numerous street entertainers.
No 9 – Watch the Lamplighter in action
As evening approaches, the Lamplighter appears to light the gas lamps in Sovestkaya Street. It’s quite an attraction; a large group follows him from lamp to lamp and even wait outside the bar when he stops for a quick beer. Then he reappears to relight the lamps which have gone out whilst he was in the pub!
No 10 – Enjoy Sunset over the River Mukhavets
There is a path alongside the River Mukhavets which makes for a nice stroll. It’s particularly nice in the evening when you can enjoy the sun setting over the river.
- Trip Taken: October 2019
- Updated: January 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For more top picks from other destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full Top 10 Things To Do list here.
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