There are at least two amazing sights in Gomel: the Old Believer church and monuments. The church is the only one of its kind in all of Belarus. She survived the tsarist and Soviet power, as well as the capture of the country by fascist troops. Today she continues to work and receives parishioners. And the monuments sometimes look like a mockery of the guests of the city. As soon as you want to put flowers on the pedestal of Lenin, you will stumble upon Iron Man or Pinocchio. And there is one monument that asks for a light. See CITYPOPULATIONREVIEW for weather information.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to Gomel is by train or bus. The city is located 300 km from Minsk, and the nearest Russian large settlement is Bryansk.
Gomel is connected with many cities of Russia and Ukraine by railway. Long-distance trains go to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Adler, Kyiv, Odessa, Feodosia.
Bus services to Gomel are regular. What can not be said about air traffic. The airport currently accepts only charter flights. If you want to get to Gomel by air – dial a tourist group and book a plane.
Transportation
Public transport in Gomel is buses, trolleybuses and minibuses. They can take you anywhere in the city. There are no problems with the schedule – transport runs regularly. Trolleybuses run on 23 routes, buses – 50, and minibuses will stop where you ask.
Suburban buses depart from the bus station. From here you can get to any settlement in the region, as well as to Ukraine, Russia and even German Bremen and Frankfurt am Main.
Gomel Hotels
Gomel hotels can be divided into three categories. These are economy class, business and luxury. The former are chosen by travel budget employees, the latter by entrepreneurs, and the third are often idle. Many hotels bear the imprint of the era of the USSR – there is an appropriate interior, and sometimes service. But VIP hotels know how to attract and retain customers. For example, offer them a delicious restaurant, a fitness center, free Wi-Fi, a swimming pool and other delights of life.
Accommodation in a mini-hotel and an economy class hotel starts from 1500 RUB. Business rooms start from 3000 RUB, and suites will cost about 5000 RUB. Prices on the page are for July 2021.
Cuisine and restaurants
It is impossible to die of hunger in Gomel – there are many catering outlets here, from ordinary cafes to atmospheric restaurants. Most of them are divided into two types: beer and with a varied cuisine. The former offer their own foamy drink and various snacks, the latter offer European or national cuisine.
Everything is easier in a cafe. Simple menu, ordinary interior. But cheaper and faster service.
The shops
Most often, Gomel offers standard Belarusian souvenirs. These are brownies, amulets, products made of birch bark, wood, metal, various housekeepers, rattles, paintings, panels and more. Souvenirs can be immediately bought in the store or made an order. For example, to be woven from a vine. Such portraits are now in vogue. Gomel is not particularly lucky – there are no ethnographic museums in the city, where tourists are greeted by Belarusian villages recreated in detail and you can buy something unique.
Entertainment and attractions of Gomel
The main attraction of Gomel is the palace and park ensemble, which contains all the interesting monuments of architecture.
3 things to do in Gomel
- To see a flying saucer – in Gomel, anyone can see a UFO. To do this, you need to rise above the city on a Ferris wheel and find the circus building, which looks like a flying saucer in shape. In the 70s. the construction of such a building caused a scandal, because the UFO did not fit into the standard houses of Gomel.
- Cheer for “Gomel” – the local football club once became the champion of Belarus. In principle, the team plays well, even though it recently left the Major League. Belarusian football is not the most spectacular in the world, but going to the stadium can be a pleasure.
- Swim in the fountain – there are many interesting fountains in Gomel. And even if you did not serve in the Airborne Forces, you can plunge into the waters of the fountain together with the children in hot weather. It doesn’t matter if the locals look at you condemningly, the main thing is that you will feel lighter and more fun.
Palace and park ensemble
This is a unique for Belarus complex of monuments of archeology, history and architecture, which dates back to the middle of the 18th century. It includes the settlement of ancient and medieval Gomel of the 10th century, the palace of the Rumyantsevs and Paskeviches, a huge park, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, a winter garden with a observation tower.
One of the main elements of the ensemble is the park, which occupies more than 30 hectares. On its territory you can find exotic plants like black pine or ginkgo biloba. In the center of the park is a palace built in the style of classicism.
Elias Church
This is the oldest surviving Old Believer church in Belarus. It was built in the 18th century. on the site of the forest, where the Old Believers hid from the royal power. The church is made in an unusual style: it consists of three log cabins placed one after the other along the same axis. They say that Emelyan Pugachev has been here twice.
The church was able to survive the change of power without loss and is still active. The only one of its kind in the entire country.
St. Nicholas Monastery
Money for the construction of this monastery at the beginning of the last century was collected by the whole city. Donation mugs stood at the railway station. The monastery was erected in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of sailors, archers, merchants and children.
During the Soviet era, the building housed a club, then a warehouse, the interior of the monastery was badly damaged. He miraculously survived during the Great Patriotic War and from the 60s. again began to receive parishioners.
In the monastery, among the relics, there are icons of St. Nicholas, the holy righteous John of Kormyansky, an icon with the relics of the Optina Elders, as well as a revered copy of the Kozelshchanskaya Icon of the Mother of God.
