Loshitsa Manor and Park

Loshitsa sits where the Loshitsa stream joins the Svislach on the southern edge of Minsk, an estate recorded from the sixteenth century and held in its later form by the Lyubansky family, who rebuilt the house at the end of the nineteenth century and laid out the park with imported trees, some of which survive as very large specimens. The house has been restored and opened as a museum with period interiors. The park runs along the river with the old mill, an outbuilding range, an apple orchard and a group of Manchurian apricots that flower in spring and draw crowds for photographs. It is one of the larger green spaces in the city and used heavily at weekends.

What you actually see

• The manor house - the restored building and its period rooms.
• The old park - the landscape planting and its mature specimen trees.
• The apricot blossom - the spring flowering that draws photographers.
• The river and mill - the Svislach and the estate outbuildings.

When to go

Late April and early May for the apricot and apple blossom, which is the park's busiest moment; May to October otherwise for the grounds. The museum keeps daytime hours and closes on Mondays.

Honest expectations

The blossom period is brief and extremely crowded. The house is small and the museum takes under an hour. Parts of the park are unrestored. It is a city park rather than a country estate.

Nearby

Central Minsk lies north; the Svislach runs through the city.