Trinity Suburb

Minsk lost almost all of its pre-war fabric, and the Trinity suburb, Traetskae Pradmestse, is the exception in the centre: a small block of two-storey houses with tiled roofs and pastel render on the bank of the Svislach, reconstructed in the 1980s on the lines of the nineteenth-century quarter that stood here, holding cafes, small museums, shops and craft outlets. It is a reconstruction rather than a survival, which visitors should know, but it gives an idea of the scale and character of the old town. A small islet in the river is reached by an arched footbridge, and the opera house rises on the bank above.

What you actually see

• The reconstructed block - the pastel houses along the river bank.
• The Svislach - the river running past the quarter.
• Small museums and shops - the craft and book outlets in the houses.
• The footbridge and islet - the arched crossing to the river island.

When to go

May to September for the riverside; the quarter works year round and is lit in the evening. Weekends bring crowds and weddings for photographs. Cafes keep late hours in summer.

Honest expectations

The quarter is a 1980s reconstruction, not original fabric. It is small and takes an hour or so. It is heavily commercialised with souvenir outlets. The surrounding city is entirely modern.

Nearby

The opera house stands above; Independence Avenue lies south.