Sanatoria in Belarus

Belarus has long been popular as a great place for holidays and recreation. Belarus boasts:

• mild climate
• beautiful nature and clean environment
• well-equipped sanatoria and recreation centers
• experienced medical professionals and healthcare personnel
• highly-efficient treatment procedures

Belarusian sanatoria offer mineral water and therapeutic mud treatments, salutary air of pine and mixed forests, organic natural food and, of course, highly-efficient physiotherapeutic procedures.

Belarusian sanatoria are unique in many ways. For example, sapropelic mud at the Radon sanatorium cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Radon water from the local springs has similar medicinal properties as that of Tsqaltubo in Georgia or Matsesta in Russia. Mineral water of the Porechie sanatorium is identical to the healing springs of Lithuania’s Druskininkai.

The CIS only speleotherapy chamber is located in Belarus. It offers treatment in special underground facilities in what earlier was a mine. Many sanatoria in Belarus also operate speleotherapy chambers which walls are made from salt blocks from the ancient Starobin deposit.

Near Lake Naroch, which is the biggest lake in Belarus, there is the country’s biggest balneotherapeutic and climatic health resort. The only Belarusian health resort area, Naroch, is also located here.

Belarusian sanatoria are situated in eco-friendly zones such as pine forests and banks of rivers and lakes. Many of them are located near or directly in the territory of landscape protection areas, including the largest state nature reserves:

• the Narochansky National Park (11 sanatoria and health resorts)
• the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve (sanatoria Borovoye and Lesnoye)
• the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park (the Belaya Vezha sanatorium)
• the Braslavskiye Ozera National Park (the Rosinka children's sanatorium)

Although Belarus is a land-locked country, recreation has centuries-long traditions here.

Health resort treatment in Belarus

The history of health resort treatment in Belarus dates back to the mid-19th century though prototypes of sanatoria had existed here even earlier.

In the 16th century healing springs of Barkovshchina (today’s Ushachi District, Vitebsk Oblast) were marked on the maps of Europe. By 1830 there was a kind of hospital there that offered baths and mineral water. In 1855 doctor Nemirovsky opened a private sanatorium there. The sanatorium was popular with Europeans. Today the Lesnye Ozera sanatorium is located in this ancient health resort area.

In 1892 a talented Belarusian physicist, doctor and inventor Yakub Narkevich-Yodko opened the Nad-Neman sanatorium in his Nadneman estate (today’s Uzda District, Minsk Oblast).

This sanatorium practiced the most cutting-edge methods of health improvement: medicinal baths, special gymnastics, mineral water and healthy diet. The main feature of the sanatorium was electrotherapy and electro massage that were invented and patented by Narkevich-Yodko himself. In 1986 a special health institution that used mare's milk, or kumis, to treat people was opened at the sanatorium. People from Bashkortostan came to help local doctors prepare special medicinal kumis for patients.

The Podyelniki sanatorium is now located near the former estate Nadneman.

In the early 20th century there was a number of summer health resorts in Belarus such as the one in the Novinki (1904) and Smorgovka (1913) villages near Minsk. The first sanatoria in the Belarusian Soviet Socialistic Republic were opened in Ushachi District (1919). They were Sosnovka (1921) and Chyonki (1922).

Most of the sanatoria in Belarus have been built in the latest decades. They are constantly renovated to meet the requirements of the most demanding customers.

Belarusian sanatoria and health resorts today

Belarus’ network of health-improvement facilities includes:

• 76 sanatoriums
• 13 children’s rehabilitation and wellness centers
• 102 recreation centers, holiday homes, guest houses
• 22 wellness centers (complexes)

Treatment and recreation methods in the Belarusian sanatoria have been elaborated taking into account the latest advances in medicine. The illnesses of the following organs are treated here:

• blood circulatory system
• digestive apparatus
• nervous system
• musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
• respiratory system
• female reproductive organs
• urogenital system
• cardiovascular system
• endocrine system
• locomotor apparatus
• skin
• visual organs
• metabolism

A trademark of Belarusian sanatoria is balneotherapeutic treatment. Hydrotherapeutic procedures including baths, showers, ablutions, inhalations and medical drinking are carried out with the use of natural mineral water and fresh water enhanced with plant essences and aromatic oils.

Effective physiotherapeutic procedures are carried out with the help of modern equipment. Some sanatoria offer up to 200 kinds of medical services.

Nearly all sanatoria now offer comprehensive SPA programs including baths with sea water and salt, a dozen types of massage (both classic and Oriental, mud and algae treatment, wrapping and stone therapy.

Such SPA centers and salons operate in the Priozerny and Yunost sanatoria as well as in Belarusian health resorts abroad.

Slavonic Spa, the spa center of the Yunost health resort (Minsk District), features an old Slavonic style (design, special music, traditional aromas, procedures based on ancient recipes). It is the first spa in Belarus to have been awarded with a EuropeSpa certificate. 

Belarus’ biggest resorts include Naroch, Zhdanovichi, Rogachev and Ushachi. Minor resorts are also popular including Bobruisk, Lyottsy and Chyonki.

As many as 11 sanatoria and health centers are located in the Belarusian health resort area in the Naroch region. Among them are such sanatoria as Naroch, Sosny, Belaya Rus, Narochansky Bereg, Priozerny, Sputnik and Zhuravushka along with the tourist complex Naroch, the national children’s education and recreation center Zubrenok and recreation camps Lesnaya Polyana and Rusalochka.

The Naroch development program for 2011-2015 has given a new impetus to further transformations of the resort area. Work is carried out to upgrade spa resorts and tourist infrastructure, to offer new services, to build entertainment facilities and to develop new tourist itineraries. Everything is done to turn Naroch Lake into a world class resort.

Naroch has been recently growing into a very attractive place for recuperation. It is ranked among the CIS top three resorts alongside with lakes Borovoye (Burabay, Kazakhstan) and Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan). The list of top five also includes Lankaran (Azerbaijan) and Sevan (Armenia).

As part of the project to support the sustainable development of tourism in Belarus implemented by the Belarusian Sport and Tourism Ministry jointly with the EU, Naroch (Myadel District) has become one of the country’s five best promoted tourist destinations. The brand Naroch: A Source of Health (Belarusian Capital of Health) embraces medical tourism and outdoor activities in beautiful nature, the rich historical and cultural heritage and renowned pilgrimage sites.

Belarusian sanatoria abroad

Belarus is a land-locked country but since the times of the Soviet Union Belarusian sanatoria operate in famous health resort areas of the Black and Baltic seas.

• the Belaya Rus sanatorium (Tuapse, Russia)
• the Belarus sanatorium (Sochi, Russia)
• the Belorussiya sanatorium (Miskhor, Crimea)
• the Belorussiya sanatorium (Yurmala, Latvia)
• the Belarus sanatorium (Druskininkai, Lithuania)

These well-equipped sanatoria are popular with tourists from all over the world.

Prices in the Belarusian sanatoria

Prices vary for the Belarusian and foreign citizens.

The price depends on the season, comfort level of the room, number of days of stay and a set of basic and additional services. The Belarusian sanatoria have a flexible discount system and last-minute offers.

Approximate prices in the Belarusian sanatoria for foreign citizens in summer 2021 are as follows:

A double standard room including meals and procedures (daily cost per person):

• the Naroch sanatorium – 1,992RUB/€23
• the Belaya Rus sanatorium – 2,520RUB/€39
• the Radon sanatorium – 3,190RUB/€35
• the Krinitsa sanatorium – 78Br
• the Yunost sanatorium – 4,800RUB/€52 
• the Priozerny sanatorium – 3,990RUB/€45
• the Primorsky sanatorium – 2,750RUB/€40
• the Belaya Vezha sanatorium – 2,800RUB/€31
• the Belarus sanatorium (Sochi) – 5,300RUB
• the Belarus sanatorium (Druskininkai) – €66

Extra pay is needed to get extra treatment procedures.

Upon arrival guests must pay a visitor's tax which amounts to three or five percent of the cost of stay.

Health improvement in the Belarusian sanatoria can be combined with an excursion and entertainment program. Tourists who stay in the sanatoria are offered tours to famous sights of Belarus. It is also possible to visit theaters or participate in interesting and unusual festivals.

Active lifestyle enthusiasts can go hiking, take a car tour or simply go fishing or hunting.

Another alternative is shopping. Tourists can buy famous Belarusian brands and exclusive souvenirs.

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