Cycling on the road is illegal in Belarus.
But don’t let that stop you. Pragmatically, it’s tolerated, where there’s no cycle path (generally everywhere) there’s no choice. But in towns expect the police to order you on to the pavement.
There are club cyclists, often out in a group at the weekend, and there are a few old people cycling from one village to the next, none of these have any problem with the technical illegality of it. But don’t expect to see any other touring cyclists. Which is a shame because the country is best seen by getting away from Minsk. On a bike.
Belarus is a fascinating country. The last communist dictatorship in Europe, it has cut itself off from the rest of the world and is like a living museum of the Soviet Era. Russia has relatively open borders and is quite westernised but Belarus feels like stepping back into that mysterious past.
Roads
Roads are generally pretty good quality, tarmacced nearly everywhere. Traffic volumes are low away from the major routes, including main roads between towns. The weather is benign, year-round, so roads don’t tend to suffer weather damage or pot holes.
Minsk has cycle paths, and these are incredibly popular, but don’t expect to see a cycle path anywhere else.
Getting In
This can be tricky. You need a visa, and to get one you need a letter of invitation from a Belorussian, and proof of accommodation. Tour companies will provide acceptable “invitations”, but for a self-supported entry you need to contact a hotel willing to give an invitation letter, and cancel the booking once you’ve got the visa. The other option, which I took, was to book a ticket to an event which allowed a single entry to the country. This was cheap, and legal, but not well-understood both at the border, or at hotels where proof of visa is required.
Accommodation
Finding somewhere to stay can be difficult. Not because there isn’t any — every town has a large Soviet-era hotel, usually empty or near-empty. However, appearing at reception as a foreigner will signal problems. There will be several forms to fill, visas checked and double-checked. To avoid this the normal response is “we’re full!” even though it’s clear there’s just one car in the car park, belonging to the receptionist/hotel manager. It will usually take a little negotiation and persuasion to be offered a room (though to be clear, a bribe was never sought). The fact you’re on a bike can help if this is the only hotel in town, and if they’re completely intransigent they can point you in the direction of someone willing to accommodate you.
Sustenance
The national dish is draniki, potato pancakes, either plain or stuffed. Boršč is also very common, with or without meat. Most restaurants serve Russian dishes. Belorussians don’t eat much meat as it’s fairly scarce and expensive so finding vegetarian food is not hard; they will be a little bemused that a visitor doesn’t want the meat dish. Often you’ll need to ask for the local menu rather than the foreigner one.
The local beer is gassy and a little thin, though many places will serve what we might call craft beer. Some of the black lagers are especially good, and prices (2020) are from 50p/pint, probably the cheapest in Europe.
Disclaimer
Belarus is an extremely interesting country to cycle in.
However, it is closely aligned with Russia and since the invasion of Ukraine the FCO has advised against all travel there. This means it’s almost certain your insurance will not be valid there.
