Two of the most popular places to visit in Belarus are located just outside of the capital, Minsk: Mir Castle and Nesvizh Castle. While it’s (fairly) easy to get to either of these from Minsk, it’s tough to see both in the same day without joining a tour. There is virtually no public transportation between the two. While tours are available, they might not run every day of the week. So I picked just one, Mir Castle.
There’s also very little information online about visiting Mir Castle on a daytrip from Minsk. This is in line with the general lack of information available online about Belarus and Minsk in general. But as Belarus brings in more and more tourists thanks to the new 5-day visa-free scheme, I wanted to do a full post for people looking to do the same.
How to Get From Minsk to Mir by Public Transportation
If you want to see Mir Castle on a daytrip, you’ll need to start early. Bus times to Mir are at 6:30, 8:40, 10:10, 11:50 in the morning. Check for different times on different days of the week. Look for bus destinations to Korelichi (Кореличи), Radon (Радон), Novogrudok (Новогрудок), Dyatlovo (Дятлово), Lida (Лида). Check this website for bus times: http://ticketbus.by/. Be aware that it is only in Russian/Belarussian. Search for Mir (Мир), and you’ll want the station “Мир АК.”
I got the bus at 8:40am from Minsk bus station, on the bus going to Novogrudok. This bus got me to Minsk at just about 10:00am. The bus station is an easy 10-minute walk to the castle (you drive past the castle on your way into “town”). Buses cost about 6 rubles one-way.
I really struggled with finding admission prices online (the website had a giant list of admission prices, but nothing in English). But I wrote down the prices of very simple ticket sign at the castle. It’s 12 rubles for adults and 6 rubles for students Monday-Friday, and 14 rubles for adults and 7 rubles for students on Saturday-Sunday. I think the 12/6 ruble price is good for all days outside of July, while the 14/7 ruble price is only for weekends in July.
Visiting Mir Castle
Mir Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dating back to the 16th-century. The castle switched owners many times, and underwent extensive restoration in the 1900s. The last family moved out of the castle in 1962. It closed recently for restoration works and re-opened to the public in 2010.
The castle itself isn’t that large—going through the rooms won’t take that long. There’s information about the specific rooms, what they were used for, and what life was like for the people who lived and worked at Mir Castle. There is a board in English in each room at the beginning. However, this then tails off as you enter the basement exhibits.
After you’ve seen the interior, make sure to climb the towers and walk around the courtyard for nice views. You can also visit the dungeon/prison down below.
The best views of the castle are from across the man-made lake.
Admission to the chapel-crypt, where the Svyatopolk-Mirsky Dukes are buried, is included in the entry price. They were they last owners of Mir Castle and many of the family members are buried in the crypt.
Taking the Bus From Mir Back to Minsk
You have two options for getting back to Minsk from Mir: a bus at 12:26pm, and one at 6:30pm. If you get the early bus from Minsk at 8:40am, you’ll have enough time to do the castle and have a comfortable stroll around the lake. This is what I did—got back to Minsk a bit before 2:00pm. The bus also may be full, so try to be one of the first in line to get on it. Also, make sure you have cash for the bus back—there’s a few ATMs near the station. There isn’t much else in Mir besides the castle, so honestly, I really wouldn’t want to be stuck in Mir until 6:30pm if you get there in the morning.
I visited Mir Castle as part of my trip to Belarus. I used Skyscanner to find the best flight deals in/out of Minsk Airport. I stayed at Revolucion Hostel during my stay, but you can search for hostels on Hostelworld or hotels on Booking.com. You can also sign up to and search Airbnb for accommodation here! Travel insurance is a requirement for foreign tourists to visit Belarus. If you’re visiting visa-free, they will ask to see it upon arrival at the airport. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
Looking for a tour? Check these out!
It’s tricky to do a daytrip to Mir Castle from Minsk with the scattered bus times. But it is definitely possible if you start early and just want to see the castle. The castle is beautiful and certainly worth a trip!
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Have you ever visited Mir Castle? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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Hi Maja, where’s the Minsk bus station for a day trip to Mir Castle? Thanks for your tips!
It’s in Minsk city center, next to the train station across from the City Gates! Look for the big parking lot on the ground level of a big building complex – that’s the bus station 🙂 Hope this helps!
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Hi Maja, thanks so much for this post! Really helpful since there is not much info online! Safe travels @franzexplorer
You’re most welcome – so glad you found it useful! 🙂
Hi Maya
Many thanks for the details on a day trip to Mir Castle.
For information, I visited the castle on 21 March 2019. I caught the 14.00 bus from Minsk, arrived at 15 20 and had a leisurely time there. Unfortunately, there is only a 19.30 bus to take to back to Minsk. But you can have an inexpensive meal at a restaurant on the opposite side of the street where you catch the bus and there is also a nice cafe closed we to the bus stop. The bus gets back to Minsk at 21.15 after taking a longer route. It was a worthwhile trip!
Hi Andrew, thanks so much for this updated info! I really appreciate it – I haven’t been back to Minsk since July 2017 so am glad to hear a daytrip to Mir Castle is still possible! And that you had a good time 🙂
Hi Maya
Many thanks for the details regarding the bus schedule.
I used your information to do the trip on 10 May 2019.
I took the bus at 08:40 from Minsk. The departure was a bit difficult because the lady at the main ticket office “told” me that there is no ticket for the 08:40 bus but she could sell me the ticket for 11:40.
I didn’t buy the ticket for 11:40 because it was too late for me.
But I walked back to place (track) where the 08:40 bus to Radon (Радон) departs. I had the hope that there will be some free seat for me.
A big bus arrived (not a mini bus) and at least 10 seats remained free after all waiting people entered the bus. So I asked the bus driver and tried to explain that I want to buy a ticket from this bus. A bit later a lady who normally checks the tickets joined our discussion. Finally they understood what I wanted and the lady sold me a ticket.
For the way back I took the bus at 12:26 which comes from Novogrudok (Новогрудок). It was a mini bus. When the bus arrived the ticket counter in the bus station was opened and a lady sold the tickets. I was lucky to get the last seat. A couple which I met at the Mir bus station could go with this bus as it was full.
In the evening I happened to meet the couple again in Minsk. They told me that there was bus at 13:10 from Radon (Радон) going to Minsk.
So the main challenge is bus schedule for the way back. Because what can you do in Mir if you cannot go back to Minsk?
Therefore I hurried a bit in the castle to catch the bus at 12:26. I would like to spend some more time there but I didn’t want to take any risk to miss the bus back to Minsk.
Hi, thanks so much for the updated information! 🙂 I agree, the timings for the buses back aren’t very convenient at all for a daytrip – but I hope this helps future travelers!
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