Hockey Minsk, or the Place of Unity of Nations
All our friends and acquaintances who have been to Minsk at least once spoke of this city with special warmth. They decided to fill the gap in the biography of their travels when they learned that the 2014 Ice Hockey World Cup would be held in the capital of Belarus. In early January, tickets for hockey matches were bought on the official Belarusian website for "indecent" 400 rubles. RF for a ticket. Naturally, housing prices rose, and the closer to the start of the event, the fewer hotels remained at affordable prices. In the end (thanks to the tips of the members of the forum) we booked an apartment, which we never regretted. The city met with coolness and rain the next day. Hockey battles are scheduled for a later time, so the time before the games was devoted to sightseeing. Even at the entrance to the city there was an impression of free streets and the absence of traffic jams. Therefore, all movements were carried out by car. And the main attraction is the city itself, clean and well-groomed, with the atmosphere of a hockey holiday. Posters, flags, fans in ammunition, characterizing belonging to the country in cafes, shops, on the streets. Everyone greets each other: Finns, Czechs, Latvians, Russians. Liked: Independence Square with the Church of Simeon and Helena and the galleries of the Capital shopping center, "hidden" under the ground; futuristic building of the national library; Victory Square with a roundabout around the granite obelisk; Trinity suburb and a huge number of parks and squares. For two days, walking around the city, we dined at the popular Lido. In my personal opinion, not in vain hyped place. Really tasty and a lot, optimally priced. A little about hockeyThe car was parked at the Minsk Arena along the road, at Chizhovka - in the parking lot of the arena. People went to the games in small and large companies, families, with small children. There are various contests in the fan zones. On the square in front of the Minsk Arena, in a huge crowd of fans, we met our friends, who, like us, came to the games. Bison - the symbol of the 2014 World Cup started the stadium, made waves. It was a pleasant feeling that you were part of this holiday. At the end of the trip, there was an impression of something not seen and a desire to return appeared!
