The Travellist Issue 2 March 2015 | Page 11

Anton Trafimovich • 10 Reasons to Visit Belarus REASONS TO VISIT BELARUS THE COUNTRY IN NOWHERE Many languages still retain the old school name for the country which is literally translated as “White Russia.” For example, it takes just 12 hours to drive from Germany to Belarus, but if you say to anyone in Germany that you come from Belarus, they will most likely be confused. “Is it in Europe?” they will ask. But once you say “Weißrussland” they will nod approvingly. When people in the U.S. were asking me where Belarus was, sometimes I would tell them that it’s next to the state of Oregon and many believed me! A mother of my American friend still thinks that he went to learn the Russian language in Belize, not Belarus. So if you want to visit Belarus before it becomes a new trend, go now and fill the gap on your travel list of European countries. 1 March 2015 9