Gomel - Homel

Homel or Gomel (Belarusian: Гомель / Homel, Russian: Гомель / Gomel) is the second largest city in Belarus.

Districts

background

The city of Gomel, located on the Sosh River in southeast Belarus, near the border with Ukraine, is the country's second largest city. It is the seat of government of the Homel region and the Homel region.

For entry as a citizen of the EU you need a visa, which you can apply for in the relevant embassies. As of 2012, the costs for this are € 60 per person; you can stay in the country for up to 30 days. More information can be found under Germany.mfa.gov.by/ de/ consular services/Furthermore, every foreigner must register with the competent authority within 3 days. You should plan at least half a day for this process. If you find yourself in a hotel, the reception automatically takes over this process.

Important: As everywhere in Belarus, it is advisable to have a good knowledge of Russian or to travel with a translator. Only a few residents speak fluent foreign languages ​​such as English or German, so that you will very likely run into communication problems when checking into the hotel.

getting there

By plane

Gomel owns the second largest airport in Belarus, which however no longer operates international airlines after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Domestic air traffic has also been severely restricted in recent years, but if you want to travel by plane you should go to the airports Kiev (Ukraine) and enter Belarus by train.

By train

Gomel can be easily reached by train from all major cities in Belarus, as well as from Ukraine and Russia. It operates, especially on the route Minsk - Kiev, daily regional and long-distance trains.

By bus

Numerous bus companies in Germany offer inexpensive bus trips to Belarus. Some lines also lead to Gomel.

In the street

From the north and south is the Belarusian trunk road   to be reached, coming from the west and east via the trunk road .

By boat

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was possible to travel by ship from Kiev during the ice-free period. The shipping traffic was however stopped.

mobility

Homel has a comprehensive bus or trolleybus network and various Marschrutka lines. Tickets are available at most bus stops and buses at very reasonable prices. Taxi rides are cheap, but should only be used with a good knowledge of Russian or with a translator, as communication problems can quickly arise here.

Tourist Attractions

city ​​Park

One of the most famous sights is the Homels Palace Park, located directly on the steep bank of the Sosch. It is characterized above all by its size and diversity. During the Soviet Union, Gomel was known for its extensive park, where you can find the city palace of Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumjanzew-Sadunajski, built between 1777 and 1796, and the neoclassical Russian Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul with the Paskevich mausoleum .

Both the park and the castle as well as the church have been extensively renovated in recent years and are definitely worth a visit. Even today, the park is a popular leisure meeting place for city dwellers and is not only used for recreation. Especially on weekends you will notice the many newlyweds who traditionally take their wedding photos here. In addition to the extensive green areas, there is also a small amusement park with rides and cafes on the area.

Monuments

In Belarus you will be confronted with an old socialist monument from the Soviet era on almost every street corner in large cities, because - unlike former brother states - the Belarusians have received almost all of the monuments. They are seen as part of the country's history and Lenin still looks out over the central square or through the station concourse. For lovers of socialist art, there is also a lot to discover in Gomel.

• Lenin statue at the city parklast change: not specified

• Bust of Andrei Andreevich Gromykos. (former Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union and native Homeler) on the Soviet Skaya.last change: not specified

• Tank memorial. For the liberation of Homel by the red army at the stadium.last change: not specified

activities

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security

health

In any case, it should be noted that the Gomel region is one of the regions designated by the Chernobyl disaster most contaminated areas applies. Therefore one should be careful when choosing the food (especially in surrounding villages). The radioactive radiation in Gomel and the surrounding area is only seriously dangerous if you stay for a long time.

Practical advice

trips

Into the nature

The region around Homel is determined by almost untouched nature that is worth exploring. Extensive landscapes invite you to adventurous hiking, uneven rivers and peaceful lakes for boating, swimming or fishing.

However, caution is advised: after the Chernobyl reactor disaster, entering some forests in particular is partially prohibited. This is indicated by signs.

A local guide is therefore advisable, also because large parts of the landscape around Gomel are defined by moors.

Choiniki

If you are interested in the consequences of the Chernobyl reactor disaster in Belarus you should visit the city of Choiniki, about 40km away. One of the few museums that deals with this topic is located here. Furthermore, you can visit former restricted areas with guides in the immediate vicinity, which are freely accessible today. Here you can see how nature has recaptured the villages with their houses over the years after the disaster.

It should be expressly stated here that you should only go to these places with a guide, because even if they are not marked, there is still a restricted zone, which you have to obtain prior permission to enter! Visitors are often checked by the militia!

literature

Web links

• http://www.gorod.gomel.by - Official website of Gomel