Welcome to walking tourist route The way of silence
Here you will find tips on how to prepare for your hike and how to complete it.
The Way of Silence is a route where nature and history, people and cultural monuments created by them are harmoniously mixed. Here you can get acquainted with the history of Western and Central Belarus, see the preserved and disappearing architectural heritage. The Way of Silence is also a real opportunity to take a break from the noise of big cities, to be in nature alone or with relatives and loved ones!
Nature
Culture heritage
Religion heritage
The Way of Silence
The Way of Silence starts in the town of Ivenets, just 50 km from Minsk, and passes through the picturesque landscape of the Minsk upland through the vast expanses of golden hilly fields, through pine and leafy forests, through small villages that illustrate the history and rural life of Belarus in Volozhyn, Stolbtsy and Dzerzhinsk Districts. The route finishes in the town of Rakov.
The Northern route
The Way of Silence consists of the Northern (through the forests) and the Southern (through the villages) routes, each of them is about 40 km long. Of course, you can complete both routes at once (about 80 km), but this will take more time and effort. In the latter case, your route will be circular, and you will return to the place from which you set off.
The Southern route
The Northern route, in contrast to the Southern one, almost completely passes through the forest and along the Isloch river. Nature lovers and those who would like to be alone with the forest, listen to it and watch it, must definitely walk along the northern part of The Way of Silence.
Visiting rules
Before setting off along the Northern route, especially in summer, check the Volozhin forestry website (www.volozhinles.by) if there is any ban or restriction on visiting the forests. In case of a ban, it is better to postpone visiting of the Northern route.
If more than five people go hiking along the route, contact in advance the chief forester of the Volozhin forestry (+375 1772 55 485) or the chief engineer (+375 1772 55 234), let them know when the group plans to go hiking and leave the phone number of the group leader. This is necessary for your safety.
Route marking
The Way of Silence is marked with special signs. Along the entire route, there are small information boards describing the biological diversity of the territory and the history of settlements, the cultural heritage of the area along which The Way of Silence passes. You can also download the track of the Southern and Northern routes to your mobile phone for the convenient route passing.
How to get from Minsk and back
Public transport: minibus Minsk-Ivenets. The schedule can be viewed here (https://vk.com/passagirskieperevozkikrutov). Phones for information: +375 (29) 59 69 210; +375 (44) 55 69 210.
Personal transport: if you go from Minsk, you will have to cover a distance of about 50 km (from the Minsk Ring Road). Move along the M6 highway towards Grodno, then turn towards the sign for Ivenets.
Back from Rakov to Minsk you can get by minibus. The schedule can be viewed here (http://www.marshrutka.lpy.by/e/6127-raspisanie-rakov-minsk). Departure of the minibus is from the bus station in Rakov. Phones for information: +375 (29) 353 15 00; +375 (29) 618 21 10.
