What's the best time to visit Narochny Bereg Sanatorium?

The best time to visit is during the spring and summer months when the weather is warm and sunny. The scenery is particularly beautiful during this time, with the surrounding trees and flowers in full bloom.

Can I book a room with a view of the lake?

Yes, many of the rooms at Narochny Bereg Sanatorium offer stunning views of the lake. Be sure to request one when booking your stay.

Is the food at the sanatorium good?

The food at Narochny Bereg Sanatorium is surprisingly good, considering the affordable price. The menu offers a range of options, including traditional Belarusian dishes and international cuisine.

Can I bring my pet with me?

Sorry, pets are not allowed at Narochny Bereg Sanatorium. However, there are plenty of other great pet-friendly destinations in the area.

How do I get to Narochny Bereg Sanatorium?

The best way to get to Narochny Bereg Sanatorium is by car or taxi. There are also public transportation options available from nearby towns and cities.

Can I book a guided tour of the surrounding area?

Yes, Narochny Bereg Sanatorium offers guided tours of the surrounding area, including the Narочь lake and nearby national park.

Is the sanatorium wheelchair accessible?

Yes, Narochny Bereg Sanatorium is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and elevators available throughout the property.

Can I book a room with a private bathroom?

Yes, many of the rooms at Narochny Bereg Sanatorium come with private bathrooms. Be sure to request one when booking your stay.

What's the return policy?

Narochny Bereg Sanatorium has a flexible return policy. If you're not satisfied with your stay, you can cancel and receive a full refund.

Narochny Bereg Sanatorium Review: A Hidden Gem in Belarus

Narochny Bereg Sanatorium Review

Hello there!

We spent a week at Narochny Bereg Sanatorium, and it was an experience I'll never forget.

The journey to the sanatorium was quite an adventure. We booked it through Booking.com, looking for a budget-friendly option with meals included in the price. We wanted to escape the city and enjoy some peace and quiet in nature.

Narochny National Park is a hidden gem in Belarus, and Lake Narych is affectionately known as the 'Belarusian Sea'. The scenery is simply breathtaking.

The water's edge has me in awe once again, marveling at the magic and beauty of nature that never fades. Narych may be smaller than Lake Baikal, but it's still massive, with the opposite shore invisible on a cloudy day due to the horizon line.

The largest lake in the country covers around 80 square kilometers, with an average depth of about 9 meters. However, in certain areas, it can reach up to 25 meters deep. That's why it's nicknamed the 'Belarusian Sea'.

I've gotta say, Narочь is more than just the largest waterbody in Belarus – it's a real showstopper that's gained international recognition. Locals claim that in recent years, the more secluded spots along the lake have been taken over by locals and Belarusian tourists, while the more civilized areas are reserved for foreign visitors and Russians.

It's a haven for rare bird species like the white-tailed eagle and the small sandpiper. Hunters can bag themselves a pheasant or a capercaillie, and the more lucky ones might even take home a set of deer antlers, a wild boar, or a roe deer. Fishermen, on the other hand, can reel in a catfish, a pike, an amur catfish, or a perch.

Narочь – a real gem.

Getting There

There's a train from St. Petersburg to Minsk (Brest is the final destination) that departs from Vitebsk station around 6:30 PM. Arrival time in Minsk is roughly 7:30 AM.

When we got out of the train station, we had to turn right and walk for about 150 meters until we reached the bus station. Our stop, where we had to buy tickets, was called 'Sanatoriy Belaya Rus'. We paid 18 Belarusian rubles for the two of us. There were also some private drivers trying to offer us a ride, but we were a bit hesitant to get in with them. We later found out that they might have been cheaper, but we had no idea when they would leave, as they seemed to be waiting for the bus to fill up.

*** Story #1: When we got to the ticket queue (around 08-20), there was a woman who had been sold a ticket for our route at 12-20, and she overheard someone else being sold a ticket for the same route at 09-20. She started causing a scene and trying to get a refund. The staff explained to her that when she bought the ticket, there was only a small minibus available, but a few minutes later, they received information that the bus had arrived. In the end, she managed to change her ticket and ended up traveling with us at 09-20. So, just a heads up for you guys. ***

We traveled to the sanatorium for around 3-3.30 hours. And get this - the driver DIDN'T ANNOUNCE THE STOPS!!! My husband had to go up to him and ask when our stop would be, and he told us it would be at 12-25, but we actually arrived at 12-10. The 'Sanatoriy Belaya Rus' stop will be after the bus station in Naroch town (you'll know it's our stop compared to the others).

When I was coming from Minsk, I turned left to get to Belaya Rus and right to get to Narochansky Bereg. There's a monument near the stop, but no signs to indicate which direction is which.

As you drive up the small hill, the main building comes into view. I visited on a rainy day, and there was no one around. The wind was calm too.

*** Story #2: When we got to the main building, we were greeted by the administrator. She handed us a voucher for accommodation. You're supposed to leave it in a visible spot in your room, or hand it over to the housekeeper right away.

One thing that stood out to me was the compartmentalized design of the unit. It's got four separate sections: the entrance (wardrobe, hooks, shoe rack), the bathroom (combined toilet and shower, but no soap to speak of), a tiny living area (with a fridge, two armchairs, a window, a coffee table, a kettle, a shelf, a cabinet, and some dishes - small cups, glasses, a few utensils), and the bedroom (with a bedside table, a TV, a bed, two ceiling lamps, two nightstands, two poufs, and three power outlets on either side of the bed).

It was a bit of a trek to find some soap, so we ended up going to the maid's quarters (on the first floor, aptly named) and asking her about it. She said they didn't have any, but by Sunday morning after breakfast, there was some liquid soap available - yay!

*** Story #3: we skipped breakfast and ended up staying in our room until lunchtime. The housekeeper comes knocking on the door. We didn't even get a chance to say a word, and she's already opening the door with her key. We were in our PJs and didn't even have time to rush out. In the end, we scrambled from the bedroom to the hallway, which wasn't exactly what we wanted, and she left. Later, we found a sign on the top shelf that said 'Do not disturb.' It was always there, and we decided to leave it alone for the five days we stayed. We didn't need any cleaning, and we certainly didn't need any extra people in our room. And honestly, we were trying to get away from all that.

Check-in

Go to the main building and take the stairs to the right (first floor). You'll find an office labeled 'administration' with a note that says 'ticket office.' That's where you need to go.

Our stay from September 21st to September 25th cost us around 21 thousand rubles plus tax for each day, which was around 2,500 rubles. I'm not entirely sure about the exact amount. We arrived on Saturday before lunch. They gave us two keys for apartment number 1 on the second floor. We booked a room with a double bed and amenities in the room, just in case. I also requested two blankets, two pillowcases, and an electric kettle in the room.

I double-checked with the administrator to make sure everything was possible. She said she'd call the housekeeper to check on the blankets. The housekeeper later reported that they were already there. It seemed like the administrator wasn't really in the loop.

*** Another issue: when we booked, the dates showed as September 21st to September 26th. We only realized later that if our stay included the 26th, we'd have to check out on the 27th at 10 am. But our train was scheduled for the 26th at 6:30 pm. That would've cost us an extra 4,000 rubles. We were really disappointed when we found out about the mistake. The girl who checked us in had already written our stay as September 21st to September 25th. That error more than tripled our bill. Be careful, folks!

Food

When we checked in, the administrator gave us meal vouchers. You need to hand them over to the head waitress at your first meal, but it's not always easy to find her. We ended up giving them to any staff member we could find. They show you the table you'll be sitting at and tell you the numbers of the seats (1, 2, 3, 4). You need to remember those numbers because you'll be ordering food based on your table and seat number for the rest of your stay.

I didn't take any pictures of the food, but it was nothing special - just really tasty!

I was curious about the meal plan, so I asked the staff about it. It turns out, they have a pretty straightforward system. If you check in on a Saturday, you get a standard breakfast, and then you can enjoy the buffet for the rest of the day. The menu for the day is always clearly displayed on the table. We actually ordered for Tuesday on Sunday, and I think that's because they collect orders on Sundays, buy groceries on Mondays, and then serve them on Tuesdays.

Breakfast – 9.00

The buffet had a great selection of breakfast items, including pancakes, oatmeal, bread, and pastries. They also had a variety of teas, coffees, milks, and chocolate. For toppings, they had sour cream and honey.

For ordered meals, they had a wide range of main courses, including pierogies, stuffed cabbage rolls, beef stew, homemade sausages, meatballs, and chicken or pork cutlets, all served with a side.

Lunch – 13.30

The buffet had two soups, bread, and a salad or vegetables with dressing. They also had a homemade compote, which was a nice touch.

For ordered meals, they had the same options as breakfast, plus some additional fish dishes, all served with a side.

Snack – 17.20

*** A funny story: within 10-15 minutes, all the guests were drawn into the main building, where the dining hall is located. But we were the only ones at the snack time. We saw a few people glance into the dining hall, where the lights weren't even on, and then quickly leave. After that, we decided it wasn't worth going to the snack time.

When I stayed at the resort, I was looking forward to trying their seasonal fruits. We got a bunch of apples, which were super delicious, not waxy, fragrant, and sweet. The conference pears were already ripe by the time we got home, and we had some oranges. For the rest of the 5-day stay, we didn't get any other fruits.

This is what you can expect to find on the table when you head to dinner.

Dinner time is 7 PM.

The buffet spread usually includes a couple of salads, one of which often comes with fish or chicken as the main protein, along with boiled potatoes, cabbage, veggies, and more. You'll also find bread, buns, black or green tea, and condiments like oil and mayonnaise.

For an extra charge, you can order main courses like pierogies, stuffed cabbage rolls, beef stew, homemade sausages, meatballs, and more, all served with a side of veggies.

Late dinner is also at 7 PM.

We had yogurt or kefir packs four times a day, and once we got a Slobra yogurt.

The staff at the dining hall are pretty clear about what's allowed and what's not. They even have a sign that says, 'Food from the buffet is not allowed to be taken out.' But, of course, people just take whatever they want. The staff tries to stop them, but it's a losing battle. I can understand why they're frustrated – they can't just take food away from people, yell at them, or argue. The guests, on the other hand, are like zombies – smiling, mumbling to themselves, and just walking away with their food. It's like they have no regard for anyone else. They take food three times a day, every day. Have some respect, people! You're only allowed to take fruit and yogurt/kefir packs – that's it, for the afternoon snack and late dinner.

To be honest, I initially chose this resort because I was looking forward to the traditional Soviet-style dining. Nothing fried, nothing extra – just simple, delicious food.

I've read some reviews where people say they can't eat enough, even though it's a diet menu, because we're in a health resort, after all. I thought that was just hype, but it's not. No matter how much I love Soviet-style cafeteria food, it all just falls flat like fast food. It's crazy, but true.

We went to the Narotch resort village (I'll call it NR from now on) to buy some sausage and bread. Without them, the evening would've been pretty bleak. Especially since my husband gets home between 10 PM and 12 AM, and he's used to a different meal schedule. Seeing him with hungry eyes is just painful.

Demographics

There are three three-story buildings on the resort grounds. We were two young couples, plus three couples in their mid-to-late 30s, and the rest were older folks. I think that's why there was this snobbish, dismissive attitude towards the cafeteria rules. Food is sacred to me, sorry.

Most of the time, people just wandered around the resort, but when we came back from our walk after lunch, everyone would suddenly rush out of the resort towards us. I'm not disputing the scientific explanation, but it looked pretty eerie. Day after day...

Walks

It's no surprise...

The resort grounds are pretty small. There are two main paths, both of which lead to the lake. One is 1.5 km long, and the other is 0.8 km, according to the resort map.

I was expecting these trails to be way longer, but honestly, they're not that impressive.

One thing that's really worth mentioning is that they ask you not to feed the birds. Apparently, it's a passive way to deal with them being around the lake so you can swim without worrying. Yeah, if they've been fed for years, they're just gonna take off. And let's be real, there are way more seniors from the nearby retirement homes than the birds need.

The beach has 'foot washers' (???) and showers

We hit up three beaches around the lake:

The one that's a 1.5 km walk from the main trailI headed to the beach near Sanatorium Belaya Rus, and I was blown away by how easy it was to get there - the entrance is totally free. From this sanatorium, there are a few more trails, but almost all of them lead to local residential areas. Only a couple of them have a different route to the beach. By the way, at the end of any trail, don't be afraid to cross the road for cars - you'll find a path made of tiles that'll take you straight to the lake.

If you stand on the right side of the big building closer to the water on this beach, you'll see a tiny trail leading into the forest on your right. We took that trail and didn't regret it. I'd say it's about 2-3 kilometers of forest, complete silence, breathtaking views, the smell of pine trees, branches in your way, and even saw some cranes in the lake. It was pure class!