Discover Rasony

In Rasony, a lakeside palace and several churches offer a glimpse into different periods and styles of architecture. In Rossony District, Lake Voloba adds a forest landscape with islands and connected waterways. The town's architecture and the natural surroundings of the wider district are two distinct topics to consider when planning your trip.

Palace and churches in Rasony

Glazko Palace stands on the shore of Lake Rossony and was built in the Gothic Revival style in 1904. Today, the palace houses a center for children and young people. If you would like to see inside the building, check access locally.

The Orthodox Church of the Resurrection is located in the southern part of the town. The stone building dates from the 19th century and is designed in the pseudo-Russian style. The church has been restored in recent years and is active. Before visiting, check whether guests are allowed access.

The Church of the Ascension can also be placed in context by its construction date and materials: it was built in 1879 at the entrance to Rasony from the direction of Polotsk. Its walls are made of stone and red brick. A more recent point of reference is the Church of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, built in 2010. Together with the 19th-century Church of the Resurrection and Glazko Palace, dating from 1904, it gives a nuanced picture of the town's architectural history.

Forest lake and waterways in Rossony District

Lake Voloba is located in Rossony District in Vitebsk Region, near the border with Pskov Region. This forest lake has varied shorelines and nine small islands. Canals connect it to neighboring lakes, and these linked waterways are suitable for kayaking routes. The islands, shoreline features, and canals thus describe different aspects of the same lake landscape, distinct from the sights in the town.

More nature and culture in Vitebsk Region

The wider destination of Vitebsk Region encompasses other distinct landscapes and cultural attractions. In Braslav Lakes National Park, the Mayak Hill viewpoint lies between Lakes Snudy and Strusto. From there, the view extends across lake waters, islands, and shoals. The Mayak Hill nature trail begins at the foot of the hill. The national park also offers excursions by sightseeing boat or motorboat, as well as trips by bicycle and SUP.

Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is a nature reserve of national significance. It preserves natural complexes of Eastern Europe's mixed-forest zone, as well as forest and wetland ecosystems. An ecological forest trail in the reserve passes through different habitats: mixed forest, secondary birch forest, pine forest, and raised bog. This succession makes the diversity of the landscapes described there easy to understand, while the trail focuses on the individual habitat types.

Polotsk is also part of the wider destination of Vitebsk Region and offers a distinct historical focus. The Polotsk National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve comprises eleven museums. The Museum of the Architectural History of Saint Sophia Cathedral is located inside the cathedral, whose construction history spans from the mid-11th to the mid-18th century. Saint Sophia Cathedral contains masonry fragments from the 11th century, an almost completely preserved floor plan or nearly intact foundations, and frescoes from the late 11th century. Polotsk thus offers a different perspective on architectural history from the palaces and churches in Rasony.

Discover more destinations: Vitebsk, Perevoz, Moiseevo, Lyntupy, Domniki, Hlybokaye, Zyabki, Pastavy.

Go to the wider travel guide: Vitebsk Region.