Strusto: Lakes, Islands and Mount Mayak

Strusto is a travel destination whose local character is shaped by lakes, islands and Mount Mayak. Lake Strusto, its indented shoreline and the islands define its local natural character. The wider destination of Vitebsk Region offers additional nature and culture themes, each with its own regional focus.

Lake, Shore and Islands

Lake Strusto is connected to Lake Snudy by a strait. Its shoreline features numerous small bays and inlets. On sunny days, the water is clear to a depth of about six metres. At this lake, a connection to another body of water, an intricately shaped shoreline and limited water visibility come together.

There are about 20 islands in the lake. Chaychin has its own small lake; Shova has two small lakes on elevated ground. The two islands show different forms of inland waters: a small lake of its own on Chaychin and two elevated small lakes on Shova. The islands are therefore not just individual landforms in the water, but also include bodies of water of their own.

Mount Mayak

Mount Mayak is known as a viewpoint offering views over the islands and surrounding hills. There is an equipped tourist campsite at its foot. If you plan to use the campsite, check the current condition of its facilities before your visit. This way, the views and the campsite’s amenities remain two separate aspects to consider when planning your visit.

Nature in the Wider Destination of Vitebsk Region

In the wider destination of Vitebsk Region, the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, a nature reserve of national importance, preserves the 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 mixed forest, secondary birch forest, pine forest and a raised bog. Thus, alongside the lake landscape, a variety of forest and bog habitats feature among the region’s natural attractions.

The Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve’s Natural History Museum is open daily: from 09:00 to 18:00 from May to September, and from 09:00 to 17:00 from October to April. Check the opening hours before your visit.

Culture and Activities in the Wider Destination of Vitebsk Region

In Polotsk, the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve comprises eleven museums. The Museum of the Architectural History of St. Sophia Cathedral is located in the cathedral, a monument of architecture dating from the mid-11th to the mid-18th century. Highlights include masonry fragments from the 11th century, an almost completely preserved floor plan or foundation, and late-11th-century frescoes. These museum exhibits bring together the building’s history and the cathedral’s surviving features.

At Braslav Lakes National Park, excursions are offered on a sightseeing boat or motorboat, as well as cycling and SUP trips. In Braslav, an official sightseeing route includes Zamkovaya Hill, a former fortified settlement dating from the 9th to the 18th century. The Braslav Museum of History and Local Lore has six halls with a permanent exhibition.

If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Strusto, the local natural setting offers a clear thematic starting point: the lake, islands and Mount Mayak. Museums and other nature offerings are distinct themes of the wider destination of Vitebsk Region.

Discover more destinations: Lyntupy, Hili, Domniki, Polotsk, Verkhnedvinsk, Senno, Drykollie, Vitebsk.

See the wider travel guide: Vitebsk Region.