With one foot still in its Soviet past, Belarus might not be the most obvious choice for travellers, but its isolation is at the heart of its appeal. Those who venture here will find a history rich in heroism and tragedy, set amid a landscape of primeval birch forests, snow-edged lakes and cornflower fields, replete with golden-orbed Russian Orthodox churches and villages where age-old traditions still hold sway. While it's easy for visitors to feel as though they've slipped into another time and dimension, they'll encounter singular hospitality and a genuine welcome. Nigel Roberts' Belarus, the only standalone guide in English to the country, combines detailed background information with expert practical advice for those seeking to take the road less travelled.

Author Biography

Nigel Roberts is a lawyer by profession, but he has now turned his back on the law to concentrate on a writing career as well as the work of the charity he co-founded 12 years ago, the object of which is to promote sustainable development projects with rural communities blighted by the Chernobyl catastrophe in a rural district in the south-east of Belarus. He has travelled extensively throughout the country and is a Russian speaker. He knows the district of Vetka particularly well and is always welcomed into the heart of the community by the same local family as if he were a son of the soil. He has written on Belarus for the magazines Abroad (based in Dublin) and hidden europe (based in Berlin). He also contributed a bus route to Bradt's Bus Pass Britain Rides Again.