The Blue Lakes is the best-known walking route in Narachanski National Park and one of the few places in Belarus where glacial landscape is visible with the naked eye: steep hills alternate with deep lake basins, and from the top of the ridge you can see several forest lakes at once. The trail takes half a day, needs no preparation and no guide.
Here is everything worth knowing before you go: where the entrance is, how long the walk takes, what you will see, what to bring, and which rules apply on the territory.
What the Blue Lakes are
This is a hill-and-lake natural complex of the Belarusian Lake District. It holds around 15 lakes of glacial origin, lying in deep basins among pine forests. The ecological trail is laid out to cover its most striking part: along the esker ridge, past the lakes and along the Strača river.
The trail is managed by Narachanski National Park. You can walk it on your own, or book a guided tour through the park's tourism department.
Getting there: the trailhead coordinates
The trail starts near the village of Alševa. The entrance is about 500 metres past the village, in the direction of Lyntupy.
A street address is of little help here, so it is easier to drive by coordinates:
54.960451, 26.361573
You can copy them into your navigation app with one tap on the trail page, which also has ready-made "get directions" links for Yandex Maps and Google Maps. Parking on the trail territory itself is not allowed; cars are left at the entrance.
Two loops: 4 km and 7 km
The route comes in two versions:
- the short loop — about 4 km, good for a walk with children or if you are short on time;
- the long loop — about 7 km, with the full set of viewpoints.
At an unhurried pace, with stops for photos and rest, the walk takes 2 to 3 hours. The terrain is hilly: there are climbs, descents and stairways along the ridge — this is genuine broken country, not a flat paved path.
What you will see along the way
The Lysaya Hara viewpoint. The main vantage point of the trail: from the top of the ridge you look down into the lake basins — the very shot people come here for.
Lakes Hlublya, Hlubelka and Miortvaje (also called Sinjaje, the Blue one). Three lakes of the complex that the trail leads you to — each with its own character and water colour, all framed by pine forest.
The Strača river. The route runs along the river, and the viewing platforms and rest spots are set along it too.
The "Old Monk" pine. One of the landmark trees on the route and a customary photo stop.
A pleasure of its own is the tits: the birds here are used to people and will take a treat straight from your hand. If you are travelling with children, bring a little bird food — it will produce more delight than any viewpoint.
Is it suitable for children
There is no age limit — the route is designed for adults and children alike, 0+. Two practical points, though:
- a pushchair will not get through — the climbs and stairways make it impossible;
- with small children, take the short 4 km loop — it covers the highlights and is noticeably easier going.
What to pack
- Water. There is nowhere to buy it along the route — no kiosks, no vending machines on the trail.
- Comfortable closed shoes. The trail runs over broken terrain; flip-flops and city sneakers are out of place.
- Insect repellent against mosquitoes and ticks. Relevant from spring through autumn — this is forest.
- Bird food, for those tits.
- A charged phone with an offline map — and a visit paid for in advance (see below).
Rules of visiting
Most of the complex is a strict protection zone, and the rules here are tighter than in an ordinary forest:
- you may move only along the marked routes;
- campfires and tents are forbidden;
- parking on the trail territory is forbidden.
This is not a formality: the trail is laid out so that people and landscape do not get in each other's way, and stepping off it destroys exactly what people come here for.
Pay for your visit in advance
One piece of advice that saves nerves on site: pay before you set off, while you are still in an area with solid reception.
On the trail and at the entrance, mobile coverage is patchy — that is the forest and the broken terrain, not a shortcoming of your operator. An attempt to pay while standing at the sign by the entrance may well end in a spinning loading indicator.
Payment takes a couple of minutes: the trail page → "Pay for your visit" → ERIP or a bank card. Confirmation arrives by e-mail; no paper receipt needs to be shown.
In brief
- Where: Narachanski National Park, near the village of Alševa — 500 m towards Lyntupy
- Trailhead coordinates: 54.960451, 26.361573
- Route: 4 km (short loop) or 7 km (long loop)
- Time: 2–3 hours at an unhurried pace
- Who for: 0+, but not passable with a pushchair
- Coverage on site: patchy — pay in advance
Planning a trip? Open the trail page: coordinates for your navigation app, photos of the route, and online payment for your visit.
Photographs. All images come from Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons licence, resized:
- Lake Hlubelka from above — Владислав Алексеевец, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Hlublya — Эдита1974, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Miortvaje — Эдита1974, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stairway to the viewing platform — Эдита1974, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Strača river — Nic Nat70, CC BY-SA 3.0