What to Do in Minsk on a Weekend: A Guide for Visitors
Minsk is an easy city for a short trip. A night on the train or a short flight, no language barrier for most visitors from the region, and by Friday evening you are already walking around the Upper Town.
The first day takes care of itself: Trinity Suburb, Nemiga, Independence Avenue, draniki, an evening on Zybitskaya. Then the second day arrives — and with it the question we hear from studio guests every weekend: "so what else?"
This article is about that second day.
Why the second day is always harder
The main sights of Minsk are compact and can genuinely be covered in one daylight day. Museums close early, a shopping mall is a questionable reason to travel to another country, and for roughly eight months a year the weather here does not invite long walks.
So you are left with a choice: stretch the first day into the second and get bored, or find something that gives the trip a second point. And this is where a format tourists usually underrate comes in — making something with your own hands.
The real argument: the one souvenir you cannot buy
A short trip has two currencies: photos and objects. You will get the photos anyway. But an object you made yourself in a specific city is not sold in any souvenir shop — you cannot order it later and you cannot reproduce it.
There is a practical side too. A master class is two to three hours indoors with a clear result, and you can come as a couple, as a group or with children. For the second day of a trip it covers everything at once: an activity, an experience and a souvenir.
Formats that work in a single evening
At MAKA Art we run master classes daily from 10:00 to 21:00 by appointment. There are many formats, but for visitors we suggest one selection criterion: the piece has to travel home with you the same day. Here is what fits.
Gypsum — the most unexpected choice
Most people hear "gypsum" and think of a hospital. In practice, a gypsum master class means marbled trays, terrazzo-style planters, boxes and decor. You mix the pigments yourself, pour the mould and build the texture.
The part that matters for travellers: gypsum sets in 30–40 minutes, you take the piece with you straight away, and it reaches full strength at home over the next day. While the mould sets, you drink coffee.
- Duration: 3–4 hours
- Experience needed: none at all
- Take home: same day
Candles — the most luggage-friendly option
Candle making means soy wax, more than 30 scents to choose from and dried-flower decor. It is a calm, conversational session, and the only format where picking the scent takes longer than the work itself.
For travel, candles are ideal: light, unbreakable, equally happy in a suitcase or on a train.
- Duration: 1.5–2 hours
- Experience needed: none
- Take home: same day
Painting — if you want to bring back a canvas
A painting master class in the Wine & Art format: a canvas, acrylics, an artist beside you and your wine on the table (bring your own if you like). Three hours produce a finished painting, even if the last time you painted was at school.
- Duration: about 3 hours
- Experience needed: none, the artist guides every step
- Take home: same day, packed for the road
Fluid art — for the "I can't draw" crowd
Fluid art is painting with liquid acrylics: you mix the colours, pour them onto the canvas, and physics does the rest. The result is always beautiful, because here randomness is part of the technique rather than a mistake.
It is the safest choice for a group where confidence levels vary wildly.
- Duration: about 2.5 hours
- Experience needed: actively unhelpful
- Take home: same day
For couples and with kids
If the trip to Minsk is, in fact, a date, look at couple painting or the "Family Hearth" couple candles: two pieces made together that end up side by side at home. More on this in our article about a romantic date in Minsk.
For children there are dedicated formats — gypsum and painting for kids. If you are travelling as a family, these may be the only two hours of the trip when the child is busy with something other than a phone.
How to get your piece home
The most frequent question, and rightly so.
Gypsum. Heavy and fragile. We wrap it in bubble film and it passes as hand luggage fine, but count the weight in advance — a tray weighs more than it looks.
Candles. The easiest option: fine in checked luggage, fine on a train, nothing will happen to them.
A painting. Easier by train than by plane: a 40×50 canvas does not fit every airline's cabin baggage rules. If you are flying, tell us during the class and we will pack the piece for the trip.
General rule: mention that you are from out of town when you book. We will suggest a format and packaging that match how you are getting home.
Book ahead — genuinely
This is not marketing scarcity. A master class has a physical ceiling: as many people as fit around the working table. Weekends and evenings go first.
If you are travelling on fixed dates, write to us a week ahead. We will suggest open slots in a quick chat, and you can reserve on the booking page.
If the trip falls through or you are already planning the next one, there is a gift certificate — people buy it both as a present and as a "pay now, come on the next visit".
A ready-made weekend plan
Saturday. Morning in the Upper Town and Trinity Suburb. Lunch somewhere local. Afternoon in a museum or walking the avenue. Evening in the bars.
Sunday. A slow morning, then a master class at around 13:00–14:00 for two or three hours. You leave with a finished object and still make the evening train.
That Sunday is the reason this article exists.
Where to find us
MAKA Art is an art studio in central Minsk, 61 Novovilenskaya Street. We work daily from 10:00 to 21:00 by appointment. Directions and all contacts are on the contacts page, and the full list of formats is in the master class catalogue.
Frequently asked by visitors
No. Every format is designed for people with no background — the artist demonstrates each step, and the materials are chosen so that it works out the first time.
A week for weekends; 2–3 days is usually enough on weekdays. If your travel dates are fixed, write as soon as you have the tickets — seats at the table are limited.
It depends on the format, and all materials are already included. Current prices for every master class are on the pricing page.
Yes, if you leave a margin. Tell us your departure time when booking and we will pick a start time that gets you to the station calmly.
Of course. There are no mixed groups — every session is private to your party. For a traveller that means the instructor's full attention and any convenient date.
Yes, the studio can be rented for a group: a hen party, a birthday, a small corporate trip to Minsk. We adapt the programme to the size of the group.
Take something home from Minsk besides a fridge magnet
Pick a format in the master class catalogue and book a date that suits you — we will pack your piece for the journey.
