A new look at auto tourism: will Belarusians be given motorhomes? The first meeting of caravanners took place on the shore of Lake Selyava

But also on the most romantic means of transport for travelers - a trailer or motor home. Blue-eyed campers often note that the culture of caravanning in our country is still at the beginning of its journey. And yet, there are suitable and equipped campsites in Belarus, and many of them are located in very pleasant places. And if you don’t have a caravan or motorhome yet, that’s not a problem. Firstly, you can rent it if you wish. And secondly, you can arrive to most of the locations on our list by regular car and stay in a tent or guest house. Start the engine!

Who are caravaners?

Travelers who prefer low-cost airlines to trains and buses cozy houses on wheels are called caravaners. These people are like snails who carry their little home with them everywhere. Caravanning is a whole travel philosophy, and our country even has its own separate public association “Caravaners of Belarus”. You can find a whole trailer on the club forum useful tips: where car camping sites are scattered around the world, how to repair your motorhome on the road, where to rent a trailer and much more. Campers also love to meet at special international gatherings and hang out together, which is why caravan gatherings are held annually in Europe.

MINSK REGION

"Camping 1"

Lake Selyava - Kolodnitsa village, Krupsky district, Minsk region
Coordinates: 54.543696°N, 29.173997°E
Distance from Minsk - 160 km

The camping site on Lake Selyava is cool because it is the only one equipped according to all European standards among its counterparts in Belarus. In addition to cabins and tents, there is exactly what we need - as many as 50 places for motorhomes and cars with caravans. In addition to the standard features, such as toilets, showers, a kitchen and all kinds of communications, at the base there is a place to play volleyball and a place for kids to climb. And even Wi-Fi works throughout the campsite (we hope you won’t need it in such a picturesque location).

The area around didn't disappoint either - the campsite is located on the shores of Lake Selyava, with an area of about 1,500 hectares. This is one of the largest reservoirs in the northeast of Belarus. Swimming here on a boat (and not only) is a sacred thing. By the way, locals like to tell the legend that in August 1942 a bomber crashed in Selyava, transporting 4 tons of gold to England - an advance payment for deliveries under Lend-Lease. So, if you're lucky, you'll also find a treasure!

Issue price: a place for a trailer or motorhome plus a place for a car plus accommodation for two people will cost BYN 20 per day. Children under 7 years old will be admitted free of charge.

Autocamping "Naroch"

Coordinates: 54.827540, 26.728157
Distance from Minsk - 150 km

Holidays in Naroch are a classic of the travel genre in Belarus. Here you can swim, go fishing, pick berries in the forest, and watch birds - everything is possible. National Park"Narochansky" is not just beautiful place, but also one of the five specially protected natural sites in our country.

On the territory of the park there is a huge recreation area, where grannies go to improve their health, and young people go to hang out in the fresh air. For now, the second is more important to us, so we head straight to the campsite. There is a hotel and residential houses for those who arrived in a regular car, and a special parking lot is equipped for the lucky owners of trailers. You can freely use sockets, water, toilets and other essentials here. necessary things. Places for motorhomes at the campsite are not booked in advance - although there are only 15 of them, there is always free space.

Issue price: you will have to pay BYN 6 for a car space, and another BYN 7 per person per day.

Autocamping in Dudutki

Minsk region, Pukhovichi district, Ptich village
Coordinates: 53°35.782\" N, 27°40.990\" E
Distance from Minsk - 40 km

Perhaps this will be a discovery for you, but in “Dudutki” you can not only stare at the blacksmiths and drink the only legal moonshine in Belarus, but also stay in a trailer. There is an equipped parking area where you can park your motorhome. All the necessary communications for campervans are available here, and your vacation in “Dudutki” promises to be eventful: in addition to trips to craft workshops, horseback riding and swimming in Ptich, they will even heat a bathhouse for you on the river bank.

If you wish, you can stay in a hotel (from BYN 55 per day per room) or a guest house by the river (BYN 430 per day for the whole house). There are no problems with food either: the tavern, cafe and bar “Shinok” do everything to ensure that guests remain well-fed.

Issue price: Parking for caravans will cost BYN 26 per day.

Car camping in ski resort"Logoisk"

GSOC "Logoisk" is located 35 kilometers from Minsk to the north along the M3 highway
Coordinates: 54.1058, 27.4830

Cool place for lovers active rest. Here you can fish according to the classics, and try out a whole bunch of sports equipment. Shoot at the shooting range, play mini-football and volleyball, cling to the ropes of the rope course, ride quad bikes and roller skates, play paintball - and this is only part of the entertainment in Logoisk.

As for car camping, here caravaners can safely place their motorhomes and connect them to all the necessary communications. While the biocapsule is being cleaned, go to a bar or admire the picturesque rolling hills of Belarusian Switzerland.

Issue price: Although Switzerland is Belarusian, the prices are the same as in the real world - € 40 for parking one trailer per day.

Autocamping "Prival"

Not far from the agricultural town of Loshany, Minsk region, 6 km from the city of Zaslavl in the direction of Molodechno (Route P28)
Coordinates: N 54.057789, E 27.296143
Distance from Minsk - 20 km

“Halt” is rated quite highly by local standards by Belarusian caravaners. Sockets and water are already not bad, but if you have a warm shower, a toilet (flush!), a washing machine and free wifi- there is no limit to a camper’s happiness. Moreover, the parking lot here is of decent size and can accommodate about 50 motorhomes at a time.

“Halt” is located, however, in a place that is not for everyone - on the Stalin Line. If you, like a true pacifist, don’t consider riding tanks as entertainment, then fine. It won’t hurt to stop at a campsite, and there’s no need to go into the military complex.

Issue price: parking for one motorhome with connection to water, electricity and sewerage will cost BYN 22.5 per day.

Camping "Rybchino"

Located on the road P 58, 25 km from Vileika
Coordinates: 54.4738, 27.1122
Distance from Minsk - 70 km

The very place where you need to go if you want pine trees on the shore. The shore here, although not sea, is long (1.5 kilometers), sandy and has a smooth entry into the water. And the Vileyka reservoir itself is considered one of the cleanest in Belarus. You are allowed to stop at any place you like along coastline even with a motorhome, or even with a tent (if desired, you can rent it on the spot). “Rybchino” has a bathhouse, gazebos, residential houses, and boats with catamarans. If you want to swing a racket, rent a tennis table or badminton. You can go to the toilet, take a shower and run around sports and playgrounds for free.

Issue price: A place for a motorhome or a caravan costs BYN 7 per day.

BREST REGION

Camping at the Alliance circuit

Brest, st. October Revolution, 117B, karting stadium
Coordinates: 5761700, 1172200

A spacious campsite in Brest, where at least 50 caravans can stay at the same time. It may not be worthwhile to purposefully drive here on vacation, but as a transit point on the way to Europe (or from it) it is a very good place. A shower for 3 BYN will refresh tired travelers, sockets will not allow you to be left without electricity, and security guards will ensure that there are no incidents. There are also toilets on site, although they only work during the warm season.

Not far from the race track there is a forest and a lake, and for entertainment you can race go-karts or ATVs.

Issue price: to stay in the camping area will cost BYN 12 per day.

Camping in the agricultural estate "Kalinka-2"

Brest region, Kamenets district, Goly Barok village, 27.
Coordinates: 52°12’26.77, 23°44’15.09

The estate with a cute name is located on the territory Belovezhskaya Pushcha, just 2 kilometers from Kamenets. The campsite here, although quite small, designed for only 4 motorhomes, is well equipped. Of course, the campsite was built with partial help from a USAID/UNDP small grant, so everything was done not in a clumsy way, but with all the necessary bells and whistles. Here you can connect to electricity, drain biocapsules, and replenish supplies drinking water. On the estate there are two kitchens, good showers and clean toilets, and, of course, everything for evening gatherings - barbecues, gazebos, dishes and other important little things. Those who arrived by regular cars can spend the night in a nice guest house for BYN 30 per day.

While many European countries earn millions of euros from motor tourists, one small country continues to boast of his profitable geographical location. But simply building roads was not enough: last year, 12 thousand caravaners (as owners of motorhomes and caravan trailers are called) passed through Belarus. They mostly traveled in transit, making occasional stops at gas stations and roadside cafes. Perhaps car tourists could find shelter in the only car camping site created in our country in the mid-1990s, but it is now aimed at other vacationers.

For European campers and autotourists, Belarus still remains terra incognita. Many, of course, will ask: what didn’t they see here? But in reality, the Czechs, Germans, French, Swedes, and Finns have an interest in our country. What's stopping them? There are several good reasons: the visa regime and the lack of reliable information about Belarus in the national language of tourists. But the main thing is the lack of specialized campsites. For comparison: in neighboring Lithuania there are 1,200 agricultural estates where they are ready to receive caravanners. In 2010, 18-20 thousand autotourists visited there.

- Theoretically, Belarusian agricultural estates can also accept caravanners,- says Nikolai Denisman, an experienced autotourist and one of the initiators of the development of caravanning in our country. - But in reality, their owners don’t even have an understanding of what is needed. It should be quiet place with all the necessary infrastructure and communications where supplies could be replenished fresh water, connect to the power grid, take a shower, cook a simple lunch. This is the minimum required. It is better if the campsite is located near the city, and there are tourist sites nearby. I'm not even talking about free Wi-Fi, the ability to rent a car, although in Europe all these services are provided on such sites.

It seems that there are not so many requirements, but finding such a place in Belarus is almost impossible now. Dudutki was chosen to host the international congress of caravanners and autotourists, which is taking place these days. “No one else could offer such a cultural program,”- Nikolai Denisman admitted.

Today about 100 crews arrived there: Poles, Czechs, Finns, Estonians, Russians, Ukrainians. These people, without parting with their mobile home, visit different cities and countries. Autotourists, not travel agencies, decide and plan their route and travel time. That's why caravans are popular in Europe. Their owners unite in clubs, organize trips, and explore new places together. ordinary tourists They don’t carry it. In Finland (caravanning is especially developed in this country), 280 thousand people participate in this movement, there are 68 specialized clubs.

- By the way, it turned out to be very difficult to persuade some of the invitees to come,- the Belarusians grinned. - Our Czech colleagues, for example, feared for their safety, did not know what to expect at the border, and asked what our roads were like. The fight against stereotypes took a long time. For six months we corresponded, sent them photographs, after which we finally managed to convince them that everything was fine here. I authoritatively declare that Belarus is the safest place in Europe in this sense. Some of our friends had unpleasant incidents abroad, but never here.

Belarus also has its own club of caravaners and autotourists. Now they are trying to register it with the Ministry of Justice as a public association. “There are 57 people in our club. Half of them are actively engaged in caravanning, In Belarus, as a rule, wealthy people buy motorhomes or trailers. ABOUTof our ownThere are no technical difficulties (we wrote about some of them in one of the first on Auto Onliner. - Author), maintenance is the same as for a regular car, we store motorhomes in regular parking lots. Sometimes difficulties arise with some components, but this can also be solved.”

Nikolay and his wife have a motorhome based on a Ford Transit, which has everything they need for an independent life - a heating system, microwave, sink, bathroom, TV, cozy sofas, etc. In general, a full-fledged mobile residential complex.

But the married couple does not travel around Belarus very often; they mostly go abroad. “We spent a week in Holland, spent 750 euros for five people,- Nikolai Denisman talks about his latest journey. - But the main thing is that we planned our vacation ourselves: we drove about 40 kilometers through tulip fields, stopped in small towns and villages where ordinary Dutch people live their lives. This is a different way of looking at the country.”

- But this is a seasonal holiday?- I ask.

- Why?- the caravaner was surprised. - Let's travel all year round. In 30-degree frosts we went to Veliky Ustyug. We were in Suzdal for Christmas. At the same time, we spent the night in a motorhome.

During our conversation, the caravaners recalled with nostalgia that this was something that once arose in our country. On the Zaslavl - Dzerzhinsk highway there is a place called Krutogorye, where in the mid-1990s they tried to make the first Belarusian car camping. “What is there now?”- they sighed.

But really!

The road winds through the fields and leads us to a gate with the old inscription “Highmountain”. At the exit you are greeted by a dusty trailer-dacha as a symbol of the past. Was here once military unit, then it was disbanded and a car camp was organized at this place. And then... everything changed overnight.

- The restoration period is currently underway,- a park employee greeted us. - But in general we position ourselves as a center family vacation. Here you can play paintball, for example. We have a shooting range, ATVs, football and volleyball courts...

Just near the football goal we found signs of car camping - old sockets. There are several dozen of them. Once upon a time, the tourist auto business began here. But everything stopped. There is no specialized parking lot, the sockets are rusting... It is noteworthy that the memory of autocamping in Krutogorye is still alive among autotourists.

- Yes, they still call and ask,- the center employee immediately recalled. - In June we will receive a special bus, 20 German tourists will arrive. They plan to live right on the bus, equipped with everything they need. Where to put motorhomes if you have to? Good question...

Meanwhile, it is relevant for the entire country. Recently, the Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, Andrei Martynov, said that it is necessary to build more campsites. But won't this remain just another declaration of intent?

Unfortunately, our service sector still has a Soviet accent. Now almost every village house claims to be an agricultural estate. And for how many years now they have been talking about the development of roadside service, but things are still there. Where is the network of “one-stop service facilities” on the highways?

As of January 1 of the current year on republican highways worked 319 gas stations, 122 automobile gas filling stations, 68 hotels, 47 car washes, 71 guarded parking lots, 309 trade enterprises, 436 food outlets and 97 service stations. Currently, construction and reconstruction of almost 70 facilities are underway. Belneftekhim, regional executive committees, the Ministry of Trade and Belkoopsoyuz are faced with the task of commissioning 48 facilities this year - gas stations, car washes, service stations, hotels, guarded parking lots and food outlets. The numbers seem to be large, but this is an illusion, because there are many more kilometers of roads.

Only this year they started talking about real benefits for investors involved in the creation of tourist facilities. Businessmen have repeatedly drawn attention to the problems associated with the construction of roadside service facilities: approvals take too much time, and there are absurdities in the technical requirements.

- My small company is ready to invest in the construction of a campsite,- says Nikolai Denisman. - The main thing is that officials do not create obstacles. We have good roads, order at the borders, and there is no danger for tourists. We know how to organize a vacation for autotourists.

According to him, it is quite possible to cultivate wild recreation. Nikolai is ready to build a parking lot with a cafe, several guest houses, a children's playground, install communications, and organize car and bicycle rentals. “Anything is possible, but it is necessary that we simply not be disturbed. We know the nuances and even how to attract tourists,”- the businessman thinks.

Nikolay Denisman

However, not all entrepreneurs share Nikolai’s optimism. Businessmen who were thinking about creating car camping sites told us what difficulties they had to face. Firstly, there is no single coordinating center that would deal with the field. What is it - tourism, roadside service or agroecotourism? Secondly, after all, caravanning is seasonal - in winter, Europeans would rather prefer warm countries. Thirdly, there are difficulties in selecting qualified personnel. After all, we need specialists who not only have experience in the service sector, but also speak at least conversational English at a decent level. Fourthly, there are unresolved nuances with the land issue (businessmen are asking for guarantees).

However, no one says that starting a new business, especially something like this, is easy. It is possible and necessary to take advantage of the advantageous location: according to the most conservative estimates, with the development of this industry, the flow of auto tourists may increase several times. But first you need to create something in order to get a tangible result.

Caravanning - that is, traveling with accommodation in motorhomes or trailers - in the state program "Hospitable Belarus" for 2016-2020 is named one of priority species tourism. Officials are counting not only on foreign guests who are passing through Belarus, but also on domestic tourism: There are about 2.8 thousand “mobile homes” in the country. And more than 30 active campsites. But why are even Belarusian autotourists in no hurry to stop there? TUT.BY found out what travelers and hosts think about the state and prospects of Belarusian campsites.

Yaroslav works in a transport company, his wife Svetlana does housework - and in free time they travel around Belarus in a car with a trailer.

“We have always loved to travel,” says Svetlana. — We started with trips with tents to the Braslav Lakes and Naroch, but then I wanted comfort. My relatives just bought a trailer - and we also got excited about the idea. We arrange weekend trips with friends into nature. Do we stop at designated camper sites? As a rule, no. Firstly, because our company’s houses and trailers are autonomous, and secondly, because good parking lots in the places where we go are most often simply not available. Vileika, Berezina - we stand on the shore, in a clearing and relax.

Among the Belarusian caravaners there are a lot of people like Svetlana and Yaroslav. They come to Belarusian campsites only for rallies - and the rest of the time they relax as “savages”.

Victor Orabey, Chairman of the ROO “Belarusian Caravaners”, says that he is currently working on creating interactive map of campsites and camper sites in Belarus - with information about what accommodation conditions each offers.

— To be honest, there is a problem with camping in Belarus. They seem to be there, but... You need to call and make arrangements with many of the declared campsites in advance; you won’t be able to just drive up. Belarus is still trying to join International Federation Camping and Caravanning (FICC) to ensure that our campsites are included on maps used by foreign campers. But first you need to develop a network. For example, in order to be included in the pages of the German ADAC atlas, the country must have 15 campsites with at least 40 beds. There are about five of these in Belarus. Most of Our campsites are at agricultural estates, very small: for three to five places.

Where can a camper stay in Belarus?

Viktor Orabey lists the campsites that he considers the best in Belarus - however, even here he does not do without critical remarks.

Camping at the Alliance karting track

Where: Brest, st. October Revolution, 117B, karting stadium, Krasny Dvor district.

Price: rent a parking space for a day - 12 rubles.

There is access to electricity, toilet and shower, summer cafe and a relaxation area. “It’s quite a spacious campsite; last year we held a rally there for 55 cars. But a normal toilet works there only in the summer, and there is none in the winter,” comments Victor.

"Camping-1" on Lake Selyava

Where: Minsk region, Krupsky district, Kolodnitsa village.

Price: cost for two people and a motorhome for a day - 20 rubles.

There is electricity, a cleaning station for dry toilets, toilets, showers, a kitchen, washing machines, children's and sports grounds, as well as Wi-Fi throughout the entire territory. It is believed that this is the first campsite in Belarus built according to European standards.

Camper parking in Nesvizh

Where: territory of the tourist center “Solnyshko”, st. Chkalova, 23.

Price: cost per person per day - 10 rubles.

There is electricity, water supply and sewerage. On the parking lot there is a camp site with a kitchen.

Country hotel and entertainment complex "Rancho"

Where: 443 km (right) of the M8 / E95 highway

Price: cost for a motorhome - from 15 rubles.

A parking lot for 12 motorhomes is being built at the Rancho complex. On the territory itself there are cottages and a restaurant, as well as a bathhouse, a rope park, airsoft, paintball and other entertainment. Shops and cafes are 12 km away.

“The campsite does not yet have a special drain and fill for water. We need to work on communications,” comments the chairman.

Site for campers on the basis of the Kalinka-2 agricultural estate

vb.by

Where: Kamenets district, village. Naked Borok, 31.

Price: rent a parking space (motorhome) for a day - 25 rubles.

This campsite near Belovezhskaya Pushcha was partially built with the help of a USAID/UNDP small grant. The campsite has electricity, showers, a place to drain dry toilet capsules, and a mini-laundry. Only three or four mobile homes can stay here at a time.

Camping: what's the problem?

— At the beginning of June, tourists from Holland came to us. “Camping-1” was the fifth in Belarus where they stayed, and the first where they were able to clean the dry toilets of their motorhomes, explains the manager Svetlana Zhuk.

This story well illustrates the state of Belarusian sites. Deputy Chairman of the Board of the ROO "Belarusian Club of Caravaners and Autotourists" Mikhail Berezovsky believes that existing Belarusian campsites have very dubious reasons for pride.

- Electricity, sewerage, security - all this should be at the campsite a priori. They don't even talk about it abroad. Up to 20,000 people live in a European-level campsite. There is a laundry service, a cafe, a shop and even a water park. Nearby you will definitely find a bank and a beach. Is all this available in Belarus? No. And therefore, caravaners from Europe will never come to us specifically for anchorage, that is, for a long period of time.

Viktor Orabey asks not to judge Belarusian campsites too harshly: after all, the authorities took them seriously only a couple of years ago. The Chairman of the RPO “Belarusian Caravaners” draws attention to the fact that today a lot is being done in this direction - and especially notes the participation of the Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Mikhail Portnoy. Viktor Orabei himself sees the prospect of developing camping in Belarus with existing sports facilities.

— For example, in Lida there is a youth football school, and next to it there is a luxurious stadium with artificial turf. They have good platform. Why not use the local sewer and electrical grid for a small campsite? Every Belarusian city has similar sports facilities where you can organize camping without investing a lot of money.

Arguing that tourists will not go to Belarus specifically, Mikhail Berezovsky proposes to rely on the transit flow from Europe. During the season, several thousand campers are sent to Russia through the Baltic states, bypassing Belarus. What frightens people is not the state of our campsites, but the need to separately obtain a Belarusian visa.

— While such strict visa rules exist, it is difficult to talk about the prospects for camping. With one hand we invite tourists to our place, with the other we drive them away. Three Polish crews were going to come to the “Big Bard Fishing” festival (held in the Bykhovsky district in July. - TUT.BY). We made an invitation for them for two weeks. After all, people need to calmly travel a thousand kilometers! But they were given a visa strictly for the duration of the festival, plus one day for travel there and back. Who will agree to such conditions? This issue was somehow resolved, but it was a one-time solution. In addition, there is also a mandatory registration procedure for foreign citizens. Caravaners live in motorhomes, where do they get an address to register?

The situation with the Selyava 2016 festival proves that in many respects it is the visa policy that holds back the development of autotourism, and therefore Belarusian campsites. As soon as it became known that participants would be given Belarusian visas free of charge, interest in the event increased sharply - and as a result, more than 600 people from 12 European countries. In addition, in response, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Belarusian caravanners to an autumn rally and promised free visas.

“Demand creates supply - this is a formula that does not work in caravanning”

Yuri Nelipovich, the owner of the Kalinka-2 agricultural estate, where there is a small campsite, says that he plans to expand the parking lot.

“It seems to me that camping is a good addition to the estate, but I wouldn’t do it as a separate type of business, it’s unprofitable.” Especially in times of crisis.

Director of Camping-1 Vladimir Rudoy also suggests that camping in Europe is predominantly a family business, like agricultural estates, since the profit is small: just enough for one family to exist comfortably.

— Camping without any special frills will cost $100,000. IN summer season it brings in a profit of $7,000-$8,000. So calculate when it will pay off with such earnings. And the question of why there are not many campsites in Belarus is a question of business development in principle. He is not held in high esteem by us.

Vladimir Rudoy plans that next year the international rally will take place on the territory of the new campsite: it has almost been completed on the basis of the Leader camp not far from Drozdy. The entrepreneur also dreams of organizing an extreme tourist park in the chalk quarries. In the park in the “Belarusian Maldives,” according to Rudoy, it is possible to hold competitions in riding ATVs or off-road vehicles.

The Ministry of Sports and Tourism plans that about 30 campsites will open in Belarus by 2019 - but perhaps preparations should be made by 2018, when the World Cup will be held in Russia.

— Now the Federal Tourism Agency is trying to build two camper sites in Belarus as part of the development of the M1 highway for the World Cup. It is planned that one site will appear in the Minsk region, and the second in the Brest region, says Vladimir Rudoy.

It is possible that foreign tourists will again take a detour to attend football if the Ministry of Sports and Tourism does not resolve the issue of obtaining a Belarusian visa.

“Demand creates supply - this is a formula that does not work in caravanning,” explains Victor Orabey. “First you need to provide the caravaners with all the amenities, and only then will they come to the country. You can’t wait for the flow of tourists - you need to act! At the state level, because private traders cannot be driven into this business: they do not see profit in it. It is necessary to use all available opportunities, for example, to unite the owners of campsites so that they coordinate their actions, share experiences - and all together develop auto tourism.

While many European countries earn millions of euros from autotourists, one small country continues to boast of its favorable geographical location. But simply building roads was not enough: last year, 12 thousand caravaners (as owners of motorhomes and caravan trailers are called) passed through Belarus. They mostly traveled in transit, making occasional stops at gas stations and roadside cafes. Perhaps car tourists could find shelter in the only car camping site created in our country in the mid-1990s, but it is now aimed at other vacationers.

— Theoretically, Belarusian agricultural estates can also accept caravanners,- says Nikolai Denisman, an experienced autotourist and one of the initiators of the development of caravanning in our country. — But in reality, their owners don’t even have an understanding of what is needed. This should be a quiet place with all the necessary infrastructure and communications, where you could replenish fresh water supplies, connect to the power grid, take a shower, and prepare a simple lunch. This is the minimum required. It is better if the campsite is located near the city, and there are tourist sites nearby. I'm not even talking about free Wi-Fi, the ability to rent a car, although in Europe all these services are provided on such sites.

Today about 100 crews arrived there: Poles, Czechs, Finns, Estonians, Russians, Ukrainians. These people, without parting with their motorhome, visit different cities and countries. Autotourists, not travel agencies, decide and plan their route and travel time. That's why caravans are popular in Europe. Their owners unite in clubs, organize trips, and together explore new places that ordinary tourists are not taken to. In Finland (caravanning is especially developed in this country), 280 thousand people participate in this movement, there are 68 specialized clubs.

— By the way, it turned out to be very difficult to persuade some of the invitees to come,— the Belarusians grinned. — Our Czech colleagues, for example, feared for their safety, did not know what to expect at the border, and asked what our roads were like. The fight against stereotypes took a long time. For six months we corresponded, sent them photographs, after which we finally managed to convince them that everything was fine here. I authoritatively declare that Belarus is the safest place in Europe in this sense. Some of our friends had unpleasant incidents abroad, but never here.

Belarus also has its own club of caravaners and autotourists. Now they are trying to register it with the Ministry of Justice as a public association. “There are 57 people in our club. Half of them are actively engaged in caravanning, In Belarus, as a rule, wealthy people buy motorhomes or trailers. ABOUTof our ownThere are no technical difficulties (we wrote about some of them in one of the first publications on Auto Onliner. - Author), maintenance is the same as for a regular car, we store motorhomes in regular parking lots. Sometimes difficulties arise with some components, but this can also be solved.”

Nikolai and his wife have a motorhome based on a Ford Transit, which has everything they need for an independent life - a heating system, microwave, sink, bathroom, TV, cozy sofas, etc. In general, a full-fledged mobile residential complex.

But the married couple does not travel around Belarus very often; they mostly go abroad. “We spent a week in Holland, spent 750 euros for five people,- Nikolai Denisman talks about his latest journey. — But the main thing is that we planned our vacation ourselves: we drove about 40 kilometers through tulip fields, visited small towns and villages where ordinary Dutch people live their lives. This is a different way of looking at the country.”

- But this is a seasonal holiday?- I ask.

- Why?— the caravaner was surprised. — We travel all year round. In 30-degree frosts we went to Veliky Ustyug. We were in Suzdal for Christmas. At the same time, we spent the night in a motorhome.

During our conversation, the caravaners recalled with nostalgia that this was something that once arose in our country. On the Zaslavl-Dzerzhinsk highway there is a place called Krutogorye, where in the mid-1990s they tried to make the first Belarusian car camping. “What is there now?”- they sighed.

But really!

The road winds through the fields and leads us to a gate with the old inscription “Highmountain”. At the exit you are greeted by a dusty trailer-dacha as a symbol of the past. Once there was a military unit here, then it was disbanded and a car camp was organized at this place. And then... everything changed overnight.

— The restoration period is currently underway,— a park employee greeted us. — But in general, we position ourselves as a family recreation center. Here you can play paintball, for example. We have a shooting range, ATVs, football and volleyball courts...

- Yes, they still call and ask,— the center employee immediately recalled. — In June we will receive a special bus, 20 German tourists will arrive. They plan to live right on the bus, equipped with everything they need. Where to put motorhomes if you have to? Good question...

Meanwhile, it is relevant for the entire country. Recently, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, Andrei Martynov, said that it is necessary to build more campsites. But won't this remain just another declaration of intent?

As of January 1 of this year, 319 gas stations, 122 automobile gas filling stations, 68 hotels, 47 car washes, 71 guarded parking lots, 309 trade enterprises, 436 food outlets and 97 service stations operated on the republican highways. Currently, construction and reconstruction of almost 70 facilities are underway. Belneftekhim, regional executive committees, the Ministry of Trade and Belkoopsoyuz are faced with the task of commissioning 48 facilities this year - gas stations, car washes, service stations, hotels, guarded parking lots and food outlets. The numbers seem to be large, but this is an illusion, because there are many more kilometers of roads.

— My small company is ready to invest in the construction of a campsite,- says Nikolai Denisman. — The main thing is that officials do not create obstacles. We have good roads, order at the borders, and there is no danger for tourists. We know how to organize a vacation for autotourists.

Nikolai DenismanHowever, not all entrepreneurs share Nikolai’s optimism. Businessmen who were thinking about creating car camping sites told us what difficulties they had to face. Firstly, there is no single coordinating center that would deal with the field. What is it - tourism, roadside service or agroecotourism? Secondly, after all, caravanning is seasonal - in winter, Europeans are more likely to prefer warm countries. Thirdly, there are difficulties in selecting qualified personnel. After all, we need specialists who not only have experience in the service sector, but also speak at least conversational English at a decent level. Fourthly, there are unresolved nuances with the land issue (businessmen are asking for guarantees).