# Brest Winter Garden > Brest Winter Garden is the glasshouse of Brest State University at Mickiewicz Street 28/1 (vulica Mickievića), at the top of pedestrian Sovetskaya Street. Inside are tropical, subtropical and desert zones, macaws and two aquariums. A ticket is 11 BYN per hour. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Forty minutes is plenty. Web page: https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-winter-garden - City: [Brest](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest), Belarus - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket: 11 BYN per person per hour - Reduced ticket: 5.50 BYN for pensioners, schoolchildren and students of Belarus - Guided tour: 30 BYN per hour, groups up to 15, book ahead (in Russian) - Professional photo shoot: 50 BYN per hour plus tickets, by booking, when no other visitors are in - Hours: Wednesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:45 - Break: 13:30–14:00; one hour shorter on days before public holidays - Closed: Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays - Address: Mickiewicz Street (vul. Mitskevicha) 28/1, Brest - Booking phone: +375 162 20-85-42 - Payment: Belarusian rubles; card payment at the till not officially stated - Coordinates: 52.09812, 23.68807 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1 December 2010** — the Winter Garden opened to visitors (source: Botanical Expositions department, Brest State A. S. Pushkin University (History page); Belarusian Wikipedia; Znai svoi krai (my-places.by)) - **3 climate zones** — tropics, subtropics and desert under one glass roof (source: Brest State University; Belarusian Wikipedia; BrestCITY) - **1,800+** — plants in the collection (source: Brest State University (History page); Belarusian Wikipedia) - **Brest State University** — runs the glasshouse as a teaching garden open to the public (source: Brest State A. S. Pushkin University website; BrestCITY) - **2009–2010** — years the new glasshouse was built (source: Brest State University (History page); Belarusian Wikipedia) - **1965** — the university's old teaching greenhouse that the Winter Garden replaced (source: Brest State University (History page); Belarusian Wikipedia) - **Macaws** — scarlet and military macaws share the aviary with smaller parrots (source: Brest State University (bird collection page and news)) - **About 10** — palm species in the tropical zone (source: Brest State University (tropics page); Belarusian Wikipedia) - **Norfolk Island pine** — a Southern Hemisphere conifer in the tropical zone (source: Brest State University (tropics page); Belarusian Wikipedia) - **Lemons and pomegranates** — grow in the subtropical zone (source: Belarusian Wikipedia; BrestCITY) - **Cacti and agaves** — set on stone and sand in the desert zone (source: Belarusian Wikipedia; BrestCITY; Znai svoi krai) - **2 aquariums** — with fish from Southeast Asian and South American rivers (source: Brest State University (fish collection page)) ## Brest Winter Garden opening hours and tickets The Winter Garden is open **Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00**, with last entry at 17:45 and a lunch break from 13:30 to 14:00, when the ticket desk closes too. It is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays, and closes an hour early on the eve of a holiday. A ticket costs **11 BYN per person per hour** — more than enough for a full loop. The 5.50 BYN reduced fare is for pensioners, schoolchildren and students of Belarus, so foreign student cards are unlikely to count. Prices come from the university's official price list in force since 12 October 2026. A one-hour guided tour for a group of up to 15 is 30 BYN, booked by phone on +375 162 20-85-42; tours are in Russian. There is no separate child fare and no stated free entry for toddlers, so ask at the desk. > **Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays** If your Brest stop falls at the start of the week, the glasshouse will be shut — spend the time at the [Brest Fortress](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-fortress) instead. On open days, avoid arriving at 13:30: the half-hour break means waiting at the door. > **Bring Belarusian rubles in cash** Everything is priced in Belarusian rubles (BYN), and the university does not say whether the till takes cards. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work patchily in Belarus and Russian-issued Visa and Mastercard do not work — this is unofficial. Withdraw some BYN at a bank ATM in the centre before you come. ## What is the Brest Winter Garden? It is the teaching glasshouse of **Brest State A. S. Pushkin University**, open to anyone with a ticket. The tall arched glass pavilion stands on Mickiewicz Street at the northern end of [Sovetskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-sovetskaya-street), the city's pedestrian high street. Inside it stays warm and humid all year, even when Brest is under snow. It opened on **1 December 2010**, replacing the university's old 1965 teaching greenhouse; some plants moved across, many more came from the Central Botanical Garden of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences, and locals donated others. Today there are over 1,800 plants arranged by climate — **tropics, subtropics and desert** — plus parrot aviaries and two aquariums. Set your expectations: this is a compact conservatory for one unhurried loop, not a sprawling botanical garden. ## How to get to Brest Winter Garden 1. Aim for the north end of **Sovetskaya Street** where it meets Mickiewicz Street; the glass pavilion is at Mickiewicz Street 28/1. 2. From **Brest-Tsentralny** railway station it is about a 15-minute walk south-east towards Sovetskaya Street. 3. From **Lenin Square** and the [Catholic Church of the Holy Cross](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-holy-cross-church), walk 5–7 minutes north along Sovetskaya Street. 4. The [St Nicholas Brotherhood Church](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-st-nicholas-church), at the corner of Sovetskaya Street, is 2–3 minutes away — an easy add-on. 5. City buses stop at **Savetskaya** and **Tsentralny Rynok** (Central Market), a couple of minutes away; check route numbers in Google Maps or a local transit app. 6. The Brest Fortress is about 3 km away — 10–15 minutes by taxi or bus, or a 40-minute walk. ## Is Brest Winter Garden worth visiting? Yes, if you are already in the centre, travelling with children or dodging bad weather: for 11 BYN and forty minutes you swap a Belarusian winter for the tropics. Kids go straight for the macaws and the fish; adults tend to linger over citrus trees heavy with fruit and the cactus garden. In winter it is also one of the brightest spots in town for photos. It is not worth a special trip from Minsk or across the border. The glasshouse is small, and anyone used to big botanical gardens will find it modest. With one day in Brest, put the Brest Fortress first and treat the Winter Garden as a short stop between the station and Sovetskaya Street. ## What to see inside - **The tropics** — palms, ferns, banana plants, coffee, orchids and anthuriums, with the tallest plants reaching up into the glass roof. - **The Norfolk Island pine** — a tiered Southern Hemisphere conifer that looks like a stylised Christmas tree. - **The subtropics** — lemons, oranges, mandarins and pomegranates, often fruiting in winter. - **The desert** — cacti, agaves and aloes on rocks and sand, the most photogenic corner. - **The parrot aviaries** — scarlet and military macaws, budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels. - **Two aquariums** — fish from Southeast Asian and South American rivers, from zebra danios to angelfish. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It is not Monday, Tuesday or a public holiday - [ ] I won't arrive during the 13:30–14:00 break - [ ] I'll be in before 17:45 - [ ] Some BYN cash on me - [ ] A layer I can take off — it's warm and humid inside - [ ] Phone charged for photos of the macaws ## Winter Garden, Berestye or the Railway Museum | | Winter Garden | Berestye | Railway Museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Glasshouse with three climate zones | Excavated medieval town under a pavilion roof | Steam locomotives and carriages in the open air | | Where | City centre, off Sovetskaya Street | Inside the Brest Fortress grounds | Next to the fortress | | Indoors | Yes, warm all year | Yes | No, outdoors | | Time needed | ≈ 40 min | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 1 h | | With kids | Yes: parrots and fish | Better for older children | Yes: you can peer into the carriages | On a cold or rainy day choose the Winter Garden or [Berestye](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/berestye-museum); in good weather, the [Railway Museum](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-railway-museum). All three fit into one day with the fortress. > **Wedding or portrait shoots** Professional shoots cost 50 BYN an hour plus everyone's tickets and must be booked, because they only run when the garden is empty. Phone snaps for yourself need nothing extra — come around midday, when light floods through the glass roof. ## Central Brest in half a day The glasshouse and the Brotherhood church at the top of Sovetskaya Street, a stroll down the pedestrian street to the Catholic church on Lenin Square, then the fortress. 1. [Brest Winter Garden](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-winter-garden) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · 11 BYN per hour, reduced 5.50 2. [St Nicholas Brotherhood Church](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-st-nicholas-church) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 3. [Sovetskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-sovetskaya-street) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24/7 4. [Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-holy-cross-church) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 5. [Brest Fortress](https://yesgo.io/belarus/brest/brest-fortress) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Grounds free, museum 12 BYN ## Good to know In Russian it is simply Zimny Sad (Belarusian: Zimovy Sad), so look for that name on maps and signs. It is not the Winter Garden in Gomel, a separate historic conservatory in another city. From April to 1 November the university also opens its outdoor Garden of Continuous Flowering nearby, free of charge and closed on Sundays. Live butterfly shows happen here from time to time, but they are temporary. ## Tips - Coming from the station? Start with the Winter Garden — it sits at the top of Sovetskaya Street, and the walk then leads you into the centre. - In winter, take your coat off at the door: glasses and camera lenses fog up in the humidity, so give them a minute. - Weekday mornings right after opening are the quietest; at weekends school and family groups fill the small space. - Booking the guided tour? It runs in Russian, so bring a translation app or a Russian-speaking friend. - From April to October, step out into the free Garden of Continuous Flowering on the university grounds afterwards. ## Questions ### What are Brest Winter Garden opening hours? Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:45, with a break from 13:30 to 14:00. It closes an hour early on the eve of public holidays. ### Is the Winter Garden open on Monday? No. It is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays. ### How much is a ticket to Brest Winter Garden? 11 BYN per person per hour. A 5.50 BYN reduced ticket is for pensioners, schoolchildren and students of Belarus. ### Where is the Winter Garden in Brest? At Mickiewicz Street 28/1 in the city centre, at the northern end of pedestrian Sovetskaya Street, about 15 minutes' walk from Brest-Tsentralny station. ### How long do you need at the Winter Garden? About 40 minutes for the three zones, the parrots and the aquariums. The one-hour ticket leaves time to spare. ### Can I pay by card? The university does not say. Prices are in Belarusian rubles, foreign cards work patchily in Belarus, so bring some BYN cash. ### Is Brest Winter Garden good for kids? Yes — the macaws, budgies and fish tanks keep children busy, and it is warm inside all year. There is no separate child fare on the price list. ### Can you have a wedding photo shoot there? Yes. Professional shoots are 50 BYN an hour plus tickets, by booking only, when no other visitors are inside. ### Is Brest Winter Garden worth it? As a short stop in the centre, especially with children or in bad weather, yes. It is too small to justify a special trip — the Brest Fortress comes first. ## How we checked Hours, closures, the lunch break and prices come from the official pages of Brest State University's Botanical Expositions department (price list in force from 12.10.2026). Other facts are checked against at least two sources. Where they disagree: the university counts over 614 species from 90 families, Belarusian Wikipedia over 500 species from 95 families, so we give only the plant count (over 1,800) that both share; older guides list opening at 9:00 or 11:00, and we follow the university. Only Wikipedia gives the pavilion's floor area and height, so we leave them out. Birds and fish follow the university's official lists and may change. Card acceptance is unofficial and marked as such. Walking times are measured on OpenStreetMap. There is no English or Russian Wikipedia article. ## Sources - Botanical Expositions department, Brest State A. S. Pushkin University: opening hours, price list (from 12.10.2026), history, tropics, bird and fish collections, 30.10.2026 - Brest State A. S. Pushkin University news on the Winter Garden - Belarusian Wikipedia: Zimovy sad (Brest); Wikidata Q29807095 - Znai svoi krai (my-places.by): Botanical Garden, Brest - BrestCITY: Winter Garden in Brest - Travel money guides on Belarus — card acceptance, unofficial - OpenStreetMap — location and nearby bus stops --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.