# Minsk Town Hall and Upper Town > Minsk Town Hall is the white building with a clock tower on Freedom Square, the heart of the historic Upper Town. The square is free and open around the clock; the small museum inside costs 10 BYN and opens Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00–19:00. Allow 30–40 minutes inside, about an hour with a walk round the Upper Town. Web page: https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-town-hall - City: [Minsk](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk), Belarus - YesGo score: 55/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket: 10 BYN for adults — no separate rate for foreign visitors - Students and pupils: University students 5 BYN, school pupils 4 BYN - Last Wednesday of the month: Half price: 5 / 2.50 / 2 BYN - Family ticket: 18 BYN for a family with school-age children - Guided tour: 35 BYN per group of up to 25, 45 min, book ahead - Opening hours: 11:00–19:00, last entry 18:30 - Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays - Square and Upper Town: Free, any time - Address: Ploshcha Svabody (Freedom Square) 2A, Minsk - Phone: +375 17 337-24-30 - Getting there: Metro Nyamiha, then a 5–7 min walk uphill; buses 1 and 69 to Ploshcha Svabody - Paying: Foreign Visa and Mastercard usually work; carry some BYN cash - Coordinates: 53.90355, 27.55612 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1857** — the town hall was pulled down on a decision approved by Tsar Nicholas I (source: Russian Wikipedia; Znai Svoi Krai (my-places.by)) - **2002–2004** — rebuilt on its original site from surviving drawings (source: Museum of the History of Minsk; Russian Wikipedia) - **1499** — Minsk received Magdeburg rights — the self-government the town hall was built for (source: Museum of the History of Minsk; Znai Svoi Krai) - **32 m** — height of the tower with its weathervane, clock and the Minsk coat of arms (source: Russian Wikipedia; Znai Svoi Krai) - **19 seconds** — every hour the clock plays the chorus of Ihar Luchanok’s “Song about Minsk” (source: Russian Wikipedia; Znai Svoi Krai) - **1582 / 1600** — first mention of the town hall and the first building with the city clock — sources differ (source: Russian Wikipedia; Znai Svoi Krai) - **1067 · 1499 · 2001** — dates on the symbolic Key to the City in the foyer: first mention of Minsk, Magdeburg rights, the city charter and arms (source: Museum of the History of Minsk) - **2014** — the City Vogt sculpture was placed outside the town hall (source: Museum of the History of Minsk) - **32 cities** — twinned with Minsk feature in the “Minsk Among Friends” exhibition (source: Museum of the History of Minsk) - **29 chairs** — around the table in the upstairs reception hall where the magistrates once met (source: Museum of the History of Minsk) ## Minsk Town Hall tickets and opening hours An adult ticket is **10 BYN**; university students pay 5 and school pupils 4. On the last Wednesday of each month everything is half price, and a family ticket is 18 BYN. The museum’s price list has no separate foreigner rate, so you pay what locals pay. The doors are open **Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00–19:00**, with last entry at 18:30. The 45-minute museum tour costs 35 BYN for a group of up to 25; the museum does not list the tour language, so ask about English when you book, or hire a private guide. > **Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays** The museum inside only opens Wednesday to Sunday. Freedom Square and the rest of the Upper Town are open all the time, so on a Monday or Tuesday you can still see the building from outside and visit the cathedrals around it — just not the rooms upstairs. > **Paying in Belarus** The ticket is priced in Belarusian rubles (BYN). Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards usually work in Minsk, but terminals sometimes fail — this is unofficial — so withdraw a little BYN cash at an ATM. Euros and dollars are changed at banks and exchange offices, not accepted at tills. ## Is Minsk Town Hall worth visiting? Yes for the square, which is the most photogenic corner of central Minsk and free. Inside is a short, worthwhile stop if you like city history: half an hour gets you old maps, a tapestry of the market square and the magistrates’ hall. Be clear about what you are seeing: this is a faithful 2000s reconstruction, not an original building. If you only have a day and museums are not your thing, walk the square, step into the two cathedrals and move on to [Trinity Suburb](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/trinity-suburb). ## A short history of the town hall Minsk won **Magdeburg rights in 1499**, giving it an elected magistrate — and the magistrate needed a seat. The town hall housed the council, the court and the archive, and its tower carried the only public clock in town. The building was altered several times and finally demolished in 1857 on a decision signed off by Tsar Nicholas I. The site stayed empty for almost 150 years. Between 2002 and 2004 the town hall was rebuilt on its old foundations from surviving drawings: two storeys in a classical style, Ionic porticoes and a 32-metre tower. Today it is both the city’s ceremonial hall — the “Minsker of the Year” title is presented here — and a branch of the Museum of the History of Minsk. ## What to see inside - The foyer’s symbolic **Key to the City**, engraved with 1067, 1499 and 2001. - Models of the City Vogt and Battle of the Nemiga sculptures. - The “Town Hall Square” tapestry and portraits of figures from Minsk’s past. - A map room with maps from the first millennium AD to the late 19th century. - Decorative panels on Minsk history in the lower ground floor. - “Minsk Among Friends”, an exhibition on the city’s 32 twin towns. - The upstairs reception hall where the magistrates sat — now a table for 29. ## What to see in the Upper Town - **Holy Spirit Cathedral** — a 1633–1642 Bernardine church turned Orthodox cathedral, the main Orthodox church of Belarus. It holds the Minsk icon of the Mother of God and the relics of St Sophia of Slutsk. - **Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary** — the Jesuits’ baroque church of 1710, right opposite the town hall. The Soviets gave it to a sports club; it returned to Catholics in 1993 and its 18th-century frescoes were restored. - Gostiny Dvor and the former Basilian convent along the edges of the square. - The **City Vogt** statue by the town hall, unveiled in 2014. - Two small sister exhibits of the same museum nearby — the Minsk Horse Tram and the Carriage collection, with separate tickets. - A ten-minute walk down across Nyamiha street to Trinity Suburb and the [Island of Tears](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/island-of-tears). ## How to get to Minsk Town Hall 1. Take the metro to **Nyamiha** station (line 2, Autazavodskaya line). 2. Exit towards Nyamiha street and walk uphill towards the two white towers of the Holy Spirit Cathedral — 5–7 minutes. 3. Pass the cathedral onto Freedom Square (Ploshcha Svabody): the town hall stands in the middle, entrance on the colonnaded front. 4. Alternatively, use the Kupalauskaya / Kastrychnitskaya interchange and walk about 10 minutes through the centre. 5. Above ground, buses 1 and 69 stop at Ploshcha Svabody. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] It is not Monday or Tuesday - [ ] I’ll be inside before 18:30 - [ ] Card that works abroad, plus some BYN cash - [ ] 30–40 minutes for the museum, another 30 for the Upper Town - [ ] Student card, if I have one - [ ] Covered shoulders and knees for the cathedrals ## Town Hall vs Trinity Suburb vs Independence Square | | Town Hall and Upper Town | Trinity Suburb | Independence Square | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Magistrates’ hall and old square with cathedrals | Restored 19th-century quarter on the Svislach | Main square with Government House and the Red Church | | Entry | Square free, museum 10 BYN | Free | Free | | Closed | Museum Mon and Tue | Never | Never | | Time needed | ≈ 1 h | 30–40 min | 30–40 min | | Metro | Nyamiha | Nyamiha | Ploshcha Lenina | The Town Hall and Trinity Suburb are neighbours — one walk covers both. Independence Square and the [Red Church](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-red-church) are a separate metro hop. ## Historic sights in Minsk compared Every historic sight in Minsk rated by YesGo. - [Trinity Suburb](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/trinity-suburb) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; museums extra - [Minsk Town Hall and Upper Town](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-town-hall) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 10 BYN, square free - [Red Church (Church of Saints Simon and Helena)](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-red-church) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Closed inside, outside free - [Independence Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-independence-square) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7 - [Island of Tears](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/island-of-tears) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Victory Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-victory-square) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24 hours - [Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-war-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 20 BYN; students 16, pupils 10 - [Khatyn Memorial](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/khatyn-memorial) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Memorial free, museum ≈ 8 BYN - [Dudutki Museum Complex](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/dudutki) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 30 BYN, schoolchildren 15 BYN ## Old Minsk in half a day The town hall and cathedrals of the Upper Town, the riverside lanes of Trinity Suburb, the Island of Tears and an evening at the Victory Square obelisk. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Minsk Town Hall and Upper Town](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-town-hall) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 10 BYN, square free 2. [Trinity Suburb](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/trinity-suburb) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; museums extra 3. [Island of Tears](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/island-of-tears) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 4. [Victory Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-victory-square) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24 hours ## Good to know “U Ratushi” (At the Town Hall) is a private bar-restaurant at Hertsena street 1, a couple of minutes away — it has nothing to do with the museum. The town hall is not the city government’s office: the administration works elsewhere, and this building is a ceremonial hall and museum. Grodno, Vitebsk and Mogilev have rebuilt town halls of their own. ## Tips - Start your Minsk walk here — Trinity Suburb and the Island of Tears are ten minutes downhill. - Come on the last Wednesday of the month and the ticket is half price. - For the Holy Spirit Cathedral, women usually cover their heads and men remove hats; no shorts. - Stand by the tower on the hour to hear the 19-second chime of the “Song about Minsk”. - Arriving on a Monday or Tuesday? See the square from outside and spend the day at the [Great Patriotic War Museum](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/minsk-war-museum) or the [National Library](https://yesgo.io/belarus/minsk/national-library-of-belarus) — check their own closing days first. - Metro and street names are transliterated from Belarusian, so look for Nyamiha and Ploshcha Svabody rather than Nemiga or Svobody. ## Questions ### How much does Minsk Town Hall cost? 10 BYN for adults, 5 for university students, 4 for school pupils and 18 for a family ticket. Everything is half price on the last Wednesday of the month. The square itself is free. ### What are Minsk Town Hall opening hours? Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00–19:00, last entry at 18:30. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. ### Is Minsk Town Hall worth visiting? The square is a must and free. Inside is a good half hour for history fans; skip it if you are short of time and prefer to see the cathedrals and Trinity Suburb. ### How do I get to Minsk Town Hall? Metro to Nyamiha, then 5–7 minutes uphill past the Holy Spirit Cathedral. You can also walk about 10 minutes from Kupalauskaya or Kastrychnitskaya, or take bus 1 or 69 to Ploshcha Svabody. ### Is the town hall original? No. The original was demolished in 1857 and the present building is a 2002–2004 reconstruction on the old foundations, based on surviving drawings. ### Is there an English tour of Minsk Town Hall? The museum runs a 45-minute group tour but does not list its language — ask by phone. For a guaranteed English tour, book a private guide for the Upper Town before your trip. ### Can I pay by card in Minsk? Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards usually work in Minsk, though terminals can fail. Prices are in BYN — keep some cash from an ATM as a backup. ### What is the Upper Town in Minsk? The historic core around Freedom Square: the town hall, the Orthodox Holy Spirit Cathedral, the Catholic cathedral of the Name of Mary and old merchant buildings, all within a few minutes’ walk. ### What tune does the town hall clock play? Every hour it plays a 19-second chorus from the “Song about Minsk” by composer Ihar Luchanok. ## How we checked Fares, hours, closures, the address and the exhibits come from the official Museum of the History of Minsk website. Historical facts are checked against at least two sources. Dates differ: the town hall is first mentioned in 1582, the first building with a clock dates to about 1600, and one guide says the early 17th century — we show both. Wikipedia says visitors were admitted from 2004, the museum says 2012, so we leave that date out. Older guides call entry free; the museum’s current price list shows a fee. We read the tour price as per group and mark it and card payments as “verifying”; the tour language is not listed. ## Sources - Museum of the History of Minsk: Minsk City Hall and Visitors pages — fares, hours, closures, address and exhibits, 30.10.2026 - Russian Wikipedia: Minsk Town Hall, Freedom Square (Minsk), Holy Spirit Cathedral (Minsk); Wikidata Q445830 - English Wikipedia: Cathedral of Saint Virgin Mary, Minsk - Znai Svoi Krai (my-places.by): Minsk Town Hall, Freedom Square - ATM Fee Saver and traveller guides — using foreign cards in Belarus --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.