# Things to do in Polotsk: top sights and where to go > Polotsk, the oldest town in Belarus, puts St Sophia Cathedral and the Boris Stone on the Upper Castle hill above the Dvina, with the Epiphany Cathedral and its printing museum, the Jesuit Collegium and the letter Ў monument a 10-minute walk away along Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street. The old centre fits into one day; give half a day to the Euphrosyne Convent and its 12th-century church, 2.5 km to the north. Web page: https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk ## Ready itineraries - [One day in Polotsk: an itinerary in the best order](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/in-1-day.md): Boris's Stone with its 12th-century inscription, St Sophia and its organ, the Jesuit Collegium, a monument to the letter Ў and the convent of St Euphrosyne. ## All 10 places with the YesGo score - [Jesuit Collegium](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-jesuit-collegium.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Courtyard free, gallery 5 BYN. The Jesuit Collegium in Polotsk is the yellow 18th-century complex of the former Jesuit Academy — the first university in what is now… - [Boris Stone](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-boris-stone.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free. The Boris Stone is a huge reddish boulder carved in the 12th century with a cross and the prayer “Lord, help your servant Boris”. It sits… - [Skaryna Avenue](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-skaryna-avenue.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free. Skaryna Avenue (prospekt Skaryny) is the main street of Polotsk: 1.3 km from Freedom Square to Yubileynaya Street, with a tree-lined… - [Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/nizhne-pokrovskaya-street.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7. Nizhne-Pokrovskaya is the oldest street in Polotsk: about 1.5 km along the Western Dvina, from the steps below St Sophia Cathedral east to… - [Epiphany Cathedral and Printing Museum](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-epiphany-cathedral.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Church free, museum 8 BYN. The Epiphany Cathedral in Polotsk is a working 18th-century Orthodox cathedral, consecrated in 1777; the former monastery wing next door… - [Monument to the Letter Ў](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/letter-u-monument.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free. The Letter Ў monument is a small metal stele on a granite base honouring the “short U”, a Belarusian letter missing from Russian. It… - [1812 War Memorial on Freedom Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-1812-monument.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. The 1812 War Memorial is a cast-iron chapel almost 24 metres tall, crowned with a gilded cross and eagles, in the middle of **Freedom… - [Geographical Centre of Europe Monument](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-centre-of-europe.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free. The Geographical Centre of Europe Monument is a small sculpture in a garden on Skaryna Avenue, Polotsk's main street, unveiled on 31 May… - [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-sophia-cathedral.md): YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 8 BYN, concession 4 BYN. St Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk was founded in the mid-11th century — a sister of the Sophias of Kyiv and Novgorod — and rebuilt in… - [Convent of St Euphrosyne](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-euphrosyne-convent.md): YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry to the grounds. The Convent of St Euphrosyne is a working Orthodox nunnery on the northern edge of Polotsk, founded by the saint in 1125. The highlight is… ## Polotsk travel guide Before you go: St Sophia Cathedral, the Euphrosyne Convent, the letter Ў monument, the centre of Europe, getting there. ## Trip essentials - How many days: One day; 2–3 with Vitebsk - When to go: May–September - From Vitebsk: Train or bus ≈ 1.5 h - Visa: Short visa-free stays for many passports — check the rules - Time zone: UTC+3 ## Key facts - **862** — the year Polotsk, the oldest city in Belarus, is first mentioned (source: Wikipedia, “Polotsk”) - **1161** — the Transfiguration Church of the Euphrosyne Convent was painted (source: Wikipedia, “Convent of Saint Euphrosyne”) - **Ў** — Polotsk has a monument to the letter “short u”, found only in the Belarusian alphabet (source: Wikipedia, “Ў”) - **Skaryna** — Francysk Skaryna, the first East Slavic printer, was born in Polotsk (source: Wikipedia, “Francysk Skaryna”) ## Things to do in Polotsk Polotsk’s highlights are St Sophia Cathedral on the Upper Castle above the Dvina, the Convent of St Euphrosyne, the Jesuit Collegium, the letter Ў monument and the centre-of-Europe marker. Every place with its YesGo score is in the list above; the “Map” button shows them on a map. | Where | What to see | Time | | --- | --- | --- | | **Upper Castle** | [St Sophia](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-sophia-cathedral), [Boris Stone](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-boris-stone) | 1–2 h | | **Centre** | [Collegium](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-jesuit-collegium), [Epiphany](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-epiphany-cathedral), [Skaryna Avenue](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-skaryna-avenue) | 2 h | | **Monuments** | [Letter Ў](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/letter-u-monument), [Centre of Europe](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-centre-of-europe), [1812](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-1812-monument) | 1 h | | **Convent** | [Euphrosyne](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-euphrosyne-convent), [Nizhne-Pokrovskaya](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/nizhne-pokrovskaya-street) | 1–2 h | Rather not plan it yourself? The list above has a ready itinerary, with places in a sensible order. ## Polotsk weather by month The best time to visit Polotsk is May to September — about 21–23 °C in summer. Winter is snowy and frosty. - **January in Polotsk**: day ≈ -4°C, night ≈ -10°C, rainy days: 18. Snow and frost. - **February in Polotsk**: day ≈ -3°C, night ≈ -10°C, rainy days: 15. Cold. - **March in Polotsk**: day ≈ 2°C, night ≈ -6°C, rainy days: 13. The snow melts. - **April in Polotsk**: day ≈ 11°C, night ≈ 1°C, rainy days: 11. About 11°. - **May in Polotsk** (best time): day ≈ 18°C, night ≈ 6°C, rainy days: 12. Warm and green. - **June in Polotsk** (best time): day ≈ 21°C, night ≈ 10°C, rainy days: 13. About 21°. - **July in Polotsk** (best time): day ≈ 23°C, night ≈ 13°C, rainy days: 13. The warmest month. - **August in Polotsk** (best time): day ≈ 22°C, night ≈ 11°C, rainy days: 12. Warm. - **September in Polotsk** (best time): day ≈ 16°C, night ≈ 7°C, rainy days: 13. Golden autumn over the Dvina. - **October in Polotsk**: day ≈ 9°C, night ≈ 2°C, rainy days: 14. About 9°. - **November in Polotsk**: day ≈ 2°C, night ≈ -3°C, rainy days: 16. Damp. - **December in Polotsk**: day ≈ -2°C, night ≈ -7°C, rainy days: 18. Snow. “Rain” counts days with precipitation — in winter it is snow. ## Polotsk ticket prices The streets, monuments and convent are free. You pay for the St Sophia Cathedral museum and the city museums. - [Jesuit Collegium](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-jesuit-collegium) — Courtyard free, gallery 5 BYN - [Boris Stone](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-boris-stone) — Free - [Skaryna Avenue](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-skaryna-avenue) — Free - [Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/nizhne-pokrovskaya-street) — Free, open 24/7 - [Epiphany Cathedral and Printing Museum](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-epiphany-cathedral) — Church free, museum 8 BYN - [Monument to the Letter Ў](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/letter-u-monument) — Free - [1812 War Memorial on Freedom Square](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-1812-monument) — Free - [Geographical Centre of Europe Monument](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-centre-of-europe) — Free - [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-sophia-cathedral) — 8 BYN, concession 4 BYN - [Convent of St Euphrosyne](https://yesgo.io/belarus/polotsk/polotsk-euphrosyne-convent) — Free entry to the grounds ## Tips - St Sophia Cathedral hosts organ concerts — check the schedule. ## Questions ### What to do in Polotsk in one day? St Sophia Cathedral, the Convent of St Euphrosyne, the Jesuit Collegium, the letter Ў monument and the centre-of-Europe marker. ## Sources - Wikipedia, “Polotsk”; “Convent of Saint Euphrosyne”; “Ў”; “Francysk Skaryna” Facts checked: 09.11.2026 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.