Wild Camping In Belarus: Is It Legal, Tips & What To Know!

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With 40% of the country covered in forests, and far more of it rural countryside, Belarus is a wild camper’s paradise. But is wild camping in Belarus legal? Or if not, is it at least tolerated?

We’ve looked at the laws around wild camping in Belarus, and collected testimonies from people who have gone camping in Belarus, in order to create this short guide – so read on and let your free camping in Belarus adventure begin!

Is Wild Camping In Belarus Legal?

DISCLAIMER: Below we give general advice, but we always recommend staying in an official campsite. If you choose to go wild camping/dispersed camping, then make sure you do so with someone who already knows the area where you’re planning on camping for your own safety.

Good news – wild camping in Belarus is legal! In fact the former USSR state makes clear that all forest and farm land is owned by the public.

That doesn’t mean you can go and camp on land that a farmer is actively cultivating though but it does mean that citizens (and tourists to a certain extent), have a right to use public land for certain activities. Such as walking, hiking, and in this case, camping.

There are some caveats of course.

In general you should avoid camping on land that appears to be farmed. Testimonies from people who have gone wild camping in Belarus say that if you do find a spot that is on farmland that you would like to pitch your tent, then you must seek out the farmer and ask permission. Most of the time, they will say yes. However if you don’t ask permission and you are discovered, you could be woken up by an angry farmer and his friends.

With much of Belarus covered in forest, if you stick to wild camping in forests you shouldn’t expect to have any problems – camping in forested areas is common and tolerated.

However you should avoid campfires and open flames.

Some General Tips For Wild Camping In Belarus

• Choose a rural spot to pitch your tent, one where it is unlikely you will be disturbed – for example, in the countryside far from settlements.
• If you are hiking a popular walking route, make sure you choose to camp in a place that won’t be in any other hiker’s or walker’s way.
• Do not camp on private land, near buildings, settlements, or on any land that appears to be cultivated.
• As mentioned above, if you wish to camp on farmland, or area that could be private – seek out the landowner and ask permission. Some will be fine with it, some may also ask for a small fee.
• Set up your tent at dusk, and take it down at dawn. Stay no longer than one or two nights at most in the same place before moving on.
• Take any trash with you, and leave your camping spot the way you found it – if wild campers treat the country well, then camping will continue to be tolerated.
• Make sure your tent is mosquito proof!
• When going to the toilet you should do it far from water sources, such as rivers and lakes. Make sure to use a trowel to bury any human waste, don’t just leave it out in the open.
• Like many rugged and wild rural areas around the world, there are flora and fauna to be aware of in Belarus. So read up and make sure you know what to expect in the region or area you are planning to wild camp in.
• With much of the country forest, it’s best to avoid creating camp fires – rather do any cooking on a storm cooker.

Tempted to go wild camping elsewhere? Well check out our guides to wild camping in Andorra, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania Norway and others!