Haradok: Gorodok

Haradok straddles the Haradzhanka River in northern Belarus’s Vitsebsk Region, and its river-valley position has shaped it as a compact district centre amid the forests and lakes of the country’s north. First recorded in 1127, the town developed in the historic lands of Polotsk and later belonged to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth before becoming part of the Russian Empire in the late 18th century. Its modest centre gives a sense of everyday provincial Belarus beyond the larger city of Vitsebsk. Continue through nearby webcams to explore different parts of Haradok and the Vitsebsk Region.

Vitsebsk Region is best known in Belarus for the Braslav Lakes, a large concentration of glacial lakes in the country’s north. The region extends across the Belarusian Lakeland, where woodland, wetlands and linked waterways give the terrain a distinctly northern character. The Western Dvina crosses the oblast on its route to the Baltic Sea, while Braslav Lakes National Park protects lake shores, islands and forest. Vitebsk, the regional capital, is the birthplace of artist Marc Chagall; Polotsk is among Belarus’s oldest cities and an important historic centre. Browse webcams nearby to see how Vitsebsk Region connects with northern Belarus and its borderlands.

Belarus is best known internationally for its production of potash fertilisers, a major export from this landlocked eastern European country. Its largely low-lying terrain is crossed by the Dnieper, Neman and Pripyat rivers, while the southern Polesie region includes extensive wetlands and forests. Belovezhskaya Pushcha, shared with Poland, protects part of the ancient Białowieża Forest and is associated with European bison. Minsk combines Soviet-era avenues with the historic Upper Town, and the UNESCO-listed Mir Castle Complex and Radziwiłł residence at Nesvizh recall the era of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Move on to other webcams in the region to compare landscapes and settings around Belarus.