Markets

The local markets provide a fascinating insight into local life and they’re well worth a visit. There’s at least one in every region of the city. Here I've listed the three main venues. None of them get going until about 10am and they officially close at 5pm, although some stalls at the Komarovski stay open a bit later.

Kamorovski Market (Комаровский рынок)
Very Khoruzhey 6 (В.Хоружей 6)
Closed Mondays
No trip to Minsk would be complete without a visit to the Komorovski Market, the city’s biggest food market. It's in a vast building just five minutes walk from Yakub Kolas Square and is everything a food market should be and more! The honey section is always a draw. You’ll never have seen so many varieties and all the sellers will offer you a taste, although don’t go overboard unless you are serious about buying. There is a seasonal market outside where the sights and smells in summer are a fantastic experience, especially when the conveys of lorries arrive from the Caucuses, laden with watermelon.

Dynamo Stadium (Стадион «Динамо»)
Kirova 8 (Кирова 8)
Closed Mondays
It’s a sad fact of life that the biggest crowds at the Dynamo Stadium are for the daily market rather than the home matches of the country’s most famous football team. Here you’ll find clothes, electrical items and plenty of CDs and DVDs at knock down prices in the multitude of stalls that ring the arena. 

Zhdanovichi  (Ждановичи)
Closed Mondays.
This vast market on the north-west edge of the city is best approached by electric train. There are plenty of services all day long and anything Molodechno (Молодечно) bound will stop here. The market runs adjacent to the railway line and as you travel along the embankment you’ll get a feel for the sheer scale of the place before you descend into its madness. It might also save you getting lost, which is an easy thing to do here.  Whatever you are looking for, it’s out there somewhere! Just be aware that a lot of the designer branded items might not be all they seem. If you’re hungry you won’t have to walk far before you encounter one of many Vietnamese-run cafes.
(Trains for the 15 minute journey through the suburbs depart from platforms 22-24 of the central railway station. They’re located about 100 metres or so from the main building)

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