Belarus

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.6 / 5)

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe that offers a fascinating and often overlooked window into Soviet-era history and Slavic culture. Minsk, its capital, is one of the most dramatically rebuilt cities on the continent, having been almost entirely reconstructed in the grand Stalinist style after the devastation of the Second World War. Beyond the capital, visitors can explore the ancient fortress city of Brest, vast primeval forests such as Belovezhskaya Pushcha (home to the last wild European bison), and a deeply hospitable local culture that remains largely untouched by mass tourism.