The Minsk Metro opened in 1984 and is one of the cleanest and most punctual metro systems in the former Soviet Union. It has three lines and around 30 stations, most of which are decorated in the elaborate Soviet style — marble floors, bronze reliefs, mosaics, and dramatic lighting that makes each station feel like a government building rather than a transit stop.
Several stations are particularly worth seeing as architecture: Kastrychnitskaya (October Station) has a dramatic vaulted ceiling and is beneath October Square; Ploshcha Lenina features a bronze Lenin and classical murals; Niamiha is a memorial to the 1999 stampede disaster at an outdoor concert near the station. The metro is also practical — it covers most of the city's main attractions and costs almost nothing.
Tokens or rechargeable cards are available at station kiosks. The metro runs from about 5:30am to midnight. Even if you only take one or two rides for the purpose of seeing the stations, it is a worthwhile experience.