Slutsk is a medium-sized city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, about 100 kilometres south of the capital. It is one of the oldest towns in the country, first mentioned in 1116, though centuries of conflict have left little of its medieval heritage standing. The city is best known for the Slutsk sashes — elaborate silk belts woven here in the 18th century that became prestige symbols across the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Originals now hang in museums across Eastern Europe and fetch extraordinary prices when they occasionally surface at auction.
The city was largely rebuilt after World War II and the streetscape today is predominantly Soviet — wide avenues, apartment blocks, a central square with the usual monuments. The Museum of the History of the Slutsk Belt has a small but interesting collection, including examples of the famous sashes and exhibits on the city's Jewish community, which made up the majority of the population before the Holocaust. Nearly all were murdered during the German occupation. The Cathedral of the Resurrection, one of the few buildings to survive the wartime destruction, anchors the central square. The Sluch River provides a pleasant walking route along the southern edge of the city.
Travelers rarely come to Slutsk specifically, but the town is an easy day trip from Minsk if you are interested in Belarusian provincial life beyond the capital. The surrounding countryside is flat and agricultural, typical of central Belarus, with forests of birch and pine breaking up the farmland.