Belarus

Belarus means ‘White Russia’, a name derived from the fact that this is the one part of Rus that, although conquered by the Mongols in 1240, was never settled by them. The term ‘white’ refers therefore to the purity of the people, who, unlike their Muscovite cousins, never intermarried with the Mongols.
Belarus is pretty flat with the only 345 meters above sea level called Dzerzhinsky mountain. However is famous for its beautiful nature with more than 20 thousand rivers and 11 thousand lakes and is often referred to as a land of beautiful lakes, virgin forests, and rare species of plants and animals.
The biggest old-growth European forest – Belovezhskaya Pushcha – is situated in Belarus. Home to European bison and hundreds of other animals and birds, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is all that remains of the primeval forest that once stretched across the vast European Plain. Some oak trees growing in this forest are more than 600 years old.
Belarus is a country with no natural mountains but has impressive artificial salt mountains that have been formed by mining for rock salt. These can be seen particularly in the areas near the city of Soligorsk.
My favorite thing is “The Diamond of Knowledge”, or the National Library of Belarus which is an imposing structure . It was created in 1922 reconstructed, renamed and refilled with books few times afterwards and the final diamond look was finished in 2006. With 23 floors, 18 reading rooms, museum of books and the panoramic view of the last floor is one of the most famous sightseeing places in the country.