Brest, Belarus: Gateway City on the Bug River

Brest sits in southwestern Belarus, near the borders with Poland and Ukraine. Straddling the Bug River, it lies approximately 350 km (217 miles) southwest of Minsk, the capital. As the capital of Brest Region, the city is renowned for the Brest Fortress, a Soviet-era war memorial commemorating the fierce 1941 defense against Nazi invasion—a pivotal WWII site.