Lepel was first mentioned in written sources in 1439. In 1558-1583, a castle was erected, near which on Lake Lepel in 1563 the "place of Lepel" was founded, in 1586 it was moved 3 km away to the village of Beloe, the town of Bely Lepel, or New Lepel (later Lepel), arose. Since 1793, Lepel became the center of a county within Russia. Since 1924, the city has become the center of the region within the BSSR. In 1925, a railway station was built in the city on the Orsha - Lepel line. During the Great Patriotic War, an anti-fascist underground operated in the city. Today Lepel is a beautiful picturesque city with a developed infrastructure.

Lepel region is located in the south-west of Vitebsk Oblast, bordering on Chashniki, Dokshitsy, Ushachi and Beshenkovichi regions, Vitebsk Oblast.

The area of the region is 180 thousand hectares. There are 224 settlements on the territory of the region, including Lepel. The population of the region is 31.500 people.

Lepel region is an industrial region, the center of economic growth of Vitebsk Oblast of the Republic of Belarus.

The industrial complex of the region is represented by 5 organizations with an average number of employees of 1.400 people. The share of two industrial organizations - Lepel Dairy Canning Plant branch of Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant OJSC and Lepel branch of Vitebskagroprodukt CJSC account for 90 percent of industrial production. The industrial structure of the region is dominated by food production and the supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water and conditioned air.

The agro-industrial complex of the region includes 9 agricultural organizations, the main direction of agricultural production of which is dairy and meat cattle breeding, pig breeding with a developed production of grain crops and rapeseed.

The construction complex is represented by three organizations, the largest one is Lepel PMK-75 DCUSP.

In the trade sector, there are 361 retail outlets and 87 public catering facilities. The population of the countryside is served by 10 mobile shops.

Transport services to the population are carried out by the branch "Lepel Motor Transport Enterprise No. 14" OJSC "Vitebskoblavtotrans".

There is a developed social sphere.

The regional health care system is represented by the Lepel Central District Hospital and the Lepel Regional Psychiatric Hospital. There are two nursing hospitals. Outpatient care is provided by a central polyclinic for 375 visits per shift, a dental clinic for 100 visits per shift. In order to bring ambulatory and polyclinic care closer, 2 outpatient clinics of a general practitioner function in Lepel (they serve 5 therapeutic areas). Outpatient and polyclinic care in the countryside is provided in 6 rural outpatient clinics of a general practitioner for 185 visits per shift, which include 13 paramedic and obstetric points.

The system of educational institutions includes 13 institutions of general secondary education, 17 institutions of preschool education, Lepel regional center for children and youth, a center for correctional and developmental education and rehabilitation, and a social and pedagogical center. There are 2 sports institutions. 37 cultural institutions, including 17 libraries, 15 club-type institutions, 1 handicraft center, 1 museum, 3 art schools, function in the region. There is a training base for agriculture - an educational institution "Lepel State Agrarian and Technical College".

Lepel district has a serious potential for the development of business activity.

The main decoration and treasury of nature in the Lepel region is Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. Today the reserve is the largest global scientific and educational institution. Ecosystems of bogs and black alder forests have no analogues not only in Belarus, but throughout the entire European continent.

The main historical attraction of the reserve is the Berezinskaya water system, built in 1797-1805, on the site of the most ancient route from the Varangians to the Greeks.

Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is a large natural laboratory for environmental monitoring. Zoological and botanical research has been conducted there since 1924.

The research activity of the reserve consists in carrying out stationary year-round research aimed at studying natural complexes and the dynamics of natural processes to assess and predict the state of ecosystems, entities of flora and fauna, to develop scientific foundations for nature protection and conservation of biological diversity.

Particular attention is paid to monitoring the state of the number of rare species of animals and plants in Europe and Belarus, measures are being developed to protect them.

At the background monitoring station, studies are daily carried out to assess the impact of various types of pollutants entering the territory of the reserve. All information obtained under the programs of environmental monitoring of Berezinsky Reserve is widely used both in Belarus and in a number of European scientific centers, and enters the EuroMAB system.

Beautiful nature, salubrious air, picturesque territory of Lepel region with many reservoirs attract attention with its powerful tourist potential.

The region has preserved archeological monuments near the villages Ozertsy, Voron, Domzheritsy, Zvezda, Stary Lepel. The Tsar Oak in the village of Tadulino was declared a natural monument of republican significance. In the village of Susha, the remains of the defensive ramparts of the 16th century fortress were found. In Lepiel, among the architectural monuments, the Church of St. Casimir of the 2nd half of the 19th century, the Church of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa of the early 20th century stands out.

In the region, there are sanatoriums of the State Institution "Lepel Military Sanatorium of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus", KUP Children's rehabilitation and health center "Zhemchuzhina", boarding house "LODE". Tourists are glad to receive hotel complexes of Berezinsky Reserve "Plavno" and "Serguch", "Nivki".

Competitive advantages of the region:

there are two key industrial enterprises operating on the territory of the region, capable of ensuring the production of competitive goods. This is a branch of Lepel Dairy Canning Factory of Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant OJSC and Lepel branch of Vitebskagroprodukt CJSC. ПрThe production capacity of Lepel Dairy Canning Plant of OJSC Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant in terms of milk is currently 480 tons per day, Lepel branch of Vitebskagroprodukt CJSC is 540 tons per day.

Five agricultural organizations of Lepel district are part of Vitebsk integration structure, created in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated August 25, 2016 No. 320 "On the development of agricultural production in Vitebsk Oblast", including three ones under trust management agreements. There is a training base for agriculture - an educational institution "Lepel State Agrarian and Technical College".

Lepel region has a serious potential for the development of business activity not only due to its favorable geographical position, but also the investment policy of the region.

There are land plots on the territory of the region that can be provided to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs on a leasehold basis for the construction of tourist facilities, including agroecotourism, without the consent of the Head of State (within the framework of the order of the President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko dated June 13 2017 No. 92 rp "On the approval of the provision of land plots").

The presence of unused real estate objects will open new production facilities for investors. The land plots are offered to investors to involve them in economic circulation through sale, including with the establishment of an initial sale price equal to one base value, lease or transfer for the implementation of an investment project.