Where is the best place to stay in Belovezhskaya Pushcha? Useful weekend in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the significant natural sites of Belarus. In summer you can take a break from the bustle of the city, and in winter you can recharge yourself in the New Year's mood. I decided to try it winter option. What came of it - read below.

Day 1. How to get to Kamenyuk without a car?

I had the opportunity to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha a couple of years ago, but I only got around to talking about the trip now. But don’t worry, I remember everything, I’ll tell you honestly, I hope a lot of things will be useful. In general, Saturday, on which our small company decided to go to the protected forest, began early. Our train to Brest departed at 6:16 a.m. and arrived around 10:00 a.m. Getting off the train in Brest, we headed to the bus station: it is from here that minibuses and buses depart for Kamenyuki, an agricultural town next to Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

We found the bus station quickly. We got there by walking in about 10 minutes. As expected, the minibus does not go to Kamenyuki often: 3 times a day. The closest one is around 1 p.m. What to do until then? We decided to put our things in a storage room at the bus station and take a walk around Brest. Let's go, as they say, wherever our eyes look. And it turned out that our eyes are what we need. Having walked quite a bit, we suddenly found ourselves on a spacious “shop” street – Sovetskaya.

I am very pleased with the main streets of our regional cities. Low houses from a bygone era with newfangled shops look European. And New Year's decorated shop windows and snow-dusted lanterns create a special atmosphere. You immediately understand: you are not in Minsk. This is understandable, after all, abroad is “a stone’s throw away”, if only I had a visa... Eh, I’m daydreaming, let’s move on. Soon we found ourselves at the New Year's market. It was hard to resist and not buy anything. However, remembering the bags left at the station, we decided to make do with only magnets with a view of Brest.

By the appointed time we returned back to the bus station. There were plenty of people eager to get to Kamenyuki. Those who did not have enough tickets at the box office were asked to ride while standing. But you won’t envy them - it takes more than an hour to get to Kamenyuk. And yet people traveled. At just over 2 o'clock we were already there. And then an unexpected situation arose.

At the ticket office at the bus station they asked us: “Will you take a return ticket?” And even then something should have alerted us. But nooooo. We decided: “Why, we’ll buy it in Kamenyuki at the station.” When we got there... In a word, the lonely stop in the town of Kamenyuki, blown by all the winds and covered with snow, looked little like a bus station. Yeah, so that was the question of the kind aunt at the box office, who was too lazy to say that there would be nowhere to buy tickets. But then the driver came to the rescue and asked if everyone would be able to return back. From him we purchased life-saving vouchers, giving us a chance to get out of the border Belarusian outback. “Where is the forest?” one of the passengers asked the driver, looking around into the foggy distances. And we also pricked up our ears.

The driver pointed in the direction where it ended locality, and left. Locals quickly fled to their homes. Apparently, there were very few tourists traveling on their own, like us. Everything around was white and white, there was either snow or fog ahead, and nothing was visible in the direction where the forest should be... But first we had to find a hotel.

Everything turned out to be quite simple. Building No. 2 of the Kamenyuki Hotel is located in the town itself, while the other 3 buildings are located right on the territory of the reserve. Naturally, there are no signs. We decided to resort to Sherlock's method. The road to nowhere went to the right (although the driver claimed that it was Belovezhskaya Pushcha), and to the left were village houses. We decided to go towards civilization. You made the right decision - here it is, hotel No. 2. Better than you could imagine. Budget - and the conditions are at the level.

In search of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

After settling in, we quickly had a bite to eat and went to explore the area. Still, the clock was already ticking 15:00, and it was unacceptable to stay late. Having followed the direction indicated by the minibus driver, within 10 minutes we found ourselves at the entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Well, hello, it took us so long to get to you!

There is a parking lot at the main entrance to the famous reserve. You cannot enter the territory by private transport. Anyone traveling on their horse must park it here. Only sightseeing buses, which take tourists to attractions. To get on the excursion, you need to buy a ticket and wait for the next flight. The ticket office is located to the right of the entrance. There is also a kiosk with souvenirs.

The tourism department of the reserve offers 2 bus excursions: a sightseeing tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and a trip to Santa Claus. Sightseeing tour for some reason it wasn't. But we didn’t plan to get there. The main goal, of course, is Santa Claus. Moreover, it is recommended to go to him in the evening, when the illumination turns on. For the last flight at 16:00, all tickets were already sold out, but there were so many people interested that they soon announced that they would make another flight for us at 17:00. There were as many as 2 buses.

While the box office was discussing how many tickets could still be sold, the line was “squeezing” a local cat who was resting on the window sill of the box office. A polished fur coat, a well-fed face, a lazy look - these are the people who have really successfully settled down in the reserve.

At the estate of the Belarusian Father Frost

A trip to Santa Claus is a topic that deserves special attention. Boarding buses on the territory of the Pushcha is reminiscent of the storming of the Bastille (not that we remember this event as we do now, there were simply a lot of people). The bus brought the tourists who had had a good time and loaded a new batch. Is it worth clarifying that tickets were sold to everyone, regardless of how many seats there were on the bus. But here we must pay tribute to the men who showed an extreme degree of nobility, giving up their seats to women and children, and dutifully rode standing, hugging backpacks and sleds.

The journey to Santa Claus took exactly 16 minutes :) While driving, passengers were given a recording of a story about the Pushcha to listen to. When everyone unloaded from the bus at the entrance to the Fairytale Estate, there was a pause: “What next? Where to go?" It’s good that they didn’t have time to disperse - soon a woman in a blue cape approached the group and announced that she was Snowflake. Well, for God's sake, Snowflake, so Snowflake. The children immediately surrounded the guide and dragged her to the gate to the territory of the residence of their beloved Grandfather. The woman continued the tour, backing away. But in fact, Snowflake was a great story for us: she told a very fun, perky and interesting story.

By the time we reached the estate, it was already quite dark. In addition, the elements were seriously raging. The snow was excellent. Remember a couple of snowless winters? So, that year we really asked for snow - and we finally got it. The atmosphere was created just right, only the camera desperately refused to take pictures in the dark, and even with the lens covered in snow.

We didn’t get to Santa Claus right away. First we looked out the windows Snow Maiden's house, looked for their reflection in the mirror. They say that if you can see the reflection, you will look 10 years younger. I immediately doubted: is it worth it? I somehow didn’t want to go back to school. But we were assured that this effect was gradual and would manifest itself over time. Well, let's see.

And finally, adults and children crowded together with equal joy Santa Claus's house. And he stood on his porch next to his granddaughter and waved his hands to the visitors, shouting greetings. It was difficult to photograph him, because by the time I took aim, the younger generation was already hanging on my grandfather’s red caftan. It is a difficult job, however, to be a children's favorite.

I didn’t even hear what the unfortunate man was shouting, I tried to get around the crowd and take at least some pictures. But literally a couple of minutes were allotted to meet the most important character of the estate: during the pre-holiday period, a conveyor system operates in the fairy-tale residence. Very soon Grandfather announced that he would not be able to take a photo with everyone, so he suggested taking photos by region. It turned out that in our group there were not only Belarusians, but also foreign guests: Poles, Lithuanians.

Then the new Snowflake picked us up and took us to Nastenka from a fairy tale about 12 months. Nastenka didn’t look much like a girl, but the little one didn’t care at all. In addition, she built an excellent fireplace near the wooden figures of the brothers. First, everyone was asked to find their month and make a wish from it. I was lucky: everyone rushed in the spring-summer direction, and I calmly went to my Listapad. Make a guess - I don’t want to.

I enjoyed the round dance around the fire. We defrosted our noses a little, warmed our hands by holding on to our neighbors, threw everything bad into the fire, and “raked in” everything good for ourselves. The ceremony went off with a bang, as even adults know: fire cleanses. Another place where you can get rid of everything bad is mill, which grinds up all the negativity left to her. Well, what would a visit to the residence be without a round dance around the main New Year's tree. The illumination is simply gorgeous.

On the way back we stopped at treasury, where Santa Claus keeps children's letters, drawings and gifts. There, everyone, even adults, received a well-deserved (included in the ticket price, of course) sweet gift. The children were happy. Oh well, whatever, everyone had a good time.

Leaving the residence

When setting off on the way back, there was no need to look in the parking lot for the bus we arrived on. You could return to the main route to Belovezhskaya Pushcha on any bus with the inscription “Belovezhskaya Pushcha”. But we didn't know this. Therefore, we sat on our bus until it set off. We had to wait for more than an hour because the driver did not want to go until the bus was full. Ultimately, unable to withstand the onslaught of the freezing crowd, provoked by the crying of children, the driver gave up. Finally, we set off. Latest. How the tourists who went on a spree returned, and whether they returned at all, remains a mystery.

We drove through a snow-covered, peaceful forest, undoubtedly hiding in its black depths secrets known only to it. The road was illuminated exclusively by the headlights of our bus. And there was some kind of universal peace in it all. Under a smooth sway vehicle and “A reserved motif, a reserved distance...”, which was almost immediately blasted across the entire bus from the “Pesnyary” speakers, began to drift somewhere into sleepy oblivion. And even the groans and sobs of rather tired children could not dispel this special atmosphere.

They took us right outside the Pushcha territory. I don’t know about the tourists who lived in hotels on the territory, but it was very convenient for us, because we still had to return to Kamenyuki. The snowstorm was “high quality”; the pedestrian path along which we came here during the day was not visible. We walked along the roadway, but that was okay, because there were practically no cars.

The clock showed only 8 pm, but the snow covering our faces seemed to hint that we would not see anything interesting that day. To tell the truth, I was completely impressed and wanted to get to the hotel as soon as possible. On the way to our temporary home, I thought that if we brush away the blanket of snow that has covered it from the streets and roofs of the houses of the agricultural town of Kamenyuki, we will see a completely developed and well-groomed settlement, albeit a one-story one.

Day 2. Museum of Nature and enclosures

It is worth understanding that such a trip (for 2 days) is not suitable for those who like to laze in bed. The next day, our plans were to visit the Museum of Nature and enclosures with animals, and we had to do everything before 14:00, since it was at this time that the minibus departed, allowing us to take the evening train to Minsk. We decided to go to the museum first, because we didn’t know how long it would take. And the enclosures, if something happened, could be sacrificed.

In the newly opened Museum of Nature there was almost no one there. This played into our hands: we could calmly take photographs, and even the grandmother-controllers at the entrance, who warned us not to touch anything, not to follow us, but to stay to discuss local news. We tried our best to be obedient, but how could we not pet the bison at the entrance?

The museum was impressive! It reminded me of a natural history museum in the USA, but this is still a level. And, most importantly, you can take pictures! In each section, the habitat of certain animals is recreated. Only here the administration cheated: not a single exhibit was signed. If you want, take an audio guide or book a tour. Well, okay, we’ll somehow distinguish a fox from a beaver. Read more about the museum here:

We spent about half an hour at the museum, although it seemed like we walked for a very long time. Further - enclosures. They are located on the same side as the museum, you just need to cross the road. The territory is large, you can walk there for a very long time. It took us more than an hour to complete the enclosures. And this takes into account the fact that many animals were hiding in houses from the frost, and we did not stay near them for long. The most sociable were the fawn and the pony. A little girl fed a deer a loaf of bread. At that moment we regretted that we ourselves forgot to take gifts for the animals.

And the pony, bored in the neighboring enclosure, happily allowed all visitors to pet him.

Well, and, of course, we cannot forget about the king of the Pushcha - the bison. In the bison enclosure, the trees are covered with boards. We didn’t immediately understand why this was done until we saw their demonstration battle. Now it is clear.

In addition to forest animals,... cats were found behind bars. That's where Maslenitsa is for them. Apparently, they have been “protecting” this area for a long time, as they look quite well-fed, walk imposingly and are not afraid of anyone.

Around 12:00 we were already leaving the territory of the enclosures. On the way, of course, we couldn’t miss the souvenir stall. In fact, you can’t go home empty-handed. There was everything there: magnets on birch trees, white-haired dolls, candles, clay figurines. There is also a postal kiosk nearby, near the parking lot. There you can send a letter or postcard to your homeland with a special stamp of Belovezhskaya Pushcha or purchase brochures about the famous reserve.

Return to Brest

15 minutes before the minibus departed, we checked out of the hotel and went to the bus stop. The big advantage of hotel No. 2 is that it is located right next to the bus stop.

View from our room. On the right, where the fence ends, there is a stop. And if you go further, straight ahead all the time - in about 10 minutes you will find yourself at the gate to the Pushcha.

The minibus driver, like the day before, was inimitable. Even on the way to Kamenyuki, I noticed his ability to simultaneously drive a car and count passengers, as well as write something in a notebook, put aside “hundreds” for change in a separate pile, talk on the phone, sing along to Selena Gomez... It’s good that it’s the other way around On the way, we sat not next to him, but in the cabin: at least I didn’t see him driving.

Everyone knows that Belarus is famous for its landscapes, but what we saw that day through the windows of the minibus was truly amazing. Days of incessant snowfall turned the fields white. The earth smoothly flowed into the light gray sky, and only the pale shadows of forests and villages in the distance suggested that this continuous canvas was nevertheless cut by a strip of horizon somewhere in the center.

“It’s snowy, it’s snowy all over the earth, in all directions...,” I remembered... How long we waited for snow this winter. Suddenly a voice was heard from behind. No, not Pasternak, don’t think so, I wasn’t that cold in the Pushcha. The child sitting behind me asked his mother:

- Mom, how does Santa Claus know what gift I want? New Year?

“He knows everything,” my mother said, not at a loss.

-No, how does he know what to bring for each child? – the suspicious boy did not let up.

“But he doesn’t bring it to everyone, but only to obedient children,” came the answer.

- Mom, am I a puffball? – the child asked.

“Not always,” the stern mother snapped.

– And if not always, will there be a gift?

“He’ll still see how you behave before the New Year, and then he’ll decide,” my mother gave her verdict.

The boy became quiet for a while, and it already seemed to me that right from that moment on he would try his best to be “puffy.” But no, it didn’t last long, after 5 minutes my chair was shaking again because of the baby spinning non-stop.

In Brest we had another 2.5 hours of free time. We checked our things into the storage room at the bus station and decided to go to the Brest Fortress. Moreover, it is not far: just three bus stops from the bus station - and you are there. Of course, we had to walk a little more, but after about 10 minutes we already saw a large star carved in stone at the main entrance. This is what the Brest Fortress looks like in winter.

This weekend has come to an end. The Brest-Moscow train took us to Minsk in 4 hours. Quite tired of the snowstorm, we drove home, dried our boots and thought that we should return here in warmer times: both to Brest and to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to compare our impressions. And you definitely need to go to large quantity days. To take a break from the bustle of the city.

From Brest to the main entrance to the reserve - nothing at all, about an hour's drive along various small roads.
But even on the way there, hares crossed our road twice.
The first time was on the outskirts of Brest.
But it was small and galloped very quickly.
And the second time this large animal (three times larger than our Leopard!) slowly jumped right in front of the nose of our car and stopped in the bushes a meter from the road and looked at us while we turned around at a small intersection...

We arrived in Pushcha.
Temperature +2 degrees. It’s freezing cold again, so I didn’t have a particularly strong desire to walk a lot and for a long time, to be honest...
But I still wanted to see the bison.
But in such bitter cold (and on Tuesday) the parking lot was very deserted.
We bought tickets and went inside.

The first thing you encounter in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a restaurant.

Actually, the entire area around the entrance consists of hotels, sanatoriums, restaurants, cafes.
Here's another one.
(The fence on the right is the fence of another sanatorium).

And finally, the very last building in this row is science Center and there is a museum in it.

By the time we got there, we were already frozen like tsutsiki, so there were no other options other than going to the museum.

Most of the museum consists of installations of the natural environment with the animals that live in the Pushcha.
Well, for example.

It turns out that wild horses once lived on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
And now they are trying to restore them by reverse selection from those nearby horses that are more similar to wild ones. Well, and their contents in natural environment.
This is what it should look like.
Well, at least that's the goal...

And here they also show animals that have not been in the Pushcha for a long time. These are tours.
The Germans also tried to restore them when they occupied Pushcha.
The hunting scene shows the costumes of the time in which the last rounds were carried out.

Most of the museum consists of similar installations.
This first hall was dedicated to those animals that once lived in Pushcha, but no longer live.

And four more halls show living animals in four different seasons.
Winter, obviously.

Cool eared animal (I like the photo, actually).

Summer and bison.

Autumn lynx with a completely crazy look.

Inhabitants of swamps and lakes (one is not very different from the other...)

Exhibition "how on-board honey was collected."

And this is an ancient board made of a thousand-year-old tree found in the Pushcha.

This is the main part of the museum, but there is a little else too.

Here, for example, is a model of the imperial family's hunting lodge.
Well, and portraits of emperors who came to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to hunt.

And I specifically asked to take a photo of this, now I’m studying the details at home...

There were three maps, this one for 1276, then for the time of the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the modern one.
Everything is clear with the divisions of Poland. From the modern one it is obvious that most of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located on the territory of Poland.
But the 13th century map is very interesting to me...

Well, everyone, warmed up, looked at the museum, went to see the enclosures.
Next to the enclosures is a map of the Belarusian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
We are in the blue patch in the southern part. In one of the recreational areas, the reserve itself is to the north.

In general, there are bus excursions deep into the reserve; excursions gather every hour. Somewhere there is also a museum of folk life and the hut of Santa Claus. The excursion takes you through the forest for an hour and a half, then they take you either to a museum or to a hut, there is also a program there, in general, for half a day, at least. We didn’t take it, we didn’t have time, but it was probably interesting. Those who plan to spend more time visiting Brest can travel around the Pushcha more.

And we went to see the simplest thing - enclosures with animals. They start opposite the museum and these enclosures run along the road for about a kilometer.
The enclosures contain animals that live in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
(Hee, we walk along the enclosures, see who is hiding there and where, we go like this... we look... I look into the next enclosure and... I didn’t even understand at first. It’s a painfully familiar picture. It’s just a local animal, yeah. .. What would Belovezhskaya Pushcha be like without ostriches...)

The lynx was also in a small cage, still wandering back and forth along the bars...

Having seen how softly this large animal walks on the hard floor, we finally realized that some impudent animals (let’s not point fingers at Leopard) stomp and scrape on the parquet not because it has wool on its pads and the parquet is made of wood, but because someone is too lazy to carefully place each paw like a lynx, with a complex turn...

Roe deer. We later saw one of these, running across the road. But not here.

IN last years The development of eco-tourism is becoming increasingly popular, and travel enthusiasts are flocking to reserved corners nature to relax in the fresh air. Fans of healthy recreation, as well as tourists interested in history, can fulfill their plans on a trip to the reserve, which is a symbol of the Republic of Belarus.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a huge forest area located on the territory of two countries - Poland and Belarus, where a lot of species of plants and animals are preserved in the natural environment, the most famous and famous of which is the bison.

General information

In the old days, relict forests spread throughout Europe, but a changing climate, economic development, and the construction of cities destroyed most of them, leaving only small areas untouched. The Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve is located on the border between Poland and Belarus, and on both sides of it, the territory, occupying more than 150 thousand hectares, is protected, which does not interfere with visits by tourists and researchers.

Remains a mystery
The administrative center of the reserve is located 60 km from Brest and 20 km from the regional center of Kamenets in the village of Kamenyuki, which has all the infrastructure necessary for the comfort of vacationers: hotels, cafes and excursion services. On the territory of the reserve there are hotels of different levels of service and different price categories, a branded restaurant of the same name and private cafes famous for dishes of national Belarusian cuisine and hunting delicacies.

Group bus excursions accompanied by guides, as well as individual walking, cycling and horseback riding trips are carried out to wonderful corners of nature along paved routes of varying degrees of difficulty.

To preserve relict forests and their unique inhabitants, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is divided into protected zones. Only employees and researchers are allowed into the protected area in order to preserve the pristine ecosystem intact. Tourists are allowed access to regulated use areas only if accompanied by guides. In recreational areas you can freely take walks and organize public events, but you must pay to enter there; several types of tickets can be purchased at the box office. Farm areas are intended for the accommodation and convenience of travelers and vacationers; they can spend the night and eat there.

Historical data

The Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve in the Republic of Belarus is one of the oldest in the world. The Ipatiev Chronicle mentions the existence of virgin forests in these places in 983. In those days, the spring flood flooded the entire surrounding area, turning it into a huge sea, in the middle of which stood a forest that served as salvation for animals from the flood. Abundance natural resources, creating favorable conditions for life, brought hunters and fishermen to these places. The tribes that lived here in ancient times are now reminiscent of ancient burials and remnants of ancient legends.

The territory of the reserve changed citizenship many times, moving from one power to another, but it always served as a hunting ground for the rulers of states. In the 12th century, Vladimir Monomakh hunted bison, aurochs and red deer here; later Lithuanian princes hunted here, and Jagiello managed to stockpile provisions in the Pushcha for the hundred-thousand-strong army that took part in the Battle of Grunwald. Polish kings turned hunting in the reserve into luxurious entertainment and court celebrations.

At the same time, they began to develop the natural treasures of the region, and from the end of the 16th century, they began to cut down the forest. However, they soon issued a law on the protection of royal hunting grounds and the protection of bison, and at the same time established a list of persons who were allowed to hunt in the reserve. Under Catherine II, Belovezhskaya Pushcha became part of Russia, and she allowed the shooting of any animals there except bison, which caused a decrease in the number of individuals and the complete extermination of bears and beavers. In addition, Catherine, who was the trustee of science, allowed bison to be shot for all European museums.

Russian emperors gave away part of the reserved lands to their favorites. The fire on the eve of the Patriotic War and Napoleon's invasion caused enormous damage to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. At the end of the 19th century, the territory of the reserve became the property of the royal family as a result of an exchange for Oryol and Simbirsk lands, which was supposed to help preserve the bison population, and in fact improve the conduct of the royal hunt.

During the First World War, when the reserve was captured by German troops, irreparable damage was caused to it; valuable centuries-old trees were cut down there. However, European bison, exterminated everywhere, survived as a species only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In 1939 it passed to the territory of the Soviet Union and received the status of a nature reserve, and in 1992 it was included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

What to do in Belovezhskaya Pushcha?

For lovers of nature, fauna and flora, there is always something to do here. We offer you to get acquainted with the main places and events in the reserve that are definitely worth visiting and seeing.

A trip to the Museum of Ancient Life and Ancient Technologies is carried out on comfortable buses throughout the colossal forestry complex, preserved for many centuries in its original form and included in the World Heritage catalog. During the excursion, buses make stops for a more detailed acquaintance with some objects. The guide says:

about the features of the centuries-old forest and its inhabitants;
about the remarkable history of the reserve;
about adventures and funny incidents while hunting;
about precedents with animals;
about episodes from the life of nature.

The guide shows:

unique landscapes and bodies of water;
six-century oak and 350-year-old pine;
a swelling on the oak bark in the form of a bison's head;
beaver dams;
historical sites;
the only evergreen vine in Europe that climbs tree trunks.

At the Museum of Folk Life, everyone is interested in lifestyle items and things that played a huge role in the life of rural residents in the century before last, their daily life, customs and heritage. During master classes, vacationers get acquainted with the professional intricacies of various folk crafts. In the nearby Khutorok cafe, tourists are attracted by a special Pushcha meal, as well as a demonstration of the process of making moonshine, for which Belovezhskaya Pushcha has long been famous, with tasting.

The residence of Father Frost is the most famous brand in Belarus, visited by thousands of vacationers every year. There, craftsmen - wood carvers - created a unique fairy-tale atmosphere by hand, which became a continuation of the forest magic, naturally inscribed in its style. The estate was opened on New Year's Eve 2004 - in 2 weeks. A team of skilled designers led by the famous carver A.L. Oil completed this extraordinary project - many wooden sculptures, buildings and fences, decorated with intricate original carvings.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING:

Holidays in Belarus: clean lakes and numerous sanatoriums

There are quite a few residences of Father Frost in the world today, but this is one of the most delightful and spectacular. It is located on almost 15 hectares. Sculptures fairy-tale heroes and a magnificently decorated Christmas tree with garlands of colored lights delight young travelers, and the smoke curling over the roof of the house and the abundance of flowers and greenery in the summer highlight its realism.

Santa Claus himself receives visitors to his estate all year round, reads messages received from children and writes answers to them, and also keeps order in his domain. And for each season he has a special set of clothes, completely different from what we are used to: the Belarusian grandfather is dressed in a snow-white antique zhupan, embroidered with silver patterns. His granddaughter Snegurochka comes to celebrate the New Year, but in the spring she leaves for the north. Our Baba Yaga’s sister, Kargota, also takes part in the show.

Tourists who have visited the Snow Maiden's Teremok, the Wonderful Mill that turns nasty tricks into dust, each of which has its own legend or tradition, can conceive dreams and ask Santa Claus to fulfill them.

In the cozy “Dzed Maroz's Hut”, equipped under trees and awnings, you are treated to pancakes and national cuisine.

The main goal of the reserve is not to entertain vacationers, but to maintain the ecological system. Vegetable world Belovezhskaya Pushcha is striking in its diversity; here you can observe about 25 species of trees in their natural environment, most of which are included in the Red Book: white fir, sessile oak and others. Their average age is approaching a century, but you can find:

giant trees, measuring one and a half meters in girth;
oak trees that have been growing for six centuries;
ash trees planted more than three centuries ago;
spreading two-hundred-year-old spruce trees.

The sites with our smaller brothers are located on 20 hectares not far from the Museum of Nature, a tour of them takes 1-2 hours. Guests National Park have the opportunity to consider:

bison filled with greatness and dignity;
stately deer and roe deer;
cautious lynxes;
distrustful and calculating wolves and bears;
birds of prey, including long-eared eagle owls.

In addition to the indigenous inhabitants, the sites house individual animals that were brought from other countries.

Before a tour of the centuries-old forest, it is useful to first visit the most popular Museum of Nature in the Brest region to get an idea of the protected species of animals and plants. It began its work in 1963, and its exhibition was compiled for 70 years.

On the ground floor of the modern environmental education center, which is one of the prestigious institutions of this profile, you can see stuffed animals living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The exhibition on the second floor is represented by plants, birds, butterflies and mushrooms that make up the wealth of the reserve. The museum halls reproduce the initial moments of the formation of the Belovezhsky forests and extinct species of animals, as well as the seasonal characteristics of nature.

The exhibitions are based on reality, reflecting the diversity of the forest resources of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The exhibits give the impression of being in a primeval forest, the effect is enhanced by the sounds of nature - the noise of the forest, rain, bird chirping, echoes of animal roars. The diorama of the forest landscape in the background serves to expand the boundaries of the image. Stuffed animals are very artistically included in compositions compiled by real designers. The figure of a wolf is placed near a real den, a roe deer is shown with its cub in a pasture.

Tour costs

It is best to start your trip to the reserve from Brest, from where express buses run twice a day. You need to travel by your own transport, following the signs in the direction of Kamenets, and then to the village of Kamenyuki. There are direct flights from Minsk, where you can book a special tour to National Park, however, the distance of 340 km makes the journey much more expensive due to the cost of gasoline.

At the ticket office, entrance to the reserve's property costs 1 Belarusian ruble (only local currency is accepted). Along with the ticket you will receive a map with walking paths marked on it. In order to avoid accidentally entering Polish territory or Polish border guards, it is recommended not to move away from the established routes. For the equivalent of 100 Russian rubles per hour, you can use a rental bicycle. A separate fee is required for visiting the Museum of Nature, enclosures with animals and the Residence of Father Frost, for a sightseeing tour bus tour in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which will cost 210 rubles.

Local climatic conditions approximately correspond to Russian ones, and the nature in the reserve is wonderful at any time of the year. In summer and spring, with long daylight hours, you can see more. During the winter season, excursions with children to the Residence of Father Frost will remain in memory for a lifetime. A ticket for adults there costs about 300 rubles, it includes the price of the spectacle and a surprise from Santa Claus for the child. The cost of entry to the Museum of Nature is 2.5 Belarusian rubles (90 Russian), and for children it is 2 times less. The price of an adult ticket to the animal enclosure is 2 Belarusian rubles, a child ticket is 1.

Tourists while visiting the reserve can find shelter in the Kamenyuki Hotel, located in the village, and in the new hotel building near the very entrance to the Museum of Nature. Three hotel buildings have rooms of different categories. The cost of living in the village is significantly lower than in the reserve. Tourists who came to own car, prefer to stay in Kamenets, where prices are much lower. But renting a cottage for several people will cost a pretty penny.

On the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha you can perfectly satisfy your hunger in the restaurant of the same name and several branded cafes offering travelers dishes of Belarusian national cuisine.

Arriving in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, we found ourselves in a completely magical place with thousands of forest paths, the noblest animals and an endless ocean of all kinds of trees.

Background

When it is not possible to travel outside the country, my husband and I always try to find some interesting place in Belarus, which we have not seen yet, and where it would be interesting to take a ride on the weekend. For many years in a row we have been thinking about Belovezhskaya Pushcha, but then there was no time to travel so far, then some more important things appeared. But this summer it was decided to finally go there to see famous place with my own eyes.

Unforgettable journey

4 hours on the road and here it is - Pushcha - in front of us. Probably one of the most difficult things was to understand how to see Belovezhskaya Pushcha: ride along the numerous paths on bicycles, walk (but we understood that we would not see even 1/10 of all the beauty) or take a bus tour. In the end, it was decided to take a bus, because only it promised a 50 km exciting trip, and only in this way would we be able to fully see all the beauty of the Pushcha and hear some Interesting Facts about her on the excursion. It is difficult to describe in words everything that we have learned about the famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha, because it is not in vain that they say: it is better to see once than to hear 100 times. During these 50 km of travel we: saw with our own eyes all kinds of trees and a real moonshine still; received containers with moonshine, lard and bread as small gifts; they were surprised how the bus so confidently cuts through paths on which it would be difficult for two cyclists to pass each other; took pictures; we managed to roam for a few minutes, because one of the tracks runs right along the border with Poland; and, of course, breathed in fresh air for years to come. After the excursion, we decided to take a walk along the animal enclosures. The Pushcha has created the most comfortable conditions for their life: there are no bare sandy fields, like in zoos, there is a lot of grass, trees and food on the territory. Oh, it was simply impossible to tear me away from there! I wanted to endlessly photograph huge and noble bison, such beautiful horses, deer and elk. But since we arrived quite late, we had to make it before the closing of the “Museum of Nature”, which many people recommended going to. Therefore, I had to put the camera down and go to the exit. The museum impresses with its beauty right away! If you have visited many museums, then you know that, as a rule, a stuffed animal is displayed there, next to it is a sign with short information about it and that’s it. Such places do not cause any particular interest and are visited in every country just for show. But this was the first museum that is so impressive as soon as you climb to the second floor. Each animal was made so realistically that sometimes it seemed like a bird would fly off a branch, or a deer would actually pass by you. And the space around the animals was not just a gray room with lighting, as is usually the case in museums, it was as close to reality as possible due to the natural background, trees, and some small details that made the picture truly impressive. And, of course, for complete immersion in what the eyes saw, the sounds of roaring animals and the cry of birds were added. I think that this is the only museum in our lives that we will remember for a long time, and which we have already managed to tell about and will tell many more about. Leaving Belovezhskaya Pushcha, we understood that someday we would definitely return here again: but we would arrive early, take our bikes and definitely go see what we didn’t get to this time.

Travel notes

It turns out that the last free-living bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha died in 1919, and if it weren’t for the bison that survived and lived in the zoo, and which scientists later brought to the Pushcha to restore the species, perhaps now Belovezhskaya Pushcha would not be famous among tourists for these huge animals;
In Belovezhskaya Pushcha there is one of the moonshine stills officially registered on the territory of Belarus.

It might be useful to read: