Białowieża Wilderness is the natural center of Podlasie and the green lungs of Poland. It offers peace and the opportunity to admire nature at its best – extremely rare plant and animal species. In Białowieża Forest you will see up close the majestic bison, the mysterious wolf, and the proud eagle. All this surrounded by an ancient forest hiding thousands of stories and protecting the country’s most valuable natural treasures. We recommend our guests to explore the most beautiful corners of the forest. Below are the most popular and interesting corners of the Białowieża Forest and its natural secrets.
Białowieża National Park is divided into two parts – the BPN (Białowieża National Park) complex and the Strict Reserve. The Białowieża National Park complex includes a center and a museum, as well as buildings associated with the Tsar’s Palace that once stood here, including the fabulous mansion of the Grodno governor. You will witness the natural beauty of this place in the Białowieża Wilderness Strict Reserve, which is also the biggest local attraction. Entering the reserve – for the sake of nature – requires the company of a qualified guide. As you walk through the reserve, you will notice things you would not normally pay attention to when in the forest. You will listen to the sounds of the primeval forest, and you may be lucky enough to suspect the birds, deer and roe deer that live here.
It is thanks to the existence of the Białowieża Forest that its largest mammal, the bison, has managed to survive in this part of Europe. This majestic animal is certainly the greatest natural wealth of our country, although at the end of 2014 there were only about 520 bison living in the Polish wilderness, under the protection of the Białowieża National Park.
Bison show reserve
The bison show enclosure is a place where you can see the inhabitants of the wilderness up close. In addition to the main feature of the enclosure, the king of the Białowieża Forest, the bison, here you will observe bison, wolves, wild boars or elk. This visit is a valuable nature lesson and a guarantee of meeting Europe’s largest mammal up close – almost at your fingertips.
A honey-giving paradise
Although the tradition of beekeeping is only just returning in Poland, the Bialowieza Forest used to be the place where honey was obtained from wild bees. Today, this tradition is slowly being revived and the honeys from here are rich in nutritional value and have medicinal properties. In our Puszcza TO GO shop you will find the products of a local beekeeper and other natural products.
Unusual mushrooms
Unusual not only because they thrive without light and grow very quickly. According to scientists, the Bialowieza Forest is home to 1,668 species of fungi, of which as many as 190 are endemic (found only here). They are of great interest to the scientific world - mushrooms from the forest may be used in the future in medicine and food production.
On the way from Hajnówka to Białowieża, in a large area of meadows, there is a tower several metres high. However, it is not an ordinary structure in the middle of nowhere. It allows you to explore the mysteries of the Białowieża Forest, and more specifically it is an observation point for the Lesser Spotted Eagle. These birds can soar to heights of up to 200 m and then swoop down quickly and rapidly on their prey to grab it in their talons. Its impressive wings span up to 175 cm, although it weighs just under 2 kg. Apart from eagle-watching, this is a good place to admire the Narewka River, surrounded by green meadows and the dense Białowieża Forest in the distance.
A spot in the Bialowieza Forest that is said to have an unusual aura and energy. In a magical clearing near Bialowieza, there is a plaque explaining that the Place of Power is an area of positive radiation that makes us regenerate faster, feel more rested - feel better. There are several such places on the world map and they include the oracle at Delphi, Machu Picchu and the pyramid at Giza. In Poland, there is also another Place of Power - the chapel at Wawel Castle. The legend of the unusual aura began in 1990, when several residents of Białowieża, after visiting the clearing, felt a surge of energy, a sense of security. Scientists have confirmed that there is indeed an increased power of electromagnetic radiation in the Forest Place of Power. Would you also feel joy and a slight dizziness? Find out for yourself!
In Hajnówka, which lies at the gateway to the Białowieża Forest, there is another great attraction - the narrow-gauge railway. Buy a ticket and set off into the primeval forest. Here you can admire the dense forest, natural monuments and tunnels, as well as byways, meadows and educational footbridges. After a journey of more than an hour, at the end of the route you will find the picturesque Lake Topiło with a bridge, barbecue and picnic shelters, and an inn serving local delicacies. After an hour's break at the lake, across the bridge we find ourselves at the second station of the railway, from where we return to Hajnówka.
A ride on a handcar
The forest can be explored on foot or in an unusual way - by a handcar, which is driven by tourists with the power of their own hands. It travels along a historical route and can visit the most interesting nooks and crannies of the Pushcha, including the famous Place of Power.
Since 2010, the Białowieża Primeval Forest has been included in the IBA list of bird sanctuaries maintained by BirdLife International and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is here that the largest bison population in the world lives in the wild.
The Bialowieza Forest is a unique forest complex on a European scale, as it is the last lowland forest on the continent. The Primeval Forest lies on the border between Poland and Belarus and covers an area of approximately 1,250 km², of which 580 km² in Poland.
