Belovezhskaya Pushcha: guide. Belarus

The name "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is well known to all residents former USSR, at least thanks to the famous song, made famous by “Pesnyary”. This is such a well-known brand that came from Soviet Union, as “Uchkuduk - three wells” or “house with a carved palisade.” Some say that there is nothing more than this - an ordinary forest, of which there are many in almost any region of Russia. But for me, Belovezhskaya Pushcha became one of the most powerful impressions of recent years. The story below is about those corners of this magical place that I was able to see.

1. From Belovezhskaya Pushcha 50 kilometers. Located approximately halfway old City Kamenets. The next story will be about him. Immediately after Kamenets, the route is flanked by two deer, indicating the approach to the reserve:

2. Entrance, entrance and all related services are located in the village of Kamenyuki, which is overly neat and polished even by Belarusian standards. Immediately outside the gates of the reserve there is a complex of buildings - a visitor center, a hotel, a restaurant, a museum, and a couple of small cafes. The hotel and restaurant in the background is decorated in a style that is surprisingly recognizable for post-Soviet Belarus. What’s interesting is that she has a twin brother: the Nature Museum at the Voronezh Nature Reserve. The fact is that this is a standard project from the Soviet era, and here it was also built as a museum. It has been repurposed and re-registered in our time. In front of it is a monument dedicated to Soviet soldiers who died in June 1941 on the territory of the Pushcha. Unfortunately, the protected status did not protect this place from wars.

3. The easiest and fastest way to get to know the forest is to join a sightseeing bus tour, which takes place twice a day. You just need to arrive at the main entrance to the reserve at the start of the excursion and buy relatively inexpensive ticket. You will be driven around the territory in such a MAZ (in Belarus, in general, they try to use their products wherever possible). The bus is not exactly old, but it rattles quite a bit. Against this background, the guide’s suggestion to look more carefully out the windows in search of animals looks mocking - from this rumbling vehicle the animals most likely scatter several kilometers away.

5. During the tour, visitors are taken around the territory, stopping near the most remarkable places, conduct a general educational program, and also tell fun facts from the life of the reserve. It cannot be said that individual objects of the Pushcha are very interesting, but the general atmosphere of a sleepy and cozy spring forest envelops you almost immediately. The branches of the trees wonderfully close over the road, forming a kind of gallery:

6. One of the objects where the bus stops are bridges with a double-headed eagle, which have remained here since the times when the royal Russian Empire loved to hunt in these places:

7. Many objects of the reserve are marked with information signs with brief description sights in Russian and English. Specifically on this one you can read about the “royal” bridges. Belovezhskaya Pushcha, by the way, is unexpectedly generously flavored with symbols of the European Union:

8. Its age is clearly visible from the bridge. Obviously, there is very little traffic here, which allowed it to survive without much reconstruction:

10. It is a restored (judging by the appearance, from scratch) estate. This museum should give an idea of ​​the life of the indigenous population of Pushcha villages:

11. Inside there is an exposition of pre-revolutionary life in Pushcha:

12. The museum should be something like Kizhi or Vitoslavlitsy. But, of course, there is no comparison. After them, it’s frankly boring here: everything here is new, the walls and floors are decorated with clapboard, as if in a bathhouse, on the walls, among the ancient belongings and utensils, elements of modern life are visible. But people are trying to create a high-quality tourist area here, for which they definitely have great respect.

14. We pass Lyadskoye Lake - the largest in the reserve. It looks very picturesque. And you can’t tell that this is just a reservoir created in the 1960s:

15. Next stop is the 600-year-old Patriarch Oak. Although it is one of the largest and oldest in the reserve, there are, nevertheless, larger and older ones here. It’s just that this one is conveniently located not far from the road, so they put a sign near it and take tourists here:

16. One of interesting stories, associated with Belovezhskaya Pushcha, is about a pack of wolves that terrorized both the animal inhabitants of the reserve and people. They say it was one of the most ferocious wolf packs in the history of these places. They could not be caught for a very long time, and when they finally succeeded, it turned out that the leader of the pack was a service shepherd dog that had escaped from the border outpost. It turns out that this happens sometimes, and packs led by feral dogs are the most dangerous for people, because... The dog's fear of man has been dulled, which is innate in "pure" wolves.

17. We pass by a bison feeder. This is not an aviary or a paddock, it is just a barn with food in the middle of the forest. There are no fences between the shooting location and the feeding trough, to the left of which the bison is visible. This is the only place in the Pushcha where we saw a free-roaming animal:

19. His visit is paid additionally. At the exit of the bus near the enclosures, only those who have paid extra for visiting are released. At the same time, the territory of the zoo is not fenced in any way, and you can simply walk to it from the entrance. In this case, as I understand it, strict reserve employees may ask to see a ticket and, if it is not available, force you to leave the area near the enclosures:

20. Thanks to the spacious enclosures, the surrounding forest and the absence of crowds of visitors eager to feed the animals with chips, it is even better here than in other zoos:

22. Bus tour allows you to superficially evaluate all the most interesting things. For a more detailed study of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, walking and cycling trips are provided. It's too long to walk here on foot; you can't do it without spending the night. But the bike is just that. Having paid the amount corresponding to a particular route to the cashier, you receive a map of this route and a bicycle for rent, for the time during which, in the opinion of the compilers, you will have time to travel around this route.

23. We chose the ten-kilometer route "Tsarskaya Polyana". I’ll say right away: the time calculated by the management of the reserve for the route was more than enough. We drove slowly, stopped and took pictures at every oak tree and clearing, sometimes we just sat down to breathe in the purest pine air. As a result, we returned about five minutes before the end of the allotted time.

24. Speaking of spending the night: on the territory of the Pushcha there are guest houses and all sorts of “fisherman’s houses”, so spending several days here is more than possible. It seems that this is not possible with tents. Already being in the reserve, I realized that it would be great to stay here for a few days, but, unfortunately, the trip was already planned in advance.

25. Perhaps the only problem with a bicycle voyage through the reserve is the huge tourist buses driving along these narrow paths. They drove us around in a miniature MAZ, but all the other buses on these roads were high intercity buses. Apparently most people travel organized tours, and through the Pushcha they are taken on the same buses on which they are taken from the city. They race through the forest, God forbid, so while riding a bicycle I constantly had to listen to see if the engine of this colossus was roaring somewhere around the bend.

26. As I already said, when you pay for a cycling route, you are given a booklet with a map and a description of noteworthy points along the route. On the ground, they are all marked with corresponding posters with descriptions:

27. This growth on a tree trunk, for example, is romantically called the “bison head”:

28. In addition to the booklet, signs at forks also guide the routes at the very least:

29. In principle, no one will control your movements. The main thing is to return on time and return the bike, but not to interfere with the border posts. But from an educational point of view, for the first time it is interesting to explore the proposed attractions.

30. A carved figure of a cat was inserted into the hollow of a thick hermit oak:

31. Grown pines:

32. One of the attractions of the route is this section of the road. The fact is that it was laid along the line of a narrow-gauge railway that existed at the beginning of the 20th century. An extensive network of narrow gauge railways railways with a total length of more than 300 kilometers, the Germans organized it here in 1915. During the First World War, they occupied a significant part of Belarus, including Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and began to export resources, in particular timber, from here at a sprinting pace. The railway network was built hastily, using Russian and French prisoners of war, as well as local residents. It was used for exporting wood. The Poles continued to operate the line, into whose hands the Pushcha fell after the war. No one else could repeat the damage that the Germans and Poles caused to the reserve.

The Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve is the main natural attraction of Belarus, home to rare animals, bison. What to see in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, how to get there from Minsk, prices for excursions, food and hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Reviews about the holiday with photos.

Now I am in my homeland, so on weekends I explore the sights of Belarus, which I will be happy to write about on my blog. I'll start with a story about Belovezhskaya Pushcha. “Pesnyary” also sang about her.

National Park"Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is biosphere reserve, part of which is located in the west of Belarus, the other part is in Poland.

It consists of 500 thousand square meters of forest, the average age of trees in which is 100 years. There are oak trees on the territory of the Pushcha that live there for 500-600 years.

This is one of the oldest nature reserves in the world, which was founded more than 600 years ago. Since 1992, the national park has been included in the fund world heritage UNESCO. This is one of the main attractions of Belarus. Holidays in Belovezhskaya Pushcha are popular among animal lovers and ecotourism.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha occupies a huge territory. You can move around the reserve only on foot, by bicycle or by car. excursion bus. We leave our car in the parking lot.

Essentially the Pushcha is a large forest with several lakes, a small zoo and some entertainment. The main objects that are usually seen in Pushcha: enclosures with animals (bison, horses, wild boars), the Estate of the Belarusian Grandfather Frost (works all year round, and not just in winter), Local History Museum of Nature.

Cash desk opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00

Bicycle rental opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00

Opening hours of the Museum of Nature: 9.00 - 18.00

Opening hours of the Residence of Father Frost: 9.00 - 18.00

Bus departure times from the entrance to the Pushcha to the Estate of Father Frost: 11:00; 13:30; 16:00 daily (if there is a group of at least 10 people)

Hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Renovated building of the Kamenyuki Hotel and restaurant

There is one in Belovezhskaya Pushcha Hotel "Kamenyuki". One building is located on the territory of the reserve, the other is in the neighboring village of Kamenyuki, 900 meters from the main entrance to the Pushcha.

Prices in the village are lower than in the forest itself. Link to Kamenyuki No. 2 in the village (rooms from 17$ )

The Kamenyuki Hotel is now on Booking.com. Now booking rooms in Belovezhskaya Pushcha has become much easier (previously you had to call a landline phone on weekdays, but now you can rent a room on the Internet)

Houses in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

If you don’t want to live in a hotel, then in the village of Kamenyuki you can rent a room in a house, a cottage, or stay in an agricultural estate.

If you come by car, it makes sense to live not near Pushcha, but to rent an apartment in Brest, Kobrin or any other city nearby - it will be several times cheaper than living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha or Kamenyuki.

Apartments and houses in Belarus can be rented using the following links:

• Apartments for a day in Brest - from $19 per apartment

Farmsteads and houses in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Belovezhskoye Estate, from $25

Price - 25$ for a room with a shared bathroom, 45$ per room with private bath

You can rent a separate 19th century house entirely for 50-60$

The estate in the village of Kamenyuki is decorated in a traditional style. There is free wifi and free parking, garden, barbecue area and terrace. It's a 20-25 minute walk to the forest.

House 10 km from the forest, from $75

Price for a one bedroom house - 75$
4 bedroom house - from 100$

The price depends on the number of guests and the size of the cottage.

Complex of cottages. There are 1 bedroom, 4 bedroom and 5 bedroom houses. All houses have a fireplace, private bath, terrace, barbecue, free wifi and parking.

Suitable for those with a car. The estate is located 10 km from the forest in the village of Makovishte

House in Kamenyuki, from $30

Price for two - 30$ , for three - 40$ , for 4 - $50, maximum 5 people.

House with 2 bedrooms in the village of Kamenyuki. There is a garden with a terrace and barbecue facilities, a kitchen with oven, TV, free wifi. The forest is 1 km away.

Excursions in Belovezhskaya Pushcha:

• On foot— you can visit enclosures with animals, the Local History Museum and lakes

• By bike— there are five routes through the territory of the Pushcha, the most long route 27 km long, it runs along ancient oak trees, covers several lakes, partly runs along an asphalt road, and 70% along a dirt road.

• By excursion bus(2 excursions)

Prices for excursions around Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Tickets for excursions can be purchased at the central ticket office at the main entrance. They accept only Belarusian rubles or bank cards.

Russian rubles, dollars and euros are not accepted. If you plan to go to the enclosures and the nature museum, it is better to buy tickets immediately.

All prices are indicated in Belarusian rubles. To understand how much it is dollars, divide the price on 2.

To get the price in Russian rubles, multiply the price in “proteins” by 30.

Prices for adult and children's tickets will be listed below. Visiting the estate of Father Frost, enclosures with animals, the museum of nature - children's ticket up to 14 years old, sightseeing tour with a visit to the Museum of Folk Life - child ticket up to 18 years old.

Walking tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Price: 1 white ruble(RUR 31 / 0.5$ ), lasts 2 hours

You pay money and receive a map with the attractions indicated on it. You can walk without a map, but since the border with Poland is very close, it’s better to get a map so as not to accidentally go where you shouldn’t.

If you just want to walk around the Pushcha without a map, then no need to pay.

Walking tour through Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Bicycle rental works from 9.00 to 18.00.

Prices for cycling routes:

There are a few cycling routes of varying lengths, designed for one and a half, two, four hours. The price includes bicycle rental and a map with routes. The path runs along asphalt and dirt paths.

I read different reviews about the bikes. Many people write that they got it old bike for rent and advise, if possible, to choose aluminum with speeds. It is recommended to take your bike from home. I haven’t rented a bike myself, so I don’t know how things are with the equipment.

Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Sightseeing tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha by bus

Winter equipment rental

Tour of the Estate of the Belarusian Father Frost

Price: adults 8.5 byn ( 260 rub./ 4.4$), children 7 byn ( 215 RUR / 3.6$)

The price includes the performance and gifts for about 3 bel. ruble

Lasts about 2 hours. The bus leaves from the main entrance at 11.00, 13.30 and 16.00

The residence is located 12 km from the main entrance to the reserve, so you can get there on foot or by bicycle, but it will take a lot of time.

Excursion to the Residence of Father Frost

Sights of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Local History Museum of Nature

Price: adults 3 byn (90 rub / 1.5$ ), children - 2 byn (60 rubles / 1$ ).

You can rent an audio guide for 3.5 byn(110 RUR) or order group excursion behind 5 byn(150 rubles) for groups of up to 10 people.

This is the best local history museum on the territory of Europe (although in Moscow it will be cooler). The exhibition was collected over 70 years.

Only wild boars are specially shot in the Pushcha, because there are a lot of them. All other animals died of natural causes and were found by rangers or local residents.

Museum of Nature

stuffed deer
Hunting scene

Residence of the Belarusian Father Frost

A fun performance is being held at the Residence. We danced in circles, ran around the Christmas tree, chatted with Santa Claus and Baba Yaga's sister Korgota, guessed riddles, after which we could write our wishes to Santa Claus. I liked the performance. I think children should like it too.

At the end they gave sets of very tasty Belarusian sweets worth 30 thousand ( 1.5$ ), which is especially nice. Different groups various gifts are received: chocolates, drawing kits for children, etc.

You can also make up to 100 wishes at the residence. Grandfather promised that all of them would come true within a year. We'll see.

Finding happiness with Korgota
12 months. You can hug yours and whisper your deepest wish in his ear :)
My month Kastrychnik
Territory of Father Frost's Residence
Belarusian Santa Claus. Children from Russia did not immediately recognize him
In your grandfather's house you can write down your wishes and receive a gift
Round dances around the Christmas tree in Belovezhskaya Pushcha can be done even in summer

Animals of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Price: adults 2.5 byn ( 80 rub), children 1.5 byn ( 45 rub.).

It is better to buy tickets to the enclosures in advance at the central ticket office.

Wild animals constantly live in the forest, but you can’t always see them, so it’s best to look at the famous Belarusian bison in enclosures. The enclosures are home to bison, deer, raccoon dogs, foxes, moose, bears, wolves, horses, and wild boars.

From 15.20 to 16.00 the animals slept in the houses; large animals were far from the fence. When we found ourselves near the enclosures again around 6 pm, the animals woke up.

They approached the fences and allowed themselves to be petted. It turned out that it is better to look at the animals in the morning or evening. During the day they are busy or sleep.

!!! Please pay attention to the fact that you cannot feed the animals. There are signs on the fences of the enclosure asking people not to feed the animals, but for some reason people continue to throw loaves and whole loaves of bread into the enclosures. If you want a bison or deer to come closer to the fence, it is better to show him a blade of grass.

In front of me, not very smart, giggling people threw a stone at the boar. The boar ate the stone out of habit, but why do such a thing?

A boar that swallowed a stone
Bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Dappled deer
High walls of enclosures

People feed animals bread

Other attractions

Also on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha there are several artificial lakes, centuries-old oak trees, about 300 species of rare birds and about 900 varieties of plants. All this can be seen while walking or cycling.

Food prices in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Our one-day trip to Belovezhskaya Pushcha by car from Minsk cost 120 Bel. rubles (RUR 3,700) for two people.

We drove 760 km, so the main part of the expenses is gasoline (1.19 byr (42 rubles) per liter of 95). We ate at the cafe twice. Once in the forest itself, the second time on the highway. The remaining costs are entrance fees to the enclosures, the museum and the excursion.

Prices in restaurants on the territory of the Pushcha are the same as in establishments in Minsk. Also to the right of the entrance to the reserve there is the Sosny cafe, where you can inexpensively eat pancakes with blueberries or honey, order shish kebab with salad and drink tea.

Sosny cafe menu

Herbal tea with pancakes

How to get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha from Minsk and Brest

1. By car- 360 km from Minsk along the M1 highway to Zhabinka, then through the city of Kamenets to the village of Kamenyuki - this is administrative center Belovezhskaya Pushcha. We reach the end of the village of Kamenyuki and come to a parking lot and the entrance to the reserve.

The movement of vehicles without special permission through the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is prohibited, so we park the car and go for a walk.

2. By public transport

By train to Brest. Tickets for the Minsk-Brest train can be purchased in advance on the website www.rw.by

From the railway station in Brest you need to get to Central Bus Station. Walking distance is about 15 minutes.

At the bus station we buy a ticket to the village of Kamenyuki.

From Kamenyuki station we walk about 1 km to the central entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Main entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha

My reviews about Belovezhskaya Pushcha

It so happened that we left Minsk late and arrived in the Pushcha at 14.30, so we didn’t have time to see everything.

What I especially liked:

• Museum of Nature. I don’t like museums, but everything here is decorated at the highest level. Made with soul. The main thing for me is that animals are not killed for the sake of the museum.

• Herb tea- poured in the Sosny cafe and in the cafe at the residence of Father Frost. To my greatest sadness, the tea itself, which is used to brew tea, is not sold on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

• Excursion to the Residence of Father Frost. They gave delicious gifts, and the performance itself was fun. Well done guys. They are trying!

• Bison and gray horse. The conditions for keeping animals in enclosures are quite good. I used to not like zoos, but now I understand that they still have meaning. Most zoos are home to old or sick animals who find it difficult to find food in the wild. At the zoo, the animals are fed - this is already a big plus. The only thing that seemed strange to me was that all the trees in the enclosures where the bison live were cut down. In summer, animals will have nowhere to hide from the sun. I hope that closer to June the bison will move from their clearing to the forest, like other animals.

There are no trees at all in the enclosure where the bison live

What I didn’t like about Belovezhskaya Pushcha

• People who, despite the ban, feed animals with bread and stones.

• According to reviews, the condition of the bikes leaves much to be desired.

• Bison are not combed. In Chizhovsky Park in Minsk, animals look more well-groomed.

Working on turning a toad into a prince

Thus, while traveling to the sights of Belarus, I recommend that you visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha and spend at least one, two or three days there. Relax your soul, breathe in the fresh forest air, ride a bike or just take a walk.

Have a nice holiday in Belarus! Sincerely,

How to get there?

You can get to the Pushcha by car - focus on the agricultural town of Kamenyuki, adjacent to the Pushcha. From Minsk, drive along the M1 highway until the turn to Zhabinka (P7), then to the city of Kamenets and the village of Kamenyuki along P83.

If you're going public transport, get to Brest, and from there a minibus leaves from the bus station several times a day straight to the main entrance to the Pushcha and a bus. You can buy tickets. The price is BYN 3.8 - 4.27, travel time is one and a half hours. Right at the main entrance to the Pushcha you can buy all the tickets you need and rent a bicycle.

Where to live?

If you want to give yourself a real vacation and complete forest relaxation, get ready to hang out in the Pushcha for several days.

If you want closer communication with nature, you can rent a vacation spot on the shores of lakes Plyanta, Lava and Pererovskoye - it will cost BYN 16 per day. In the national park you can rent tents, rugs and sleeping bags for an overnight stay for BYN 2-4. All the details .

Two more options if you want to stay in Kamenets and see Belaya Vezha at the same time.

What else is there to see nearby?

Spend a couple of days in cozy Brest, explore thoroughly, arrange forays into interesting cities nearby - . In Kobrin, look at the churches, the estate and stroll along the green embankment of the Mukhavets River, and in Kamenets pay tribute to the very White Vezha, which gave the name to the forest, even though it is not actually white. Now there is a local history museum in Vezha, and you can also climb to its top and admire the surroundings.

I've been really enjoying natural attractions lately. The sight of many of them literally blows your mind. Behind Last year Tanya and I have already visited three national parks in three different countries Europe. We rock climbed in Spanish; admired the crystal surface of rivers and lakes in Poland; and then wandered through the amber forests in . And each of these places was magnificent in its own way.

That is why in January 2016 Tanya and I decided to visit another national park. This time – located on the territory of our own homeland. I think you understand what we are talking about. Therefore, I will say right away: Belovezhskaya Pushcha completely and completely met all my expectations. Covered in a lace of January snows, the oldest forest in Europe looked amazingly beautiful and somehow even a little fabulous in winter. Massive silhouettes of centuries-old trees stretched somewhere towards the heavens. And therefore, from just the sight of dense thickets with narrow ribbons of paths, lost around the next turn, some strange feeling of inspiration appeared in my soul. Somewhere overhead the lively trill of a woodpecker was constantly heard. The forest lived its own life. And for a short moment, our paths intertwined with him into one whole...

How to get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha?

Hmm... I'll start, so to speak, with organizational issues. You can get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha either by car or by intercity buses. I read on one of the forums on the Internet that today a certain number of private minibuses also go in the direction of the ancient forest. But I haven’t checked this information myself. Therefore, I will not dwell on this in detail now.

Regular buses from Brest travel to the Pushcha throughout the day. Some of them will take you directly to the gates of the National Park. Others will only reach the small village of Kamenyuki. From there you will have to walk to the gate of the complex. But don’t rush to get scared: the walk to your destination is no more than a kilometer. According to Google Maps - 0.8 km.

You can view the bus schedule from Brest on the website ticketbus.by. For those who are lazy, I am attaching here two screenshots with the schedule and prices. It's quite simple. How to get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha I think you'll figure it out.

At the gates of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park

All buses heading to Belovezhskaya Pushcha arrive directly at its gates - at a large parking lot located nearby. There is security here. And next to her post there are stalls with various kinds of souvenirs.

The selection of magnets, key chains and plates is approximately the same as in Brest. Plus some local flavor. At the same time, despite quite a large number of visiting tourists, prices are quite affordable. In January 2016 most of magnets cost around 20 - 40 thousand (1-2 dollars). The selection is pretty good. One hundred thousand can be purchased in full.

If you have enough money, for a million and a half ($50-75) you can even buy yourself a corridor rug like this. Made very realistic. I was even somehow afraid to pick it up.

Prices in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Each of the routes along Belovezhskaya Pushcha has its own separate cost. And this fact for me personally became the most unexpected discovery in this place with a “minus” sign. Usually in national parks it’s like this: you buy an entrance ticket, get a map and go where you want. In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, each route is paid separately. In Belarusian money it turns out from 50 cents to 1 dollar (depending on the specific direction). Food coupons range from 10,000 to 20,000.

There are six routes themselves (although some of them are intertwined and are, in fact, an expanded version of previous routes). There is plenty to choose from. Special stands with descriptions of various directions are located right outside the gates of the complex. As reference information each of them indicates the length of the path, the type of route (bicycle/pedestrian), as well as designations of the main attractions located along its entire length.

By the way, next to the descriptions of the routes there are stands like this.

If you wander around the Pushcha chaotically and disorderly, you may inadvertently wander into the territory. Therefore, if suddenly while traveling somewhere in the distance you see the shine of some modern spa complex... hmm... so to speak... do not go into the light. This is not welcomed by the customs authorities of the two countries.

What other paid services are there in Belovezhskaya Pushcha? A visit to enclosures with animals, a tour of the Museum of Nature, a trip to visit Santa Claus and all sorts of other nonsense (like renting audio guides and other things). Personally, we went straight from the gates of Belovezhskaya Pushcha to see the local bison. But I'll tell you about this a little later.

Hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

There are quite a lot of various hotels, inns and tourist complexes on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Some of them are located on the territory national park, others in the nearby village of Kamenyuki. You can find suitable options in several ways.

Option #2. Search for options on Booking.com.

Option #3: Check the options offered on the AIRBNB website.

Only in this case, options need to be looked for in Kamenyuki, and not in Belovezhskaya Pushcha itself. Another little secret: the AIRBNB website has special discount coupons. Register using the link provided and you will automatically receive a small discount on your first booking (automatically triggered when the booking amount is 75-77 dollars).

Personally, during this trip we booked accommodation in the city of Brest (from there you can get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha very quickly). For those who decide to choose this option, I suggest looking for hotels on this website. I use it regularly myself.

Enclosures in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Royal deer. Enclosures of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Belarusian bison, royal deer, wolves, foxes and other animals are a real “ must see» National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Going to these regions, I heard several times that with proper luck they can be quite encountered even in the natural environment. But this, so to speak, is not an acquired taste.

It is much easier to look at the animals living in the Pushcha in special enclosures of the reserve. Entrance here costs 20,000 rubles (about 1 dollar). There are cages with animals to the left of the entrance to the park. Finding this place is not difficult.

I will write more about what animals can be found in local enclosures in a separate article. Well, for now I’ll just say one thing: enclosures of Belovezhskaya Pushcha— the place is very cool and interesting, completely different from an ordinary zoo. The territory of the complex is quite large. Therefore, many animals hardly notice the cells. In winter, by the way, you could ride around the entire complex on such a charismatic horse. But again, this is a different story.

Where to eat in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

As indicated on the official website of the reserve, there are only three catering facilities on the territory of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. Plus one more - in the village of Kamenyuki. In addition to closed premises, in different parts of the reserve you can also find small tents selling pancakes, herbal tea, kebabs and other delicacies. By prior arrangement, it is also possible to organize picnics (at least that’s what is written on the official website).

Personally, Tanya and I had a decorous dinner at a restaurant with the poetic name “Pines”, located to the right of the entrance to reserve. Belovezhskaya Pushcha I was surprised by the pleasant price level. Going on this trip, I honestly thought that everything would be much more expensive here.

So, what is the Sosny restaurant?

• Pleasant price level.
• Delicious food (we took warm borscht and pancakes with blackberry jam).
• The menu includes interesting local “tricks” such as Belovezhskaya moonshine (“Pushchanka”) and herbal tea brewed using herbs that are collected somewhere here – in the forest.

Minuses:

• Unpretentious interior.
• Lack of a toilet (instead there is only a lonely washbasin in the corner).
• The lack of a certain hallway in the restaurant meant there was always a slight breeze from the street. Visitors came and went. And approximately every third person certainly forgot to close the door behind them (which, I repeat, goes directly onto the street).

Pancake prices.

Overall, I liked this restaurant. He was definitely worthy of the money we left here. The borscht turned out to be delicious. Pancakes too. And herbal tea is generally top class.

National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha": a walk along snow-covered paths

In my previous articles related to this trip to the Brest region, I have already written more than once that we chose not the best for the trip. best time. In the first half of January it was very cold in Belarus. Tanya and I were completely frozen. Therefore, I admit honestly, making a full-scale hike along one of the tourist routes we never succeeded. To be honest, I’m already thinking about going to the reserve (Belovezhskaya Pushcha) again when it gets a little warmer. To rent a bike, rent a room in one of the local " hotel complexes"and just take a day and a half to travel along the protected paths of the oldest forest in Europe. Damn, guys, do you even know that our entire continent once looked like this?! And only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha can you see with your own eyes what it was like old light before the period of urbanization and great industrial revolutions. Agree – this is a unique opportunity.

Returning from heaven to earth, I will say that we walked along the paths of the reserve quite a bit. However, this was enough to get to two attractions at once, marked on numerous tourist maps. I was completely delighted with each of them that day. Well, in general, see for yourself. Here they are.

Attraction No. 1. Birch with the head of a bison. I agree, it sounds strange. But it looks pretty cool. Unusual, to say the least. It's a pity that it was covered with snow in winter. In the summer, they say, it looks even cooler.

Attraction No. 2. Hermit Oak. This one actually reminded me of some kind of Tolkien Ent. Well, remember those talking trees in The Lord of the Rings. Take a closer look. It seems that this oak tree is looking at you suspiciously.

Endgame: the final word

In general, walking through Belovezhskaya Pushcha, you get the impression that this forest is one huge living organism. Some movement is constantly heard in the bushes. And somewhere overhead, almost every minute, the rhythmic knock of a woodpecker is heard. In short, as you probably already understood, I really liked this place. I understand that it is difficult to brag about a trip to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to your friends (at least, the phrase “I went to Belovezhskaya Pushcha” is difficult to pronounce with the same pathetic expression as the phrase “I went to Paris”). But this place is worth seeing. Our country also knows how to surprise. And it can also be infinitely beautiful - no worse than, for example, Poland

Or how we met Santa Claus in the primeval forests of the Motherland

Chapter 1. Flora and fauna of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Terrible secrets of the primeval forest.

The bison is a large, shaggy-haired cow. This cow weighs approximately 600-800 kg. But this particular bull in the photo weighed 1200 kg. This is one of the first 5 bison that were brought to the Pushcha from Poland after the Great Patriotic War. It successfully reproduced there. And now we have 312 bison in Belarus. And if they multiply any more, they will devour the Pushcha. Therefore, they are now being actively exported to other friendly countries....5 zubriks will soon leave for Moldova.

But there are no bears in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Back in the day, when there were few bison and they were on the verge of extinction, vile bears drove them onto the ice of the lake in winter and the bison, like large cows on ice, simply crashed. Significantly superior in strength to bison, bears killed them with one blow to the back. Therefore, hunting bears in the Pushcha has always been permitted, and at present there are only two bears left there - Misha and Masha, who were sleeping peacefully in the enclosures while we were looking at them.

When does a deer grow antlers?

No, that's wrong. A deer grows antlers in its second year of life. And they don’t grow straight away into bones, but into fluffy ones. Such super cool velor horns. And every year a horn grows on them. That is, the age of a deer or elk = the number of antler shoots + 1. However, there are exceptions to the rule. Starting from a certain period of aging (for each individual), the number of processes decreases in the opposite direction. So an old moose is a bald moose.

Females do not grow horns. They get much more. I was “placed” by the antlers in this angle to take pictures with the deer.

Well, let's move on to storks. It turns out that storks are not swans at all. T But a stork man doesn’t care at all who he lives with. Returning from the south to his nest, a male stork may meet there a completely different female stork, and not his wife. However, a scandal cannot be avoided. The missus arrives later (well, she was delayed..) and what she sees is treason and betrayal. The male stork leaves the nest and gives the ladies the opportunity to find out for themselves this piquant question - who will live with him... It all ends sadly - one of the storks is forced to leave the nest and her stork. It's good if there are no casualties. And the stork takes it for granted.

Women storks are generally cruel birds...U Nothing will work out between a white stork and a black one, because the white lady simply doesn’t understand what the black one wants from her? That is, love, courtship and all that stuff for God’s sake, but they don’t know how to make children. Learn the materiel, as they say.

Beavers. Beavers are kind, as you know. But in the advertisement we are shown a seemingly terminally ill beaver at the end of his days. In life, beavers have yellow, even yellow-brown teeth, and the darker they are, the stronger and more valuable they are for the beaver. but when white spots appear on them, this is a dental disease, which is naturally extremely undesirable for a beaver.

Wolves are not uncommon in Pushcha. A wolf differs from a dog fundamentally in that its tail is always tucked between its legs and never curled.

There are no less interesting birds in Belovezhskaya Pushcha - black grouse and wood grouse. I think many people know why is a capercaillie called a capercaillie - he is completely deaf when he sings his mating songs, and it’s not for nothing that he is deaf - he sings disgustingly. That is, it’s good for him, but for everyone else... And when he sings like this, you can remove him from the tree with your bare hands, which hunters have always used. So about the morals of these birds. They can mate with each other, although the birds are completely different. And their offspring are called the unflattering word mezhnyak. And this mezhnyak is barren in pursuit of multi-colored storks.

Foxes are the most arrogant and dirty animals, among the inhabitants of the forest. Literally. They never clean their holes and, excuse me, poop where they eat. Unlike badgers. Those cleanest animals, and often they clean up after the foxes their own holes that the foxes have occupied.

The raccoon dog is our Belarusian opossum. Just a little bit - she immediately pretends to be dead, and if you kick her, so to speak... to check her deadness... she jumps up and runs away with a wild squeal...

Lynxes have wide paws so they can run through the snow without falling through, and a small heart so they don’t have to run after their prey for a long time. Either right away or never is their motto. If it was not possible to grab it right away, then the lynx may simply die while catching up with it, which it certainly does not want, and the prey is released on its own.

Among the nocturnal inhabitants there are, of course, bats of all different varieties.... As you know, bats navigate using ultrasound. This was established through animal cruelty- first they were blindfolded... and they all oriented themselves perfectly... Then they bandaged their nose... and at least they had something... And then they got to their ears... I can’t guarantee the purity of this experiment... still according to I’m telling you from memory... but nevertheless, as a result, they found out that they are guided by ultrasound... Everyone also probably knows that our cauldrons often get tangled in their hair... And all because hair does not reflect ultrasound... And then scientists found out that white color also does not reflect ultrasound. And I somehow felt creepy in this museum. Blondes should not go into caves with mice. Especially for blondes :)

All kinds of reptiles, insects and plants simply flood the Pushcha. You still can’t tell about them all... but I must say they are impressive....

Chapter 2. Belarusian Santa Claus.

So, let's move on to the second part of our journey - meeting with Santa Claus.

This is the official residence of Father Frost. There are four of them officially registered on earth, so to speak - Santa Claus lives in Lapland; in Alaska we must assume the same; Russian Father Frost lives in Veliky Ustyug; and ours is in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Also Santa Claus. Well, it’s clear that grandpa alone can’t cope. There are four of them... but it doesn’t matter :)

Electrical elements of the Residence

That's what he is!!! Summer! Talked to us. I wished you all the best and fulfillment of all your desires. The children gave him their letters directly into his hands! Overall it was actually pretty cool. Actually for real. And then we went for a walk around his property. Real world fairy tales. It was truly magical to meet the REAL SANTA CLAUS!

Vitalik was lucky - he found his frog princess. And an amazing tree is black alder. This is the only tree that sheds green leaves in the fall!

And also on the way

A mill that you had to touch and it would grind all the bad deeds done during the year, and the gnomes would then take them far into the forest. And if you then behave well, then this evil will never return to you. Teremki, Dwarfs and Snow White and other fairy tale heroes - there were a lot of them! The pond where the frog princess lives. Magic well. And then we came across a clearing of twelve months. You had to touch your month and make a wish - it would definitely come true.

Fraternization with dwarves. High five!

Emelina pike

Ilya made a wish at the snowball. It will definitely come true

The Little Humpbacked Horse

These gnomes love mushrooms...

Minor saxophonist

Magic pond where the Frog Princess lives

Around the Christmas tree... gnomes are also no strangers to progress

Buratino of course on Tortilla

New fairy tales. Ilya and the wolf. Fury is wooden and in the flesh

New fairy tales. Masha, Sasha and the bear

Golden comb cockerel

Just a gnome

Good old tales - Anfisa

February is the second brother month. You had to touch your month and make a wish

The Frog Princess in person. Men kiss her to find their other half

Here she is! Beautiful mega-tree of the country! Only in summer. Round dances are held around it in winter and the most famous song about New Year and a Christmas tree for hundreds of children. Song - “A Christmas tree was born in the forest!” By the way, in 2006 I turned 101 years old. And the words were written to her by an unknown school librarian from some village... I don’t remember anymore. And the music was composed much later.

She is very tall, and most importantly....real....and beautiful....you could wring your neck to see the top. 40 meters. Attention - THE HIGHEST LIVING EUROPEAN TREE. She is 120 years old!!! There was also something to see around the tree.

There is also “Skarbnitsa” is a repository of gifts, as well as letters, drawings, photographs and crafts sent by children to Santa Claus. And this is us sitting in the chair of Santa Claus while grandfather is away. This office also houses the Santa Claus Museum, which contains antiques.

A very beautiful flower bed near Skarbnitsa

There is a museum of antiquities in Grandfather's office. Stupa for your attention!

In Grandfather's chair. And around - all the children's gifts to Santa Claus

There was also the Snow Maiden's house there. Only the Snow Maiden does not live there. And she was not there. She only comes in winter. But we found out who her father is))))).... The snowman is her father. Mom unknown

Chapter 3. Live wild animals.

And then we went to the enclosures to look at the same wild animals that we were told about in the museum. It turned out that they are not wild at all. The bison were really far away, the bears were sleeping, and some of them didn’t come out of their holes either. But many did not refuse to eat.

Warned - wild animals! Let's go to the enclosures.

Animals reproduce well in the Pushcha. Young shoots

Bison are the kings of the forest. Waiting to be sent to Moldova

A four-year-old deer snatched a carrot from my hands

No one refused to eat. The moose ate some bread

We had a great trip and had a great time. There is amazing nature there. The air is clean there. I saw the real Santa Claus. I made wishes and I already want to go there in winter - for the New Year.

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