The history of Belavezha Forest
The history of Belavezha Forest dates back to the X century. For the first time it was mentioned in Ipatiev Chronicle in 983. In 1409 the prince Yagaila named the Forest a preserved area and prohibited everybody but his cousin Vitavt and himself to hunt there. Despite the park’s status of protected area, the hunt of the kings decreased the amount of wild boars, bisons and other animals. In the period of the First World War the territory of the forest was occupied by German invaders who took out about 4.5 million m3 of wood species. By 1919 all bisons and fallow deers were hunt to extinction. Almost all deers and wild boars died out. After becoming part of the BSSR, Belavezha Forest acquired a status of the Belarusian State Reserve. As the war ended and the borders were defined, part of the reserve together with the Belavezha village, bison farm and national park were passed to Poland. A new farm for bisons was built on the Belarusian side of the reserve and new bisons were bred. When the number of species was 19 the bisons were set free. A lot of trees in Belavezha Forest are 600 years old. There are more than a thousand giant trees in the reserve. Besides, the forest is a home for 59 species of mammals such as a red deer, a tarpan (species of wild horse), a wild boar and of course a bison, the symbol of the reserve. Bisons are the biggest animals in Europe and the last representatives of buffalo. Besides animals Belavezha Forest is a place of living for 225 species of birds, such as a woodpecker, a crane and a stork. The national park has a lot of birds and animals that are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus.
Places of Interest in Belavezha Forest
Not far from the park entrance tourists can visit a famous museum of nature that can tell a lot about Belavezha Forest. Old photography equipment of imperial Russia is exhibited there. Those who need a cup of coffee or tea can stop by a gift shop. Dzied Maroz residence is very popular with children and adults especially in the winter, but the manor can be visited at any time of the year. By the way, the highest spruce (40 meters) that’s 120 years old is growing there. Tourists can enjoy looking at bisons, wild boars, deers, wolves, mooses and other animals. One can rent a bicycle to have a ride in the park and enjoy the beauty and the fresh air of the forest. Besides, tourists can bring their own bicycles and have a free ride on the aloud route.
How to Get there
To go by car taking the route М1/Е30 is the easiest way to reach Belavezha Forest. The distance is about 350 km from Minsk. In order to have a comfortable ride you can use our transfer service. To calculate the price of the trip and make an order you can follow the link.
- Tourists can buy tickets 9.00 – 18.00
- Bicycle rent 9.00 – 18.00
- The Nature Museum is open 9.00 – 18.00
- Dzied Maroz Residence is open 9.00 – 18.00
- Excursion to open-air cages 9.00 – 18.00
- General sightseeing tour including visiting the Museum of ethnography – adults – 10 BYN, children – 6 BYN
- The Nature Museum - adults – 3 BYN, children – 2 BYN
- Excursion to open-air cages - adults – 2.5 BYN, children – 1.5 BYN
- Excursion to the Residence of Dzied Maroz - adults – 8.5 BYN, children – 7 BYN
- For enquiries, call +375-1631-5-61-69
