Once upon a time, dense forests covered all of Europe. Part of this virgin thicket has been preserved on the territory of such countries as Poland and Belarus. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is now the name of this huge forest. True, geographers call this ecoregion scientifically “Sarmatian mixed forest”. In this article, we will consider the possibilities to get acquainted with Belovezhskaya Pushcha in its Belarusian part. Is this a reserve where no one is allowed in except for foresters (and the first persons of states, if you remember 1991)? Or is it still possible for mere mortals to visit push notifications? How to get there? Where to settle? How is the food there? And when is the best time to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha? We studied all this by analyzing the reviews of tourists. And if you are planning an unforgettable vacation in the bosom of virgin nature, you will certainly be interested in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
History
The first mention of the virgin thicket, which occupies a vast territory, we meet in the Ipatiev Chronicle, which dates back to 983. Even then, forests in large numbers in Central and Eastern Europe were cut down. That's whysecular rulers began to reserve areas of the thickets for their hunting. We can say that Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the first nature reserves in history. There is a decree of 1409, according to which the Polish king Jagiello forbade his subjects to meddle in this virgin forest. Only he and his brother Witold had the right to hunt there. European bison, which were exterminated everywhere, remained, as a species, only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. When this part of Poland was ceded to the Soviet Union (in 1939), the decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR assigned to the forest its reserved status. And in 1992, the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was included in the UNESCO list as a world heritage of mankind. This reserve is a real miracle of nature, which has survived to this day and, we hope, for our descendants.
Where is Belovezhskaya Pushcha
As we have already mentioned, the relic primeval forest occupies the territory of Poland and Belarus. In this latter state, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located in the Brest and Grodno regions. What is the best way to get to the recreation area of the reserve? Reviews advise starting a trip from Brest. An express bus runs from this city twice a day (at half past nine and half past two). But you can get by other regular transport. With your car, you need to move, according to road signs, along the route Brest - Kamenets and further, to the village of Kamenyuki, where, in fact, the entrance to the reserve is located. From Minsk you can also order a tour to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. But, since the capital of Belarus from the parkseparated by three hundred and forty kilometers, the price of such an excursion increases many times due to the cost of gasoline.
What is available to a simple tourist
The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is divided into several zones. One of them is really reserved, in the strict sense of the word. No one is allowed in there, so as not to disturb the peace of the forest inhabitants and keep the virgin ecosystem intact. But there is also a recreational area in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Entrance to it is paid. In the village of Kamenyuki there is an entrance with a ticket office. Only Belarusian rubles are accepted, so you need to stock up on local currency in big cities in advance. Several types of tickets can be purchased at the box office. Entrance to the territory of the reserve will cost ten thousand Belarusian rubles (35 Russian). The ticket includes a map with hiking trails. To avoid problems with the Polish border guards (after all, the state cordon is close), it is better not to leave the marked trails. You can rent a bike (one hundred Russian rubles per hour). For the entrance to the Museum of Nature, to the enclosures with animals and to the Residence of Father Frost, you need to pay separately. A sightseeing bus tour to Belovezhskaya Pushcha (in the park) will cost two hundred and ten Russian rubles.
When to visit the reserve
The climate in southern Belarus is not much different from ours. But, despite the fact that the nature of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is always beautiful, it is better to visit the reserve during the season when the daylight hours are long. In winter, reviews recommend heading toResidence of Santa Claus. This tour will be great fun for the kids. The entrance fee to the Residence is approximately three hundred Russian rubles for an adult. The ticket includes a set of performances and a gift for the child from Santa Claus. The climatic zone where Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located does not please with warm days. The best time to visit the reserve reviews are the summer months, May and September. By the way, the Residence of Grandfather Frost, which opened in 2003, works not only in winter. At any time, a fairy-tale character and his assistants will be able to meet with your child.
Where to live
Tours to Belarus, the package of which includes a visit to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, involves accommodation at the Kamenyuki Hotel, in the village of the same name. This hotel is located nine hundred meters from the entrance to the reserve. But recently a new building of the Kamenyuki Hotel was built - right next to the Museum of Nature. Prices in the village are much lower than in the reserve. Also in the village you can rent a house or live in a homestead with a boarding house. If you are on your own car, it will be cheaper to stay in Kamenets. There prices for accommodation, reviews assure, are even lower. On the territory of the protected area, you can also rent small cottages for five to nine people. But this is too expensive. In three buildings of the Kamenyuki Hotel there are rooms of the "improved" and "lux" categories. In order to have lunch on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, it is not at all necessary to leave the reserve. Hungry visitors can expect a wonderful restaurant that treatsdishes of Belarusian cuisine.
Museum of Nature
Reviews strongly recommend first of all to visit it. The museum gives an idea of the species of animals and plants that inhabit the Republic of Belarus. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a kind of natural relic. It is noteworthy that stuffed animals for the exposition were made from animals and birds that died by their own death. Only wild boars are shot here, as the increased population threatens to damage the entire ecosystem. Therefore, the exposition of the museum was composed for seventy years. Reviews assure that stuffed animals do not at all represent a dull or terrible sight. They fit very well into the "landscape" created by real masters. Therefore, you can see the real lair of wolves, roe deer with a deer and other representatives of the fauna of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Entrance to the Museum of Nature costs twenty-five thousand Belarusian rubles (90 Russian). Children's ticket - half the price.
Animal enclosure
If you take a walking or cycling tour of the reserve, then you have a chance to meet a representative of the fauna inhabiting Belarus. Belovezhskaya Pushcha, however, is too huge for the paths of people and animals to cross. And if you want to look at the inhabitants of the reserve, it is better to buy a ticket to the aviary at the box office immediately at the entrance. Naturally, all the attention is drawn to the real owners of the Pushcha - bison. These mighty bison were once found throughout Europe. But due to ruthless hunting, they completely died out. A small livestock remained only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. And ever since virginthe forest became a reserve, their population increased significantly. In addition to bison, in the enclosure you can see - and even feed - wild boars, bears, raccoon dogs, foxes, wolves, deer. A ticket to the enclosure costs twenty thousand Belarusian rubles for an adult and ten thousand for a child. Reviews advise to come to the animals in the morning or in the evening, because at lunchtime the animals sleep after feeding.
Residence of Santa Claus
New Year's tours to Belarus necessarily include a visit to Belovezhskaya Pushcha in their program. After all, not only children, but also adults have an exceptional opportunity to make up to a hundred wishes. And they will certainly come true within the next year. Belarusian Santa Claus looks a little different than his Russian counterpart. He has a white zhupan embroidered with silver galloons and a cap of the same kind. Dwells in the Residence of Santa Claus and the sister of our Baba Yaga - Korgota. On New Year's Eve, Grandfather and his granddaughter Snegurochka come to visit. But with the first days of spring, she goes to Lapland. As the reviews of tourists assure, the children really like the performance. They run around the Christmas tree, solve the riddles of Korgota, and in the end they receive gifts - who gets sweets, and who gets coloring books, chocolates and similar gifts.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha: plants
But, of course, the main thing in the reserve is not the entertainment of children and tourists, but the preservation of the ecosystem. The virgin forest hides under its crowns a lot of plants that have long been included in the Red Book not only of Belarus, but of the whole world. Meet tothese species can be found in the Museum of Nature. By the way, it is the most visited in the Brest region. The museum received its first tourists in 1963. The entire first floor of the building is reserved for animals living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Plants, birds, butterflies, mushrooms make up the exposition of the upper tier. Reviews advise you to first visit the Museum of Nature, and then, with the necessary knowledge, go to the forest. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is covered with snow in winter, so the best time for such educational excursions is summer.
Reviews of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
As a rule, tourists are satisfied with the trip to the reserve. However, they express wishes regarding the development of infrastructure. The residence of Santa Claus is located quite far from the entrance. If you go with a tour, then the bus brings tourists right to the entrance. But traveling alone is difficult. After all, the car must be left in the parking lot. And with a child to walk along the path (and even in winter) for a very long time. Tourists are advised to take lunch with them, since there is only one restaurant in the entire vast area of \u200b\u200bthe forest. Reviews advise to combine a visit to the reserve with a visit to other interesting places in the Republic of Belarus. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located very close to the town of Kamenets, in which the 14th century tower Vezha has been preserved. And in Brest, you need to visit the heroic fortress.
