Animals of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha drawings with a simple pencil. Belarus
Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the significant natural objects of Belarus. In summer, you can take a break from the bustle of the city, and in winter, recharge your New Year's mood. I decided to try the winter version. What came of it - read below.
Day 1. How to get to Kamenuk without a car?
I had a chance to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha a couple of years ago, but I managed to tell about the trip only now. But do not worry, I remember everything, I will tell you honestly, I hope a lot will be useful. In general, Saturday, on which our small company decided to go to the reserved forest, started early. At 6:16 in the morning our train departed for Brest, and it arrived at about 10:00. Leaving the train in Brest, we headed to the bus station: it is from here that minibuses and buses leave for Kamenyuki, an agricultural town next to Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
The bus station was found quickly. Walking step got about 10 minutes. As expected, the minibus in Kamenyuki does not go often: 3 times a day. The closest one is around 1pm. What to do before this time? We decided to leave our luggage at the bus station and take a walk around Brest. Let's go, as they say, wherever your 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-rise houses of a bygone era with newfangled shops look European. And New Year's decorated shop windows and snow-covered lanterns create a special atmosphere. You immediately understand: you are not in Minsk. It is understandable, because abroad is “two steps away”, if only there was a visa ... Oh, I was daydreaming, let's move on. Soon we were 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 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 standing up. But you won’t envy them - it’s more than an hour to go to Kamenyuk. And yet people were driving. At 2:00 p.m. we were already there. And then an unexpected situation arose.
Even at the ticket office at the bus station, we were asked: “Will you take a ticket back?” And after all, even then we should have been alerted by something. But nooooo. We decided: "Why, we will buy in Kamenyuki at the station." When we were on the spot… In short, standing alone, blown by all the winds and covered with snow, the stop of the town of Kamenyuki looked a little like a bus station. Yeah, so that's what the question of a kind aunt at the box office was, who was too lazy to say that there would be nowhere to buy tickets. But then the driver came to the rescue, asking if everyone could go back. It was from him that we bought saving slips, giving us a chance to get out of the Belarusian border hinterland. “Where is the forest here?” one of the passengers turned to the driver, looking back into the misty distance. And we pricked up our ears too.
The driver pointed in the direction where the settlement ended and left. Local residents quickly fled to their homes. Apparently, there were very few tourists traveling on their own, like us. Everything is white and white, either snow or fog is ahead, and nothing is visible in the direction where the forest should be ... But first it was necessary 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 remaining 3 buildings are located right on the territory of the reserve. There are no signs, of course. We decided to resort to the Sherlock method. The road to nowhere went to the right (although the driver claimed that there was Belovezhskaya Pushcha), and village houses stood on the left. We decided to go to civilization. They did not lose - here it is, hotel number 2. Better than you could imagine. Budget - and conditions at the level.
In search of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
After settling in, we quickly had a snack and went to explore the area. Nevertheless, it was already 15:00 on the clock, and it was not permissible to stay too long. Having passed in the direction indicated by the minibus driver, after 10 minutes we were at the entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Well, hello, we got to you so much!
There is a car park at the main entrance to the famous nature reserve. It is not possible to enter the territory by private transport. Everyone who travels on their "horse" should park it here. Only sightseeing buses run through the territory of the forest, which take tourists to the sights. To get on the tour, you need to buy a ticket and wait for the next flight. Cashiers are located to the right of the entrance. There is also a souvenir shop there.
The tourist department of the reserve offers 2 bus tours: a sightseeing tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and a trip to Santa Claus. For some reason there was no sightseeing tour. But we didn't plan on getting there. The main goal, of course, is Santa Claus. Moreover, it is just advised to go to him in the evening, when the illumination turns on. All the tickets for the last flight at 16:00 were already sold out, but there were so many people who wanted to fly that they soon announced that they would make another flight for us at 17:00. There were 2 buses.
While the box office was discussing how many tickets could still be sold, the queue was "squeezing" the local cat, who was resting on the window sill of the box office. A polished coat, a well-fed face, a lazy look - that's who really successfully settled in the reserve.
In the estate of the Belarusian Father Frost
A trip to Santa Claus is a topic that deserves special attention. Boarding the buses in the forest is reminiscent of the storming of the Bastille (not that we remember this event as we do now, there really were a lot of people). The bus brought tourists who had walked up and loaded a new batch. Needless to say, 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 way to women and children, and dutifully rode standing, hugging backpacks and sleds.
The road to Santa Claus took exactly 16 minutes 🙂 While driving, the passengers were given a chance to listen to a recording with a story about Pushcha. When everyone disembarked from the bus at the entrance to the Fairy Manor, there was a hitch: “So 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 stuck around the guide and dragged her to the gate to the territory of the residence of their beloved Grandfather. The woman was conducting the tour, backing away. But in fact, we came across an excellent Snezhinka: she told a lot of fun, provocatively and interestingly.
By the time we got to the estate, it was dark enough. In addition, the elements raged in earnest. The snow was excellent. Remember a couple of snowless winters? So, that year we really asked for snow - and we interrogated after all. The atmosphere was created just right, only the camera desperately refused to shoot in the dark, and even with a lens covered with snow.
We did not get to Santa Claus right away. First look out the windows house of the Snow Maiden looking for their reflection in the mirror. They say if you can see the reflection, you will look 10 years younger. I immediately doubted: is it worth it? I didn't want to go back to school. But we were assured that this effect is gradual and will manifest itself over time. Well, let's see.
And now, finally, adults and children, with equal joy, crowded around Santa's house. And he stood on his porch next to his granddaughter and waved his hands to visitors, shouting greetings. It was difficult to photograph him, because while I “took aim”, the younger generation was already hanging on the red grandfather’s caftan. Difficult this job, however, to be a favorite of the kids.
I didn’t even hear what the unfortunate man was shouting, I tried to bypass the crowd and take at least some pictures. But just a couple of minutes were allotted for a meeting with the main character of the estate: in the pre-holiday time, a conveyor system operates in the fabulous residence. Very soon, Grandfather announced that he would not be able to take a picture with everyone, so he suggested taking pictures by region. It turned out that there were not only Belarusians in our group, but also foreign guests: Poles, Lithuanians.
Then a new Snowflake picked us up and took us to Nastenka from a fairy tale about 12 months. Nastenka looked a little like a girl, but the little one did not care at all. In addition, she made an excellent fire pit near the wooden figures of the brothers of the months. First, everyone was asked to find their month and make a wish from it. Lucky: everyone rushed to the spring-summer side, and I calmly went to my Listapad. Guess I don't want to.
Pleased with a round dance near the fire. They thawed their noses a little, warmed their hands, holding on to their neighbors, threw everything bad into the fire, “raked in” everything good for themselves. The ceremony went off with a bang, as even adults know that fire cleanses. Another place where you can get rid of all the bad things is mill, which grinds all the negativity left to it. Well, what a visit to the residence without a round dance around the main Christmas tree. The illumination is simply amazing.
On the way back we went to treasury where Santa Claus keeps children's letters, drawings and gifts. There, everyone, even an adult, received a well-deserved (included in the ticket price, of course) sweet present. The children were happy. Come on, what is there, everyone was pleased.
Leaving the residence
Going back, it was possible not to look in the parking lot for the bus on which we arrived. It was possible to return to the main entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha on any bus with the inscription "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". But we didn't know this. Therefore, they sat in their bus until it set off. We had to wait more than an hour, because the driver did not want to go until the full bus was assembled. In the end, 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 "spree" tourists returned, and whether they returned at all, remained a mystery.
We drove through a snow-covered peaceful forest, undoubtedly hiding in its black depths secrets known only to him. The road was lit only by the headlights of our bus. And there was some kind of universal peace in it all. Under the smooth swaying of the vehicle and "Reserved motive, reserved distance ...", which was almost immediately dragged into the entire bus from the Pesnyary speakers, began to drift somewhere into a sleepy oblivion. And even the groans and sobs of tired children could not dispel this special atmosphere.
They took us out of the Pushcha right away. 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 blizzard was “quality”, the path for pedestrians, along which we came here in the afternoon, was not visible. We walked along the roadway, but that's okay, because there were practically no cars.
The clock showed only 8 pm, but the snow covering the face seemed to hint that we would not see anything interesting that day. To tell the truth, the impressions were enough in full and I wanted to get to the hotel as soon as possible. On the way to our temporary home, I thought that if we brush off the snow blanket that had covered it from the streets and roofs of the houses of the agricultural town of Kamenyuki, we would see a fully developed and well-groomed settlement, albeit a one-story one.
Day 2. Museum of nature and enclosures
It should be understood that such a trip (for 2 days) is not suitable for those who like to luxuriate in bed. The next day, we planned to visit the Museum of Nature and enclosures with animals, and everything had to be done before 14:00, since it was at that time that the minibus left, 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, in which case, could be donated.
In the newly opened Museum of Nature there was almost no one. This played into our hands: we could safely take pictures and even grandmothers at the entrance, who warned us not to touch anything, not to follow us, but remained to discuss local news. We tried our best to be obedient, but how could we not stroke the bison at the entrance?
The museum is amazing! He reminded me of the Museum of Natural History in the United States, but this is still a level. And, most importantly, you can take pictures! In each section, the habitat of certain animals is recreated, as it were. 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 will 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 that 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 over an hour to get to the cages. And this is taking into account the fact that many animals hid in houses from the frost, and we did not stay near them for a long time. The most sociable were the deer and the pony. A little girl fed a deer with a loaf. At that moment, we regretted that we ourselves had forgotten to take gifts for the animals.
And the pony, bored in the neighboring enclosure, gladly allowed all visitors to pet him.
Well, and, of course, we must not forget about the king of the forest - bison. In the bison's enclosure, the trees are upholstered with boards. We did not immediately realize why this was done until we saw their demonstration battle. Now it is clear.
In addition to forest animals, behind bars were found ... cats. 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 could not miss the souvenir stall. In fact, don't go home empty-handed. What was there: magnets on a birch, Belarusian dolls, candles, clay figurines. Nearby, near the parking lot, there is also a postal kiosk. There you can send a letter or a postcard to your homeland with a special stamp of Belovezhskaya Pushcha or buy brochures about the famous reserve.
Return to Brest
15 minutes before the departure of the minibus, we checked out of the hotel and went to the bus stop. The great advantage of hotel number 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 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 drive and count passengers at the same time, as well as write something in a notebook, put aside "hundreds" for delivery in a separate pile, talk on the phone, sing along to Selena Gomez ... It's good that on the contrary On the way, we were not sitting next to him, but in the cabin: at least I didn’t see how he was driving.
Everyone knows that Belarus is famous for its landscapes, but what we saw that day through the windows of the minibus was really amazing. Days of incessant snowfall painted the fields white. The earth smoothly flowed into the light gray sky, and only the pale shadows of the forests and villages in the distance suggested that this solid canvas somewhere in the center was nevertheless cut by the horizon strip.
“It's snowy, it's snowy all over the earth, to all limits ....”, I remembered ... How long have we been waiting for snow this winter. Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind. No, not Pasternak, don't think, I'm not that cold in Pushcha. A child sitting behind me asked my mother:
- Mom, how does Santa Claus know what gift I want for the New Year?
“He knows everything,” my mother was not taken aback.
– No, well, how does he know what to bring to 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 poofy? the child asked.
“Not always,” said the stern mother.
- And if not always, will there be a gift?
“He will see how you will behave until the New Year, and then he will decide,” my mother passed the verdict.
The boy calmed down for a while, and it already seemed to me that right from that moment he would try his best to be “poofy”. 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 handed over our things to the storage room of 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 10 minutes we already saw a large star of the main entrance carved in stone. 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. Tired of the blizzard, we drove home, dried our boots and thought that we should return here in the warm season: both to Brest and to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to compare our impressions. And you need to go for more days. To take a break from the bustle of the city.
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha Reserve is the main natural attraction of Belarus, where rare bison animals live. What to see in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, how to get from Minsk, prices for excursions, food and hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Holiday reviews with photos.
Now I am in my homeland, so on weekends I visit the sights of Belarus, which I will be happy to write about in my blog. I'll start with a story about Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Pesnyary also sang about her.
The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is a 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 oaks on the territory of the Pushcha, living there for 500-600 years.
This is one of the oldest nature reserves in the world, founded over 600 years ago. Since 1992, the national park has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Fund. This is one of the main attractions of Belarus. Recreation in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is popular among animal lovers and ecotourism.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha occupies a vast territory. You can only move around the reserve on foot, by bike or by sightseeing bus. We leave our car in the parking lot.
In fact, Pushcha is a big forest with several lakes, a small zoo and some entertainment. The main objects that are usually seen in the forest are enclosures with animals (bison, horses, wild boars), the Estate of the Belarusian Father Frost (open all year round, not only in winter), the Museum of Natural History.
Cash desk opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00
Bicycle rental hours: 9.00 – 18.00
Opening hours of the Museum of Nature: 9.00 – 18.00
Working hours of the Residence of Santa Claus: 9.00 - 18.00
Departure time of buses 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
The renovated building of the Kamenyuki Hotel and the 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 forest.
Prices in the village are lower than in the forest itself. Link to Kamenyuki No. 2 in the village (numbers from 17$ )
The Kamenyuki Hotel is now on Booking.com. Now it has become much easier to book rooms in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (earlier you had to call a landline phone on weekdays, but now you can rent a number on the Internet)
Houses in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
If you do not want to live in a hotel, then in the village of Kamenyuki you can rent a room in a house, a cottage or live in an agroestate.
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 many times cheaper than living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha or Kamenyuki.
Apartments and houses in Belarus can be rented at the links:
- Apartments for a day in Brest - from $19 per apartment
Farmsteads and houses in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Belovezhskoe estate, from $25
Price - 25$ for a room with a shared bathroom, 45$ per room with private bathroom
You can rent a separate house of the 19th century entirely for 50-60$
Homestead in the village of Kamenyuki, decorated in a traditional style. There is free wifi and free parking, garden, barbecue area and terrace. It takes 20-25 minutes to walk to the forest.
House 10 km from Pushcha, from $75
Price for a one bedroom house - 75$
House with 4 bedrooms - from 100$
The price depends on the number of guests and the size of the cottage.
Cottage complex. There are 1 bedroom, 4 bedroom and 5 bedroom cabins. All houses have a fireplace, private bath, terrace, barbecue, free wifi and parking.
Suitable for those who have 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 an oven, TV, free wifi. To the forest 1 km.
Excursions in Belovezhskaya Pushcha:
- On foot– you can visit the enclosures with animals, the Museum of Local Lore and lakes
- By bike— there are five routes on the territory of the Pushcha, the longest route, 27 km long, runs along centuries-old oaks, captures several lakes, partly runs along an asphalt road, and 70% along a dirt road.
- On the tour bus(2 excursions)
Prices for excursions in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Tickets for excursions can be bought 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 Museum of Nature, it is better to buy tickets right away.
All prices are in Belarusian rubles. To understand how much is dollars, share the price on 2.
To get a price in Russian rubles, multiply the price in "proteins" at 30.
Below are the prices for adult and child tickets. Visiting the estate of Santa Claus, enclosures with animals, a museum of nature - child ticket up to 14 years, sightseeing tour with a visit to the museum of folk life - child ticket up to 18 years.
Walking tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Price: 1 white ruble(31 Russian rubles / 0.5$ ) lasts 2 hours
You pay money, you get a map with sights 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 that you don’t accidentally go where you don’t need to.
If you just want to walk around the forest without a map, then no need to pay.
Walking tour in Belovezhskaya Pushcha Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Bicycle rental works from 9.00 to 18.00.
Bicycle routes prices:
There are several cycling routes of different lengths, designed for one and a half, two, four hours. The price includes bike rental and a map with routes. The path runs along asphalt and dirt paths.
I've read mixed reviews about bikes. Many write that they got an old bike for rent and advise, if possible, to choose an aluminum one with speeds. It is recommended to take your bike from home. I didn’t rent a bike myself, so I don’t know how things are going with the equipment.
Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha Sightseeing tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha by bus
Winter equipment rental
Excursion around the Estate of the Belarusian Grandfather Frost
Price: adults 8.5 byn ( 260 rub/ 4.4$), children 7 byn ( 215 rub / 3.6$)
The price includes a 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 it can be reached on foot or by bicycle, but it will take a long time.
Excursion to the Residence of Santa Claus
Sights of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Regional Museum of Nature
Price: adults 3 byn (90 rubles / 1.5$ ), children — 2 byn (60 rubles / 1$ ).
You can take an audio guide for 3.5 byn(110 rubles) or book a group tour for 5 byn(150 rubles) for groups up to 10 people.
This is the best local history museum in Europe (although it will be cooler in Moscow). The exposition was collected for 70 years.
Only wild boars are specially shot in the forest, because there are a lot of them. All other animals died a natural death and were found by rangers or local residents.
Museum of Nature 
stuffed deer 
hunting scene Residence of Belarusian Father Frost
A fun show is put on at the Residence. We danced, 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 show. I think the kids will like it too.
At the end, they gave sets of very tasty Belarusian sweets for 30 thousand ( 1.5$ ), which is especially nice. Different groups get different gifts: chocolates, drawing sets for children, etc.
You can also make up to 100 wishes in the residence. Grandfather promised that all of them would come true within a year. We'll see.
Catching happiness with Korgota 
12 months. You can hug your own and whisper your cherished desire in his ear :) 
My month Kastrychnik 
Territory of the Residence of Father Frost 
Belarusian Santa Claus. Children from Russia did not immediately recognize him 
In the grandfather's house you can write down your wishes and receive a gift 
Round dances around the Christmas tree in Belovezhskaya Pushcha can be led 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 on the territory of the forest, but it is far from always possible to see them, so it is best to look at the famous Belarusian bison in enclosures. Bison, deer, raccoon dogs, foxes, elks, bears, wolves, horses, wild boars live in enclosures.
From 15.20 to 16.00 the animals slept in houses, large animals were far from the fence. When we were near the enclosures again around 6 pm, the animals woke up.
They approached the fences, allowed themselves to be stroked. It turned out that it is better to look at the animals in the morning or in the evening. During the day they are busy or sleeping.
!!! I ask you to pay attention to the fact that animals cannot be fed. There are signs on the fences of the enclosure asking them 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 a deer to come closer to the fence, it is better to show him a blade of grass.
In my presence, not very smart giggling people threw a stone at the boar. The boar ate a stone out of habit, but why do this?
The boar that swallowed the stone 
Bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha 
Dappled deer 
High walls of enclosures 
People feed animals with bread 
Other attractions
Also on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha there are several artificial lakes, centuries-old oaks, 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 (3700 Russian rubles) for two people.
We drove 760 km, so the main part of the expenses is gasoline (1.19 byr (42 rubles) per liter of the 95th). We ate at the cafe twice. Once in the forest itself, the second time on the highway. The rest of the expenses are entrance tickets to the enclosures, the museum and the tour.
Prices in the restaurant on the territory of Pushcha are the same as in Minsk establishments. Also to the right of the entrance to the territory of the reserve there is a cafe "Sosny", where you can cheaply eat pancakes with blueberries or honey, order barbecue 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 the administrative center of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. We reach the end of the village of Kamenyuki and run into the parking lot and the entrance to the reserve.
The movement of vehicles without a special permit on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is prohibited, so we put the car in the parking lot and go for a walk.
2. By public transport
By train to Brest. A ticket for the Minsk-Brest train can be bought in advance on the website www.rw.by
From the railway station in Brest, you need to get to the Central Bus Station. Walk 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 main 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 Pushcha by 2.30 pm, so not everyone had time to see it.
What I especially liked:
- Museum of Nature. I don't like museums, but here everything is decorated at the highest level. Made with soul. For me, the main thing is that animals are not killed for the sake of the museum.
- Herb tea- poured in the cafe "Sosny" and in a cafe in the residence of Father Frost. To my greatest sadness, the collection itself, on which tea is brewed, is not sold on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
- Excursion to the Residence of Father Frost. Delicious gifts were given there, and the performance itself was fun. Guys are great. They try!
- Bison and gray horse. The conditions for keeping animals in enclosures are quite good. Previously, I did not like zoos, but now I understand that they still have a meaning. Most zoos have old or sick animals that find it difficult to find food in the wild. In the zoo animals are fed - this is a big plus. The only thing that seemed strange to me was that in the enclosures where bison live, all the trees have been cut down. In summer, the 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 bison live 
What I did not like in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
- People who, despite the ban, feed animals with bread and stones.
- The condition of the bikes according to reviews leaves much to be desired.
- The bison are not combed out. In Chizhovsky Park in Minsk, the 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,
Recently, I really like natural attractions. The sight of many of them literally blows the roof off. Over the past year, Tanya and I have already visited three national parks in three different European countries. We climbed rocks in Spanish; admired the crystal surface of rivers and lakes in the Polish; and then wandered through the amber forests in. And each of these places was great in its own way.
That is why in January 2016, Tanya and I decided to visit another national park. This time - located already on the territory of our own homeland. I think you understand what is at stake. Therefore, I will say right away: Belovezhskaya Pushcha fully met all my expectations. Covered with 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 to heaven. And therefore, from the mere sight of dense thickets with narrow ribbons of paths, lost behind 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 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. On one of the forums on the Internet, I read that today a certain number of private minibuses also go in the direction of the ancient forest. But I have not verified this information myself. Therefore, I will not dwell on this in detail now.
Regular buses from Brest travel to 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 do not rush to get scared: to walk to your destination is no more than a kilometer. According to Google maps - 0.8 km.
You can see the bus schedule from Brest on the website ticketbus.by. For those who are too lazy - I am attaching here two screenshots with a schedule and prices. Everything is pretty simple. How to get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha I think you'll understand.
At the gates of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"
All buses going to Belovezhskaya Pushcha arrive right at its gates - at a large parking lot located nearby. Security is on duty here. And next to her post there are stalls with various kinds of souvenirs.
The choice of magnets, key chains and plates is about the same as in Brest. Plus some local "color". At the same time, despite the rather large number of visiting tourists, the prices are quite affordable. In January 2016, most of the magnets cost around 20-40 thousand (1-2 dollars). The selection is pretty good. For a hundred thousand, you can buy in full.
If you have enough money, for a million and a half (50-75 dollars) you can even buy yourself such a corridor rug. Made very realistic. I was even a little afraid to take it in my hands.
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 like this: you buy an entrance ticket, get a map and walk yourself wherever 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). In food coupons - from 10,000 to 20,000.
There are six routes at once (although some of them are intertwined and are, in fact, an augmented version of the previous routes). There are plenty to choose from. Special stands with a description of the various destinations 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 (biking / walking), as well as the designations of the main attractions located along its entire length.
By the way, next to the description of the routes, there are also such stands.
If you wander around the forest chaotically and randomly, you can inadvertently wander into the territory. Therefore, if suddenly, while traveling somewhere in the distance, you see the brilliance 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? Visiting 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, right from the gates of Belovezhskaya Pushcha we went to see the local bison. But I will 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 of the national park, others in the nearby village of Kamenyuki. You can find suitable options in several ways at once.
Option number 2. Search for options on Booking.com.
Option #3: Check out the options on the AIRBNB website.
Only in this case, options should be sought in Kamenyuki, and not in Belovezhskaya Pushcha itself. Another little secret: the AIRBNB website has special discount coupons. Sign up using the link provided and you will automatically receive a small discount on your first booking (automatically triggered for bookings between $75-$77).
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 particular option, I suggest looking for hotels on this site. I myself use it regularly.
Aviaries in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Royal deer. Enclosures in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Belarusian bison, royal deer, wolves, foxes and other animals are a real “must see” of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. Going to these parts, I heard several times that with proper luck they can be quite met even in their natural environment. But this, so to speak, is an amateur thing.
It is much easier to look at the animals living in the forest in special enclosures of the reserve. Entrance here costs 20,000 rubles (about $1). Cages with animals are located to the left of the entrance to the park. Finding this place is easy.
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 in Belovezhskaya Pushcha— the place is very cool and interesting, not at all like a regular zoo. The territory of the complex is quite large. Therefore, many animals almost do not notice cells. In winter, by the way, it was possible to drive around the entire complex on such a charismatic horse. But again, that's another story.
Where to eat in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
As indicated on the official website of the reserve, there are only three catering facilities in the territory of the National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Plus one more - in the village of Kamenyuki. In addition to enclosed spaces in different parts of the reserve, you can also find small tents selling pancakes, herbal tea, barbecue and other goodies. By prior arrangement, it is also possible to organize picnics (at least that's what it says on the official website).
Personally, Tanya and I had a decent dinner at the restaurant with the poetic name "Pines", located to the right of the entrance to reserve. Bialowieza Forest I was surprised by the pleasant price level. Going on this trip, I honestly thought that everything here would be much more expensive.
So, what is the Sosny restaurant like?
- Nice price level.
- Delicious food (we took warm borscht and pancakes with blackberry jam).
- The presence of interesting local “chips” on the menu, such as Bialowieza moonshine (“Pushchanka”) and herbal tea brewed at the gathering, which are collected somewhere here - in the forest.
Minuses:
- Unassuming interior.
- The absence of a toilet (instead of which there is only a washbasin standing alone in the corner).
- The absence of a certain hallway in the restaurant, which is why it was constantly blowing a little from the street. Visitors have come and gone. And about one in three certainly forgot to close the door behind them (which, I repeat, goes straight to the street).
Pancake prices.
In general, I liked this restaurant. The money that we left here, he was definitely worthy. The borscht was delicious. Pancakes too. And herbal tea is generally the highest class.
National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha": a walk along the snow-covered paths
In my previous articles related to this trip around the Brest region, I have repeatedly written that we chose not the best time for the trip. It was very cold in Belarus in the first half of January. Tanya and I froze thoroughly. Therefore, to be honest, we did not succeed in making a full-scale trip along one of the tourist routes. To be honest, I'm already thinking about going to the reserve (Belovezhskaya Pushcha) again when it gets a little warmer. To take a bike, rent a room in one of the local "hotel complexes" and just spend a day and a half traveling 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 you can see with your own eyes what the Old World was like 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 quite enough to get to two attractions at once, marked on numerous tourist maps. From each of them that day I was completely delighted. Well, in general, see for yourself. Here they are.
Attraction number 1. Birch with a bison's head. I agree, it sounds weird. But it looks pretty cool. Unusual, at least. It is a pity that it was covered with snow in winter. In the summer, they say, it looks even cooler.
Attraction number 2. Hermit oak. This one 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 looks at you somehow suspiciously.
Endgame: final word
In general, walking through Belovezhskaya Pushcha, one gets the impression that this forest is one huge living organism. There is constant movement in the bushes. And somewhere overhead, almost every minute, a measured 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 friends (at least, the phrase “I went to Belovezhskaya Pushcha” is difficult to pronounce with the same pathos 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
How to get there?
You can drive to the forest by car - focus on the agricultural town of Kamenyuki, adjacent to the forest. From Minsk, drive along the M1 highway to the turn to Zhabinka (P7), then to the city of Kamenets and the village of Kamenyuki along P83.
If you go by public transport, get to Brest, and from there a minibus leaves the bus station several times a day straight to the main entrance to Pushcha and the bus. You can buy tickets. The issue price is BYN 3.8 - 4.27, the travel time is an hour and a half. Right at the main entrance to the forest you can buy all the tickets you need and rent a bike.
Where to live?
If you want to arrange a real vacation and complete forest relaxation, get ready to hang out in the forest for a few days.
If you want a closer communion with nature, you can rent a place of rest 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 can you see nearby?
Spend a couple of days in cozy Brest, explore well, arrange trips to interesting cities nearby -. In Kobrin, look at the churches, the estate and take a walk along the green embankment of the Mukhavets River, and in Kamenets pay tribute to the very Belaya Vezha, which gave the forest its name, although it is not actually white. Now in Vezha there is a museum of local lore, and you can also climb to its top and admire the surroundings.
