What to do in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. How to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha during the New Year holidays? Winter equipment rental

July 14th, 2016 03:08 pm

As part of our short trip around Belarus, we could not help but visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha - a legendary place, the center of restoration of the bison population in Europe.

The road from Minsk to Belovezhskaya Pushcha turned out to be confusing for us, we got a little lost, and part of the way we did on dirt roads. And even in small villages far from the main roads, I was struck by clean, tidy houses, broken gardens, and the absence of abandoned dwellings. And an incredible number of storks! :)

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is known to most people as a reserve where bison live. But few people know that Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a unique area of ​​relic primeval lowland forest that grew in Europe in prehistoric times. Besides, Pushcha is the oldest nature reserve in Europe. The forests of this area are mentioned already in 983 in the Ipatiev Chronicle, in the 12th century Vladimir Monomakh hunted turs, bison and deer here, and in 1409 the Polish king Jagiello issued a decree prohibiting the hunting of large animals in the Forest, except for the king and his cousin Vitovt.

Hermit oak. Once this oak grew on the outskirts of the swamp, the swamp dried up long ago, but the oak has retained a squat, spreading shape, characteristic of trees growing in open space, and not in the forest. The age of the oak is 300 years, and the diameter of its trunk is 1.5 meters. Once upon a time, the oak had 3 main branches, but one of them was broken by a hurricane in the 20th century. Later, a huge hollow was formed in the oak, in which families of carpenter ants now live, they process dead oak tissues without touching the living ones.

Our tour takes place on beautiful asphalt roads. They appeared in place of narrow-gauge railways, which were laid during the First World War by the forces of Russian and French soldiers captured by the Germans. In just 18 months, 325 km of railways were laid.

Royal path. The cast-iron railing with the double-headed eagle and the monogram of Alexander III was cast in 1902. After the revolution, the eagles were destroyed

And they tried to blow up the bridge

Lake Lyadskoye is the largest reservoir in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Here you can see the white-tailed eagle and the white heron

Seven aspens growing from one root

Patriarch oak, over 600 years old, with a trunk diameter of 2 meters

During the First World War, they tried to cut down the oak, but the mighty trunk did not succumb. Now he can see the healed scars from the saw.

In the wilds of Belovezhskaya Pushcha there are oaks that are older, taller and thicker than the Oak Patriarch, but they are all located in places inaccessible to tourists, in forest thickets

350 year old Giant Pine

We got to the excursion enclosures, but the weather turned bad, it began to rain, and many animals hid and did not show themselves to us.

Sociable boars are happy to approach, even run, to the grate, stretch out their snouts and grunt cutely.

Despite the friendly appearance, the wild boar is a very dangerous animal armed with sharp fangs.

We were lucky to see little striped boars

Few deer like to walk in the rain

Horse with foal

And of course, the owners of Belovezhskaya Pushcha are bison. For 70 years, the reserve has been working to restore the population of these beautiful animals. In the Middle Ages, bison inhabited almost all of Europe, but due to uncontrolled hunting, poaching, breeding of other wild and domestic ungulates - food competitors of bison - their numbers were constantly declining, until the last free-living bison was killed in 1919. By 1926, only 52 purebred bison remained in the world in the zoos of Poland, Sweden, Germany and England. After long political upheavals, in 1946, the first 5 bison (2 females and 3 males) were released in the Belarusian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, from which the restoration of the population began.

Now more than 450 bison live in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

The cutest little brat. He was the only one in the enclosure to whom the rain brought joy - he jumped, galloped, butted a stump and enjoyed life in every possible way :)

If in wild nature I tried to get so close to the bison, I would have paid for it. The mother bison was on the alert, and when I came close to the grid (to fit the lens between the wires) and enthusiastically photographed, looking only into the viewfinder, I rushed to the attack. A powerful blow with his forehead and horns hit a green metal beam installed inside the enclosure. It was scary, because only this beam separated me from the angry bison weighing half a ton (and the bison jump well and high) and the net (it doesn’t look very strong), so I preferred not to anger the caring mother anymore and move away

There is a very interesting museum of nature on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In it you can get acquainted with one of the first five bison who settled in Pushcha, Puginal

Back in the 18th century, there were many bears in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. But gradually their population was completely destroyed due to conflicts with humans. Several attempts were made to return the brown bears to the Pushcha, but they all ended in failure. Bears can kill not only humans, but also bison.

The exposition of the museum is represented not by individual exhibits, but by dioramas, which show scenes from the life of animals, their interaction with the environment and the seasons

Very rare and shy black stork

In 1889, Emperor Alexander III decided to build a hunting palace in Belovezha. Construction was completed under Nicholas II. The palace became a favorite vacation spot for the royal family, the autumn residence of the Russian emperor. Having lost its interior decoration, the palace nevertheless survived the hard times of the change of power, World War I, it housed the Pushcha museum, a library, and even carried out repair and restoration work. In 1941, the headquarters of one of the Abwehr units was located in the palace, and in 1944, during the liberation from the German occupation, the retreating Germans set fire to the palace. Unique collections and museum collections suffered. Soviet soldiers extinguished the fire, but only ruins remained of the palace. In 1961 the ruins were blown up and cleared

This is how the bronze monument looked in memory of the royal hunt of Alexander II in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on October 6-7, 1860

Arriving in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, we found ourselves in an absolutely magical place with thousands of forest paths, the noblest animals and an endless ocean of all kinds of trees.

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When it is not possible to leave the country, my husband and I always try to find some interesting place in Belarus, which we have not seen yet, and where it would be interesting to ride on the weekend. For many years in a row we have been remembering Belovezhskaya Pushcha, but then there was no time to go so far, then some more important things appeared. But this summer it was finally decided to go there to see famous place with my own eyes.

Unforgettable journey

4 hours on the road and here it is - Pushcha - in front of us. Probably, one of the most difficult things was to figure out how to see Belovezhskaya Pushcha: ride bicycles along numerous paths, walk (but we understood that we would not see even 1/10 of all the beauty) or take a bus tour. In the end, it was still decided to stop by bus, because only he promised 50 km of an exciting trip, and only in this way we would be able to see all the beauty of the Pushcha to the fullest and hear some Interesting Facts about it on the tour. It is difficult to retell in words everything that we learned about the famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha, because it is not in vain that they say: it is better to see once than to hear 100 times. During these 50 km of the way we: saw with our own eyes all kinds of trees and a real moonshine; received as small gifts containers with moonshine, lard and bread; wondered how the bus so confidently cuts through the paths, on which it is difficult for two cyclists to pass each other; photographed; we managed to be roaming for a few minutes, because one of the tracks runs right along the border with Poland; and, of course, breathe fresh air for years to come. After the tour, we decided to take a walk along the enclosures with animals. The most comfortable conditions for their life have been created in Pushcha: there are no bare sandy fields, as in zoos, there is a lot of grass, trees and food on the territory. Oh, I just couldn't tear myself away from there! I wanted to endlessly photograph huge and noble bison, such beautiful horses, deer and elks. But since we arrived quite late, we had to be in time before the closing of the Museum of Nature, which many people advised to go to. So I had to put down the camera and go to the exit. The museum impresses with its beauty right away! If you have visited many museums, then you know that, as a rule, a stuffed animal is exhibited there, next to it is a sign with brief information about it, and that's it. Such places do not cause particular interest and are visited in every country just for show. But it was the first museum that is so impressive as soon as you go up to the second floor. Each animal is made so realistic that sometimes it seemed that a bird would take off from a branch right now, or a deer would actually pass by you. And the space around the animals was not just a gray room with illumination, as is usually the case in museums, it was as close to reality as possible due to the natural background, trees, some small details that made the picture truly impressive. And, of course, for complete immersion in what the eyes saw, the sounds of the growling of animals and the cry of birds were added. I think that this is the only museum in our life that we will remember for a long time, and about which we have already managed to tell and will tell many more. Leaving Belovezhskaya Pushcha, we understood that someday we would definitely return here again: but we would arrive early, take bicycles and definitely go to see what we did not get this time.

Travel notes

• it turns out that the last free-living bison of Belovezhskaya Pushcha died in 1919, and if it were not for the bison that survived and lived in the zoo, and which scientists later brought to the forest to restore the species, perhaps now Belovezhskaya Pushcha would not be famous among tourists for these huge animals;
• in Belovezhskaya Pushcha there is one of the moonshine stills officially registered on the territory of Belarus.

The Belarusian National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the excursions that are held here are very popular both among the local population and visiting tourists. I also thought that it is impossible to come to Belarus and not visit this natural reserve.

One of the most interesting excursion programs that are organized on the territory of the reserve is a sightseeing tour. At the same time, it is possible to look into the farthest corners of this huge forest, to those places where it is not easy to get on your own: by bicycle, and even more so on foot.

It should be noted that the entry of vehicles into the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is prohibited. This is clearly evidenced by the barrier and security point.

This can only be done with special passes. About how you can ride through the forests of Pushcha in your car, prices for this pleasure, as well as maps with the main attractions, you can find at the end of this article.

But from the beginning, about the most beautiful: about the magnificent forest, about the unique flora and fauna, and about all interesting objects, which are waiting for a tourist who has entered the protected forest. So, we go for a walk in a huge and mysterious nature reserve in my rented car with a guide.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is unique national park located on the territory of Belarus. Its area is more than 150 thousand hectares. Since 1992, according to the decision of UNESCO, it has been on the list of the World Heritage of Humanity. biosphere reserve he became in 1993.

At the entrance to the forest, guests are greeted by the coat of arms and the official flag of the ancient forest - a rectangular light cloth, in the center of which, against the background of a magnificent oak, a shield (small coat of arms) is held by its legendary owners - a bison and a deer. On the sides of the flag are halves of fir trees.

The territory of the reserve itself is huge. It has impenetrable thickets and places where only forest scientists can get. But there are such wonders of nature that are available for visiting and which I really want to talk about.

Fantasies of Mother Nature

Not far from the entrance to the forest, a birch grows, with a burl growing on it, resembling a bison's head. This amazing natural formation people discovered about 20 years ago.

Near each such viewing point there is a special stand, in which this attraction is described in two languages.

A very thoughtful solution, especially for those who travel on their own, without a guide.

There is a majestic 300-year-old oak tree with a large cleft in its huge trunk.

But the “hermit” oak grew on the edge of a swamp that once existed here.

Very tall and thick, stocky trees generally live in the open for very long years. So this oak is already 300 years old, and it has grown to 1.5 meters in diameter!

Previously, he had 3 main branches, but during a strong hurricane, one broke off. And here are its powerful roots that go into the ground.

A thoughtful cat peeps out of a crevice carved from wood.

When I asked the guide what it symbolizes, she simply answered: nothing. It's just that tourists like to climb inside and leave garbage there. So they put a "strict" guard. 😆

In the resulting huge hollow, a colony of forest orderlies - wood-boring ants settled. Without touching the living tissue of the giant breadwinner, they process the already dying bark and branches. On the territory of the reserve, more than 1000 giant oaks are noted, the trunk of which is more than 1 meter in cross section!

A huge oak-giant was found in the forest, or as it is called “oak-patriarch” here. He is almost 600 years old. In the southern part of the forest, it is the largest - at a height of 31 meters, the girth of its trunk is 2 meters!

But according to the stories of the guide in Belovezhye, this is not the largest specimen. There are many giant trees in the forest, but they all grow in the depths, inaccessible to the views of tourists. And this one settled down to live near the trail of visitors.

But for us, even the approach to this giant oak turned out to be impossible. After a night rain, the swampy soil did not have time to absorb moisture, so the mud was “what you need”. Therefore, I had to limit myself to photography from the car window. Well, at least our machine did not get stuck. 🙂

In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, mother nature demonstrates her fantasies with might and main. Here you can see that an oak and a birch or a spruce with three highest tops have grown from one base, or two birches stretching upwards, intertwining with each other ... Such wonders of nature cause delight and a storm of positive emotions.

How to protect nature from dangerous guests ...

A very beautiful red oak was brought to Belovezhskaya Pushcha from North America. At first, it was planted only near the forest for beauty, but, over time, spreading rapidly, this unpretentious tree began to displace local oaks. It turned out to be dangerous for the local flora and now its plantings are strictly limited.

In the reserved tract "Turluy" after the 1st World War there were several terrible fires. And the Polish foresters, the then owners, planted a large clearing with pine seeds. But on sandy soils, pines did not grow very tall. And the forest here looks relatively young. Picking mushrooms and just walking around here, breathing in the fresh forest air is a pleasure!

Another miracle of nature is the long-lived pine. She is 350 years old, and the diameter of the trunk is 125 centimeters. Such giant trees grow very slowly. Over the 60 years that have passed since the measurement in the 50s of the 20th century, the cross section of its trunk has increased by only 5 cm.

One of the treasures of Belovezhye is ash forests, the existence of which requires certain environmental conditions. The soil must be very fertile and of a certain moisture content. Here such conditions are observed by nature itself!

… and how it is safe for a person to be in a protected forest

Not only nature needs protection from man. Sometimes a person can be defenseless against wildlife.

During our journey through Belovezhskaya Pushcha, we had to meet with its real inhabitants. Along the road along which we traveled by car, we met two wild boars. Well, how did you meet? We saw them, we recognized them. But the animals turned out to be smarter and faster and immediately disappeared into the forest thicket. You never know what you can expect from a person ... 🙂

A little later, a herd of deer crossed the road.

These beautiful graceful animals were also somewhat frightened by the appearance of man. Therefore, they hurried to hide away from our eyes.

According to the guide, a tourist can rarely meet wild animals in Belovezhye now. Still, the animals are afraid to be near tourist routes. But we were lucky, because until the season has come and there are few people in the forest, it happens that animals come out to meet us.

There are few roads in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, sometimes there are even signs, which looks very strange in the wild forest. 🙂

But you still need to be able to navigate in the forest. In our car, instead of a navigator, there was a guide who constantly suggested where to turn and where it was absolutely impossible. 🙂

It should not be forgotten that the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a border zone, and there are checkpoints here, passing through which you can find yourself in Europe. Therefore, a regime of enhanced surveillance has been established on the territory.

In this regard, all hikers and cyclists are strongly advised not to deviate from the hiking trails, which have special traffic signs. And travel by personal transport is possible only with a guide or accompanied by another employee of the reserve.

And it is easy for a simple pedestrian to get lost in a huge and sometimes dense forest area. Yes, and with wild animals meeting can be unsafe.

Man made beauty

We were shown the extraordinary beauty of Lake Lyadskoe. This is an artificial reservoir created by man on the site of a small river, the Solomenka, which once flowed here. The depth of this reservoir is about 2 meters, but there are also sections with a depth of 5 meters. And its area is 345 hectares.

A lot of fish living here, insects, waterfowl, the majestic calmness of the water surface surrounded by a massive green forest - all this gives this place a unique splendor!

In 1903, a military-strategic highway, the royal highway, was built and opened, which passed through Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The bridges of the royal road - there are 10 of them on the Belarusian side - have been preserved since the time of Emperor Alexander III.

They were decorated with cast double-headed eagles, destroyed in the twenties of the 20th century and restored today. On the railings of the ancient Bridges, one can still read: “Casted in Częstochowa. 1903"

Not without tragedies in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In the place "Falling Crosses" there is a monument to the villagers who were shot in the summer of 1941. At first it was an obelisk with a Red Star, later, in 1980, a memorial was erected there.

The state border divides Pushcha into Belarusian and Polish parts. Checkpoints are open. One of the outposts bears the name of G.I., who died in Belarus in 1939 and was awarded the Red Star. Kofanova.

Holy shrines

There are two pagan stones in the forest. One of them is in the shape of a bowl. And according to legend, the moisture that collects in it heals, absolutely, from all diseases. Some say that it was on this stone that the Mother of God stepped, fleeing from the water during the Great Flood and left her mark - a depression in it. Others claim that the bowl-shaped stone appeared on the site of the old church, which later disappeared underground.

The second stone is the altar. He also has a legend and not one. According to legend, the Mother of God was walking here and something hit her shoe. To shake it out, she stood with her bare foot on a stone and left her mark. It is said that animals do not take food from this stone.

Well, the guide said that the Yotvingians made sacrifices to their gods here. And, according to folk tales, if you lean against this warm stone, all pains in the body will disappear. These are the miracles that happen in this ancient forest. But this is all theoretical information, we did not visit these places.

To the delight of tourists

And here is our next stop near the well, which is lonely located in the forest thicket.

What kind of water is inside is not clear. But it’s definitely magical, which is very noticeable in the faces of the cheerful gnomes drinking it. 😆

And, of course, it is impossible not to mention here one more fairy tale from Pushcha - in winter and summer, every day a real Santa Claus with a charming Snow Maiden welcomes guests to his estate.

After Mir Castle we went to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Somewhere at borders of the Brest region, right in the middle of the field we met thishuge bison. But the Pushcha was still far away.

2. Traffic in Kobrin is weak and very slow, there are many traffic lights andsigns are hanging everywhere - the limit is 40 km / h.Then we drove through several villages, in one of which we decided to stop by a shop.We were struck by the friendliness of the local people, everyone greeted us and each other, smiling. Although the people in the store were decent, butno one climbed out of line, no one was rude. We decided to buy an ax and a lighter,which, to their shame, have been forgotten in the city. The wallet was left in the car, andthe money we took was not enough. But the saleswoman with a smileallowed to pick up the goods and go to the car, bring the shortage. That's it there is trust.

3. We left the village with warm feelings for its inhabitants, and together withvillage, the normal road ended. The next few dozenkilometers we were shaking and tossing, and the trucks passing byraised columns of dust. Abandoning the thought of taking a shortcut, we turned to the track.

4. And finally, she is. Pushcha.

5. Two deer stand as if guarding their possessions. Well, the companyroad workers to boot.

6. Main gate. After several hours of travel, having passed through half the country, we finally reached our goal!To the right of the gate there is a parking lot and ticket offices where you can buy tickets to the museum, enclosures or pay for a hiking route. Also, here you can rent a bike and go on a trip on it.In the house on the left, we were politely explained that it was impossible to drive a car without a pass to the territory of the reserve. The pass is given only to employees and those who stop by the lake with a tent, like us. All others are closed. To get a pass, you need to go to hotel number 4, pay, and then return to the watchman and show the receipt. Only after that, we will issue a coveted pass, and will be allowed to go inside.

7. Immediately outside the gates are information boards.

8. The purpose of our train, point number 3, lake Plyanta-1. This is where our camp will be.

9. Everything inside is very nice and well maintained. It seems that this place was built for tourists.

10. We turn left and go along the road, in search of the hotel we need.

11. And here she is. At first we planned to rent a place for two nights, but the weather began to deteriorate, so we did not take risks and took one. We paid 160 thousand (about $ 17) per day, which is much cheaper than a single room for the same time.

12. Having received a pass, we asked the watchman in detail how and where to go. Then we went to the cashier, where we talked to a very polite and friendly cashier, who explained and told us a lot of things. Bought tickets to the museum and enclosures.

Having passed through the territory, we stopped at the first cafe. However, here we were disappointed. This establishment did not have any service or assortment. The choice was only skewers of wild boar or pork. Taken from pork, it is softer. A vegetable salad was still listed on the menu, but exactly what was listed, because it was not available. The meat was tender, juicy and very tasty. Although, maybe it just seemed so from hunger? One way or another, we ate him on both cheeks.

Enclosures began next to the cafe. The entry here is purely symbolic. No fence, no strict control. The woman in the booth didn't even look at our tickets, and no one asked for them afterwards. At least go for free.

13. Aviaries, this is not a zoo. At least there is something similar. Also animals, also cells, but the size of these cells is incommensurable. Here the animals were given a huge space with meadows, trees and even a swamp.

Lattices, it's just hell for a photographer! The thick lens did not want to crawl between the bars, and I had to work hard to get normal pictures.

The first people we met were deer. They stood, sat and just wandered around. Singly or in groups. Some were merrily running among the trees.

17. The next enclosure, and again deer. Here the individuals are older, they no longer frolic, but importantly lie in the mud. I thought only pigs liked it...

18. A beetle flew right in front of my nose and settled on the nearest bush. Never seen anything like it before, big and fast. Macro failed.

19. Next ostriches. I don't even know what they're doing here. Do they really live in Belovezhskaya Pushcha? There are very few of them, only two or three. Seeing us, a beautiful male immediately ran up and began to beg for a treat. I had to move away so as not to peck the camera.

20. And finally, the main inhabitants of the forest, bison. Bison is not in vain considered the king of Belarusian animals. Their whole appearance speaks of hidden power. These are not cows or even bulls! Although they look slow and lazy, but in reality this is not at all the case!

21. For example, to shoot this male, I had to run after him along the cage, but he was just walking!

22. Bison are more courageous and trusting. They approach people, give themselves a stroke and wait for their pay. Just try not to feed them, they can butt! At such moments, you begin to appreciate the fence.

23. A strange look, does it ask for vodka?

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25. And this looks like a newborn. He is very small and barely got up. Just a sweetheart.

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27. The weather favored us. The clouds saved from the sun, the rain had not yet fallen, and the moisture in the air repelled mosquitoes and gadflies. People, probably, too, because they were not here at all.

28. Interesting things can be seen not only inside the enclosures, this small, gray bird - a nuthatch, quickly flew between the trees, collecting seeds.

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30. Wild boar. Now he is full and resting quietly, buried in the mud, but God forbid to meet him in the forest! In weight and size, this "mumps" is not much inferior to the largest predator of Belarus, the brown bear, and it does not hold ferocity.

31. And here is the bear. More specifically, a bear. They are kept separately from each other, in small cages and behind double bars. I feel sorry for them, compared to other inhabitants of the enclosures, they are just in prison.

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33. The wolf looks at everyone indifferently, and attempts to draw him closer have failed miserably.

34. Raccoons are also locked in a cage, but unlike bears, they are kept in pairs.

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36. Fox. Either sleeping or dead.

37. But the lynx is active. He walks around the cage, as if considering how to get out of it. Sometimes she freezes and looks longingly at people.

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39. Incredible! According to the sign, this is a raccoon dog!

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41. The buzzard tears apart the meat and throws unkind glances at the witnesses of his meal.

42. Golden owl. He is hated by other birds and is always attacked. This is successfully used when hunting falcon, hawk and other predators. An eagle owl, tied by the leg near the hunter's shelter, attracts the attention of birds of prey, which descend to him and fall under the shot.

43. This ended the visit to the enclosures. Before driving to the parking lot, we decided to drive a little along the road to take a picture of the forest. However, we did not manage to go far, a security guard immediately drove up to us, demanded a pass and said that it was only possible to travel on it from the gate to the lake. And a step to the right and to the left already pulls on the article. It was unpleasant, because the watchman who wrote out the pass said that you can go anywhere.I had to obey. However, I managed to take a couple of pictures.

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46. We arrived at the lake without incident. No one stopped us and no one asked for a pass.
Near the shore there is a wonderful oak, looking at which the lines involuntarily climbed into my head:
"By the seaside, a green oak,

Golden chain on an oak tree

And day and night the scientist cat keeps walking around the chain.

Goes to the right - the song starts,

47. The atmosphere here is completely different. There are no roads, no houses, no people. Virgin, untouched nature. Words are out of place here, you can just enjoy the peace and quiet. Only here, we felt ourselves truly in the forest.

48. The resting place is surrounded by a decorative fence, and its area is very large! There are two tables with a roof, several sites for setting up tents, a place for a fire and a barbecue. Firewood was piled up nearby. As luck would have it, they were damp, and it was strictly forbidden to cut trees in the forest.

A light rain began to fall. We hurriedly unloaded, set up a tent, and lit a fire with difficulty. All this time, lizards constantly ran under their feet, and from the direction of the lake came the croaking of frogs.

An already familiar security guard drove up to us and ordered us to drive the car to a specially designated parking lot, which was a couple of hundred meters from the tent. And, after all, they promised on the phone that the car can be parked directly near the camp!

49. The brazier, unfortunately, was impossible to use. The bottom was rusted and half missing, and what was left consisted of a bunch of small holes. The coals just fell to the ground.

50. Leaving my husband to look after the fire, I went on a photo hunt. The sun came out for a moment, flooding everything around with bright colors, it turned out to be a good shot.

51. The lake mirrors the forest and the sky.

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54. And this stupid one, several times tried to crawl into the fire. He must have been drawn to the warmth. The husband, each time, pulled him out of the fire and carried him aside.

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56. Evening. The firewood is almost burned out, and I start preparing dinner.

57. While we were having dinner, it got completely dark. The moon came out, and in its ghostly light every bush looked like a lurking predator. Grasshoppers chirped, frogs croaked. After admiring this beauty, we went to bed. Tomorrow we will have a trip along the lake ring, but this is the next post.

2. Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Day 1st.

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 are going 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 forays into 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.