Bialowieza Forest

Bialowieza is the last large remnant of the primeval forest that once covered the European lowlands, a UNESCO woodland straddling the Polish-Belarusian border where ancient oaks and hornbeams grow undisturbed and fallen giants rot back into the earth. It is the refuge of the European bison, the continent's heaviest land animal, brought back from the brink here.

History

Forest of this kind once covered all of northeastern Europe, and until about the 14th century the only way through was by river. Limited hunting rights were granted in the 14th century, in the 15th the forest became the property of Grand Duke Jogaila, who sheltered in a wooden manor at Białowieża from the plague of 1426, and bison were protected at least from 1518; a document of 1553 issued by Sigismund I made poaching a bison punishable by death, and his new hunting manor gave its name, white tower, to the whole forest. After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795 the forest passed to Russia and was handed to Russian generals, protection collapsed and bison fell below 200, until Alexander I restored it in 1802 and numbers rose to 772 by 1830. Today the forest holds more than 800 bison, and in June 2014 the World Heritage Site was extended to cover the Polish and Belarusian parts as one (Wikipedia, Białowieża Forest).

What's there

• The European bison - the wild bison, seen in the reserve or the show enclosure.
• The strict reserve - the untouched primeval forest, entered only with a guide.
• The ancient trees - the giant old oaks and the natural cycle of the forest.
• The show reserve - the enclosure where bison and other animals can be seen.

When to go

Spring to autumn for the forest and birdlife; winter improves the chance of seeing wild bison, which come to feeding grounds. The strict reserve is entered only on a guided tour.

Good to know

The core strict reserve can only be entered with a licensed guide, on foot, at set times. Seeing wild bison takes luck, though the show enclosure offers a near-certain view. It is remote: the drive from Warsaw is about three hours each way and there is little else nearby, so it works as an overnight rather than a day trip.

Nearby

The Podlasie region and its wooden villages are around; Warsaw is about three hours west.

Key facts