Białowieża is a well-known resort that is so popular thanks to the Białowieża Forest and the Białowieża National Park which is on the UNESCO list of world heritage.

The Białowieża Forest is situated at the riverside of Narewka and it is a great place for walking, cycling and canoeing.

 

The attractions of Białowieża include:

• The Białowieża National Park – that is on the UNESCO list of world heritage. The park has an area of 10 517,27 ha which constitutes 1/6 of the Polish part of Białowieża Forest.
• Park Pałacowy – of an area of about 50 ha. It was established at the turn of 19^th and 20^th century in the surroundings of the imperial court built in years 1889 – 1894. The park designed in an English style, which is called also a landscape park, was designed by a Polish designer – Walery Kronenberg. In this Park we can find the NATURE AND FOREST MUSEUM.
• The Nature and Forest Museum of the Białowieża National Park – one of the most modern natural museum in Podlasie that shows the richness of the Białowieża Forest along with many animal species that can be seen there.
• The Orthodox Church of Saint Nicolaus -  the church was build in years 1894-1897. With an iconostasis of a colorful maiolica it is the only monument of such type in Poland.
• The Roman-Catholic Church of Saint Theresa with a Chapel of Saint Hubert - The construction of a neo-renaissance Parish Church according to a project of Borys Zinserling  began in 1927.
• The Żubry Nature Reserve – The symbol of Białowieża Forest is a Bison that can be seen in the Show Reserve along with other animals such as: deer, moose, boars, wolves and lynxes. There we can see also a Polish konik that is a descendant of tarpans and a zubron, a mixture of a bison and a cow. In front of the Reserve we can buy souvenirs of Białowieża.
• Szlak Dębów Królewskich i Wielkich Książąt Litewskich - A path among 23 150-450 years old oaks in the wilderness of the Old Białowieża. The Old Oaks have names of the Rulers of Poland and Lithuania.
• Protective Zone Orłówka - it is a zone of strict protection in the central part of Białowieża Forest, among the Hwoźna and Narewka rivers and lies on the border of Białowieża Forest National Park in Belarus. The zone Orłówka includes the old oak gate built in 1930 behind which we can see the commemorative plaques.
  
• Białowieża Towarowa - The old closed Tsarist Train Station which currently hosts a Tsarist Restaurant

 

 

Attractions in the area:

• Link to the website of the Aquapark in Hajnówka
• Monuments’ Miniatures Perk of Podlasie
• Narrow Gauge Railway in Hajnówka-Topiło
• The Museum of Metalwork and Ironwork in Hajnówka
  
• Belarusian Museum and Culture Centre
• Lake siemianówka

 

Paths of the Białowieża Forest:

 

Source: Polskie Towarzystwo Tutystyczno- Krajoznawcze

Białowieża Forest – walking trails

Hajnówka - Białowieża (green, 25 km)

The path runs through the Landscape Reserve of Władysław Szafer that protects flora and fauna of Białwieża Forest and barrows of 10th-13th century. In the middle of the trail the path goes across the Hajnówka – Białowieża road through Parking Zwierzyniec. You can stop there for a longer rest, drink tea and eat something (Zajazd Myśliwski). Later the trail goes to the Show Reserve Żubrów where you can see animals living in the Forest. The trail ends in Białowieża.

Hajnówka - Narewka "Szlak walk partyzanckich" (red, 22 km)

It is a perfect place for hiking in the Białowieża Forest. The trail begins in Hajnówka and goes through the nature reserves: “Lipiny” and “Szczekotowo”. The reserve “Lipiny” was created in order to maintain the sessile oak on the territory of the Forest. The mysterious reserve “Szczekotowo” protect the tumuli burial ground from 10th-13th century.

An interesting place located on the trail is an orthodox chapel with a miraculous spring known as “Krynoczka”. In 1999 people celebrated 150th anniversary of the creation of the temple. By going straight we reach the village of Świnoroje with a campsite and didactic trail “Pod Dębami” of the Forest Promotional Complex “Lasy Puszczy Białowieskiej”. The trail finishes in Narewka.

 

Hajnówka - Orzeszkowo - Hajnówka "Szlak Śladami Powstania Styczniowego" (blue, 31 km)

The trail serves as a touristic bypass. It goes on the borders of the Forest to the village Orzeszkowo with a statue of insurgents shot in 1863 and crosses from the second world war built by the residents as a gratitude for saving the village from burning down. Later on the trail goes to the woodland leading to the natural monument Car Dąb. It is one of the biggest trees in the Forest and despite the fact that it is withered, it still protects the forest. Going east we reach the trail of the narrow-gauge railway. The trail goes through the reserve “Głęboki Kąt” that was created in order to protect the boreal spruce forest. The trail finishes in Hajnówka.

 

Białowieża - Topiło (yellow, 19 km)

The trail goes on main roads of the forest and through the reserves: "Podcerkwa", "Berezowo", "Olszanka Myśliszcze", "Michnówka". They protect mostly the places inhabited by butterflies and burnets. The trail finishes in the forest settlement Topiło where the narrow-gauge railway finishes and where there are many interesting places to rest under the wooden sheds. Among the ponds there is an educational path “Leśne Osobliwości”.

 

Białowieża - Czerlonka Osada - Zwierzyniec (blue, 17 km)

The path begins at the old wooden station Białowieża Towarowa and it leads through the villages Podolany I and Podolany II to the Center of Forest Education „Jaggielońskie”. Later on it goes through Tryb Jagielloński to Czerlonka and then to Osada Zwierzyniec.

 

Białowieża - "Miejscami Pamięci Narodowej" (red, 14 km)

The trail begins in Białowieża and goes near the old wooden station Białowieża Towarowa reaching the
Center of Forest Education „Jaggielońskie”. Then through villages of Podolany I and Podolany II goes back to Białowieża. The trail partly covers the educational trail “Krajobrazy Puszczy”.

Białowieża - Siemianówka (blue, 41 km)

The trail goes through Pogorzelec with the wooden architecture of Podlasie village.
Then it goes through the wilderness of Stara Białowieża (there is an educational path "Szlak Dębów Królewskich and Książąt Litewskich"). The trail runs through Gruszki, Babia Góra (with an observation tower). It finishes in Siemianówka where the orthodox church of Saint George Pobendonosets from 18th century is located. Interesting is the fact that the village is below the water level of Siemianówka lagoon and it is protected from flood with ramparts.

 

Białowieża - Narewka (yellow, 21 km)

The trail goes through village Pogorzelec and wilderness of Stara Białowieża with a hundred meters long educational trail - "Szlak Dębów Królewskich and Książąt Litewskich". The trail leads by Droga Narewkowska through Janowo to Narewka.

 

ˇ Masiewo - Kosy Most (the so-called Wilczy Szlak, green, 16 km)

The trail is located on the territory of Białowieża National Park. It starts in the wilderness of Kosy Most where the observation tower is built that is used for watching birds in the Narewka valley. Later on it leads to the wilderness of “Wilczy Szlak” (it is called after it) where there is a meadow with oaks. The trail goes by forest roads to the wilderness of Głuszec. The trail finishes in Masiewo, on the so-called Polana Masiewska.

 

Masiewo - Uroczysko Głuszec - Masiewo (red, 6,5 km)

It is a trail that surrounds the old reserve „Głuszec” included in the Białowieża National Park in 1996. There are high peatlands and many species of protected plants (e.g. Lycopodium tristachyum). The trail partly covers the Wilczy Szlak.

 

"Miejsce Mocy" (black, 5,5 km)

It is an old Slavic cult place – a stone circle. There is a mysterious group of trees (including deformed spruces, oaks, pear trees and hawthorns). The dowsers that studied this place stated that there is a high level of the so-called positive radiance.

 

"Carska Tropina" (black, 4 km)

It is an old hunting road that starts at the observation tower on Kosy Most (the trail has a footbridge and an observation point at Narewka).