What to see in Belarus

Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park

Classified as a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is one of the largest and the oldest in Europe with an area of 3086 square km seated on a plain between Belarus and Poland. On the Belarusian side, 1771 square km of park stretch between the province of Brest and Grozno, in the southwest of the country, 340 km from Minsk.

Formerly it was a hunting reserve for the exclusive use of Polish kings and Russian Tsars. Belovezhskaya means "white tower" in honour of the tower Belaya Vezha erected in the thirteenth century in Kamenets. It is the only remaining military fortification in Belarus, which is why it has become an architectural icon of the country.

It is home to lush and dense virgin forests of beech, centennial oaks, elms, trade and ash among others. Wildlife in the park includes 100 species of birds such as owls, woodpeckers and bald eagles and 62 species of mammals such as wild boar, elk, foxes, badgers, otters, beavers, semi-wild horses, wild cats, reindeer, bears, wolves and the largest population in the world of European bison. The Bison, or "Zubr" in Belarusian, is the largest wild animal in Europe can weigh a male up to 820 kg and measure up to 2 m high. It is considered the symbol of the park.

The area has marked trails and houses a zoo, a library and the Park Palace, a wooden mansion home to the Museum of Nature. The park is said to be home to the Belarusian Santa Claus, better known as Ded Moroz which means "Grandfather of the Cold". Visitors to the park can follow the marked routes to visit Ded Moroz in his wooden and meticulously carved house.