Białowieża National Park

Why visit?

Białowieża National Park protects the most precious part of the Białowieża Forest — Europe's last great primeval lowland forest, saved by protection that began with the Jagiellonian kings. It is Poland's oldest national park, and the woodland around Białowieża was among the first Polish sites inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1979 (since 2014 the entry covers the whole transboundary forest). Across more than 10,000 hectares grows a forest of fully natural structure: dead wood left in place, veteran oaks over 400 years old, and species that long vanished from the rest of Europe. The park's symbol is the European bison — the continent's largest land mammal, with bulls weighing over 800 kilograms. Driven to extinction in the Forest in the early 20th century, it was reintroduced in 1929 from animals saved in zoos; today more than 800 roam the Polish part of the woodland. You may spot them in the forest, while a guaranteed encounter awaits at the bison show enclosure in Białowieża. The heart of the park — the strict reserve with its marked trails — can only be visited with a BPN-licensed guide. Set aside a full day: besides the guided walk, it should include the bison enclosure and the natural history museum in the historic Palace Park. Online tickets can be bought up to 7 days in advance, but guides must be booked separately through tourist offices listed by the park. Note that entering the reserve is forbidden during storms and high winds, and mosquitoes join every summer walk — spring and autumn are the calmest and most beautiful seasons here.

What you’ll see

• Ostatnia pierwotna puszcza nizinna Europy (UNESCO od 1979)
• Żubry — największe lądowe ssaki Europy, także w zagrodzie pokazowej
• Rezerwat ścisły zwiedzany wyłącznie z licencjonowanym przewodnikiem
• Dęby liczące ponad 400 lat i las o naturalnej strukturze
• Muzeum przyrodnicze w zabytkowym Parku Pałacowym

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