What the strict reserve is
The strict reserve of Białowieża National Park has its roots in 1921, when the Polish authorities of the day created the Reserve Forest District — a fragment of the forest with no forestry management. In 1932 it became the National Park at Białowieża (one of the first in Poland). The present strict protection zone covers about 47 km² of the most valuable woodland, where people do not intervene at all.
The Polish forestry saying „like the Białowieża Forest” means woodland of primeval structure — of every age, of many species, with rotting wood on the ground, clearings where trees have fallen and natural succession. Most Polish forests are monocultures of pine or spruce planted in a single year in the 19th or 20th century. Here the trees remember Catherine the Great, the Polish kings, sometimes even the Jagiellons (the oldest oaks are about 400 years old).
How to get in — a guide is essential
The strict reserve can only be entered with a licensed guide of Białowieża National Park (the list is available at the information centre in Białowieża). The entrance is from the car park on the Tsar's Road (north of Białowieża, on a surfaced road). The walk takes 3–4 hours, the path is marked, the route short (about 5 km), flat and easy for everyone.
The trip costs about 150–250 zł per group (up to 10 people), plus a park ticket of about 7 zł per person. Booking is essential in summer, ideally several days ahead. Tours are available in Polish, English, German and Russian. Some guides specialise in ornithology, others in botany, others again in history — it is worth asking.
What you will see
- Old oaks and ashes — some 300–400 years old, with trunks 1.5–2 m across
- Rotting trunks and windthrows — habitats for hundreds of species of fungi, insects and birds (woodpeckers, nuthatches, tits)
- Bison clearings — places where the bison graze down the grass and leave their distinctive droppings
- Traces of wild boar (rooted-up ground), roe deer, red deer, sometimes elk and wolves
- An old war cemetery from the First World War (on the route)
- Near the route — the Jagiełło Oak (once one of the most famous in the forest, now fallen, though fragments remain)
Worth knowing
- Mosquitoes — numerous in the forest from May to September. Repellent is essential
- Silence — the guides ask you to keep your voice down to improve the chances of seeing animals
- Cameras — yes, but with the flash off and no lights on the animals
- Footwear — waterproof; the forest can be wet after rain
- Leaving the path — forbidden (with an administrative fine). The whole point of the reserve is non-intrusion
- What you will not see — bison (they rarely come to this part of the forest), bears (Białowieża has none), wolves (rarely, and never in the busiest hours)
How to get there and practical info
- Entry
- Only with a licensed guide
- Cost of the tour
- About 150–250 zł per group (up to 10 people) plus a ticket of about 7 zł per person
- Duration
- 3–4 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy (a flat path)
- Booking
- Essential in season (the park information centre)
- Best time
- May (birds) and September (the rut)
When to go
May — a chorus of birds, anemones in flower and still few mosquitoes. At its loveliest.
A dense, shady, pleasantly cool forest. Plenty of mosquitoes — repellent essential.
September — the deer rut and a golden season for photographers. October is cold and damp.
Tours available, the forest silent, and the snow revealing animal tracks. Recommended for experienced watchers.
Other sights in Białowieża
Straight-line distances from „The strict reserve of Białowieża National Park" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
We are still building the list of verified properties in the Białowieża region. If you run a guesthouse, a cottage or an apartment nearby — add your property.
Add your property →
