Nalibokskaya Pushcha is one of the largest forested areas of Eastern Europe

Autumn in Belarus is an unpredictable, pretty cold and often rainy season. But it is also an interesting time for active recreation outdoors. This time of the year we can enjoy cycling and hiking forest trails, observe flocks of wild birds and animals as they are preparing for winter. In Belarus there are really a lot of picturesque places that visitors can include into their must-see lists of places while setting on an eco-tour around Belarus.

One of these natural gems is Nalibokskaya Pushcha, which is one of the largest forested areas in Eastern Europe. The total area of the landscape reserve located 90km away from Minsk is 86.9 hectares spanning Volozhin District and Ivie District (Minsk Oblast and Grodno Oblast).

It was here where earl Yan Tyshkevich founded Vyalovky Reserve in the early 20th century to save the unique natural specimen for descendants.

Today, the reserve is home to 23 species of plants included into the Belarusian List of Endangered Species. The animal species include brown bears and red deer, lynx and West European mink, and also the main symbol of the country – bison. Nalibokskaya Pushcha is home to 29 species of rare birds: black stork and kingfisher, capercaillie and lesser spotted eagle. In 2016, a capercaillie nursery was set up in the reserve as part of an international project.

One of Belarus’ biggest reserves in our photo gallery.