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From eco-trails to forest zoo: How Berezinsky reserve attracts 100,000 tourists a year
An archive photo
DOMERZHITSY, 23 July (BelTA) – Director of the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve Andrei Prokoshin shared insights into how ecotourism is being developed at the institution during a press tour for Belarusian media, BelTA has learned.
Known as the pearl of the Belarusian Lake District (Poozerye), the reserve is world-famous for its pristine nature. Andrei Prokoshin noted that strict conservation rules apply here. All tourist trails are coordinated with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Academy of Sciences. The main goal of their work is to develop ecotourism while protecting nature.
“We offer various recreation options, ranging from hiking and cycling to kayaking and horseback riding. Last year, we launched a 30-kilometer cycling tour called Trails of Victory,” Andrei Prokoshin said.
There are several museums dedicated to mythology, honey and beekeeping, nature, and wildlife conservation, along with a ropes course and a forest zoo on its territory. The latter is a key attraction for family recreation. It is visited by about 70% of guests, while the reserve as a whole welcomes over 100,000 people annually.
Visitors can come for weekend tours or stay at the Plavno and Serguch hotels, or the Nivki tourist complex. The Serguch hotel underwent modernization in 2025. It now features a spa area, updated its restaurant and banquet halls, and improved the common lounge areas on the guest floors.
A new location is the wildlife conservation museum, which opened in the Environmental Education Center for the reserve’s 100th anniversary. To promote business tourism, there is a spacious 150-seat conference hall and a press center.
Another important initiative is the Green Class – a modern area where children can take part in educational activities.
Great emphasis is placed on event tourism. The most popular events are Maslenitsa, Kupala Night, Veles Night, the Shlyakh Tsmoka (Dragon’s Way) festival, and the Honey Festival.
Andrei Prokoshin noted that the reserve follows strict methods for calculating the recreational impact. Right now, the numbers are far from dangerous, meaning the tourist spots have plenty of room to grow. The potential is huge. Among those visiting the natural complex are not only Belarusians but also foreigners – tourists from the CIS countries, China, the EU, Australia, Argentina, and more.
The Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is a unique natural complex, the only one holding such a status. It is famous for its diverse forests, floodplains, rivers, and marshes. It is home to Europe’s “big five” mammals (the European bison, brown bear, elk, wolf, and lynx), which highlights the exceptional value of this ecosystem.
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