- 5 best eco-trails of Belarus in nature reserves
- Hiking trails around the capital
- Routes in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
- On a note
Belarus, "blue-eyed beauty", is a country of forests, lakes and swamps. On its territory there is the most ancient forest in Europe - Belovezhskaya Pushcha, it is more than a thousand years old. But besides this, there are many nature reserves and national parks.
This country has now become one of the most beautiful and well-groomed of our neighbors: perfect cleanliness reigns here, there are places for civilized outdoor recreation and hiking trips to attractions.
5 best eco-trails of Belarus in nature reserves
Hiking is an active pastime and recreation option with family or friends. Anyone can take part in a hike: age and physical fitness do not matter.
- Naroch National Park, Blue Lakes route. Perfectly landscaped and the most popular ecological trail. It exists in three levels of difficulty, and leads from the village of Olshovo to lakes Svinak, Dead, Glublya and Glubelka, through the most turbulent river in Belarus - Stracha, through a century-old pine forest. According to legend, there was a Viking burial ground on Lake Dead. Above Lake Glublya, there is an observation deck and a picnic area - this is where the shortest part of the route ends. The lake has its own sandy beach and diving footpaths. If you go further, you can see the mineral lakes Yachmenek and Cyclops, an old mill and the remains of a Catholic cemetery. The length of the route is 4, 7 and 11 km.
- Landscape reserve Yelnya, route "Yelninskoe swamp". The most exotic trail through the largest swamp in the country, on bogshoes. There is an easy option - through a swamp on a comfortable wooden flooring, there is no need to strain (the only thing to remember is not a forest swamp, it is impossible to hide from the sun throughout the entire trail). But now an option is offered for extreme lovers: through the swamp on special devices similar to skis - bogshoes. It is interesting, but this route will require physical effort. But you can see much more. The swamp is home to many waterfowl, cranes and herons. The short route is 1.5 km, the long route is 2-3 km on foot and about 5-6 km. on a swamp vehicle. There are two-day options with an overnight stay right in the heart of the swamp.
- Braslav Lakes National Park, Slobodkovskaya Ozovaya Ridge route. The route passes not only through natural, but also through historical sights. Its first stop is a settlement of the 7th-13th centuries, one of the last is a military training ground of the first third of the 20th century. But, besides this, there will be groves of several species of rare junipers, a story about the flora and fauna of the lakes, and how the glacier shaped these landscapes. The length of the route is 4, 6 km.
- Berezinsky nature reserve, route "Along the reserved forest path". The route is designed for schoolchildren and is combined with a visit to the "forest zoo", with bison and wild boars, and its most beautiful point is an observation deck over the picturesque and scary swamp expanses. The length of the route is 3.6 km.
- Pripyat nature reserve, route "Tsar-oak". The eco-trail leads to an 800-year-old oak - the oldest tree in Polesie. Its height is 36 meters, and 2 meters is the diameter of its trunk. And then you can see the oldest pine tree, it is only 300 years old. On the trail you can clearly see the old mixed forest, and clearings that are overgrown with completely different plants, as well as a raised bog.
Hiking trails around the capital
If you have settled in Minsk, then it is also convenient to go somewhere on foot from here - there are enough routes and attractions. The most popular roads lead to the monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, which so terribly walked through these places. But there are other interesting sights not far from Minsk.
To the monument to the hero pilots is the easiest and most popular route since Soviet times, which can take a day or two, depending on the desire to spend the night in nature. It starts from the Romany station and leads through the villages of Volodki and Putniki. On the way, the Chernevka River forms a dam, on which there was once a mill - near the pond, a convenient parking place that has been "occupied" by generations of tourists. And on the side of the Vilnius highway, near the town of Radosevici, there is a monument to the legendary pilot Nikolai Gastello, who rammed a convoy of German equipment on his wrecked plane. In addition, the town has a wooden church from the beginning of the 20th century and a beautiful old church. The length of the route is 16 km.
Khatyn is one of the most terrible tragedies that happened in Belarus during the war, and the most famous war memorial: a mass grave and a sculpture "Unconquered Man". But it is located in a rather difficult place - you cannot get there by public transport, the memorial is 5 kilometers from the highway. The complex itself can only be reached by car, or walked from the turn. You can go back and forth, or you can go from Khatyn through the villages of Rudny and Gostilovichi to Logoisk, from where public transport already runs. Logoisk itself is a very ancient city, but the war left here only the remains of city ditches and ramparts, around which a landscaped park was laid out. The length of the route is 12 km.
The route to the homeland of Yanka Kupala begins from the village of Malye Besyady, next to which there are the remains of the estate of S. Chekhovich, who became a friend and mentor to the young poet. Further, it passes through the former estate of the Trenches and the ruins of the house in which the poet lived with his mother for a long time, and ends in the village of Beloruchi, where he studied - the local school still bears his name and keeps his certificate. The length of the route is 22 km.
Routes in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
The most famous in Russia, and throughout the world, is the Belarusian nature reserve - Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The amazing relic forest, which was first mentioned in chronicles in 983, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. There are several hotel complexes and two museums on the territory of the Pushcha. Several short ecological trails and long routes pass along it.
- Dokudovo is the most popular short trail that leads through a drained swamp. It is in this place that you can see numerous ungulates of Belovezhskaya Pushcha in the evening hours: deer, roe deer, wild boars and, of course, bison. The length of the route is 6 km.
- The Lake Ring is the most "pleasant" route. It leads through artificial lakes where you can swim and through abandoned orchards where apples still grow. Animals come here too - from deer to raccoon dogs. The length of the route is 5.6 km.
- The pagan oak grove (Yazvinskoe forestry) is the very heart of a century-old forest, in which there is, for example, a "magic oak" with a hollow through, bringing healing, a boulder that once served as an altar for the pagans, another oak - "Perun's Favorite", which is more than 600 years old, and much more. The length of the route is 2.5 km.
- Voitov Bridge - the route starts from the Dryunevka River and its dams and leads through the forest and swamps to the village of Voitov Bridge. The village is proud to have won first place in the recent competition for the most comfortable outdoor recreation area - here both design and all kinds of amenities. The length of the route is 15 km.
- Long trip - the route can be both walking and cycling, and passes through the central areas of the reserve. It leads past the shallow Lake Lyadskoye, along the banks of which waterfowl nest, through one of the oldest oaks in the forest - it is 550 years old, a forest of black alder, a wasteland left after the terrible hurricane of 2002, and goes to the old road Brest-Belovezh, once the most important transport artery of the Commonwealth. The length of the route is 24 km.
On a note
Russian citizens do not need a passport to enter the territory of Belarus, when entering the country, usually no one asks for documents, but when leaving, the Russian customs may ask for documents.
It is worth taking care of the currency - there are few exchange offices and ATMs, even in large cities, cards are not accepted everywhere. You can pay in rubles in the border areas, but in the depths of the country you can no longer agree. Cellular communication is stable.
As for the recommendations for forest travel, they are standard for the middle lane. It is better to have strong waterproof shoes and repellents are required - there are mosquitoes and ticks in the reserves.
