Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park

Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park

The Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is located in Belarus, in parts of the Brest Region and Grodno Region near the Polish border. Since 1992, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the last remaining fragment of the European forests of the Białowieża Forest, once part of the European Plain. Here lives a large population of European Bison, the heaviest land animals on the continent. Much of the Białowieża Forest was designated a national park on 11 August 1932, during the Second Polish Republic. The earliest records of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park are from the year 983. The National Park has been a battlefield many times over the ages, with the Napoleonic Wars and the World Wars all taking their toll on the forest. The area was declared a state reserve in 1939, and in 1944 part of the reserve was donated to neighboring Poland. Nowadays, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is one of the most popular places in Belarus and plays a very significant role in the ecology of Belarus. The Park is known for its ancient oak trees, which are over 500 years old. In total there are more than 1000 species of trees and flowers. Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is the home to more than 300 species of animals and birds, including species of: European Bison, lynx, otter, wolf, crane, woodpecker and others. The Park also runs a zoo, library and museum, and supports woodworking, crafts and various local businesses.