A Forest That Heals: An Intimate Guide on the Attractions of the Białowieża Forest
A forest, sure – but what else? In the Białystok region, besides bison, wooden houses and babka ziemniaczana – a type of baked potato cake with onions and bacon – you will find many mysterious places as well as new and unfamiliar flavours. Where to go on your holiday so that after you could say, ‘I really enjoyed that’?
While preparing to write this article, I spoke with Sergiusz Niczyporuk, the agrotourism director of Białowieskie Sioło (Białowieża Village) in Budy outside of Białowieża. The local storyteller, who meets with tourists daily, acknowledged that people who come to the region enjoy meeting with local folks most of all. On the other hand, Staszek Jaskułka, the longtime MC of the ‘From the Country Courtyard’ Festival, which takes place in Czeremcha, declared this year while on stage that the audience not only comes to the region for the music, but also due to the fact that ‘it’s so normal here’.
Rather than offering some typical list of touristy spots, I propose a series of meetings. It’s worth preparing for them in advance, so that you can have greater awareness of local circumstances.
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Simona Kossak with a roe deer, photo by Lech Wilczek from Anna Kamińska's book 'A Story of the Extraordinary Life of Simona Kossak', Wydawnictwo Literackie
In order to get a real sense of the forest’s ambiance, it’s a good idea to take a look at the books of Simona Kossak and those that tell about her life. This researcher of mammal behaviour calls herself a ‘zoopsychologist’. For over thirty years, she lived in a forester’s lodge in the midst of the Białowieża Forest. The photos taken by Lech Wilczek, her long-time partner, are an inseparable facet of her image today.
Fans of descriptive journalism should read Aneta Przymaka-Oniszk’s book Refugees 1915 – about the massive evacuation of the civilian population, primarily Orthodox Christians, during the First World War. Those tragic events from over a century ago affected the fates of many people from the area of today’s Podlasie Province. The history of Podlasie is also depicted in Anna Romaniuk’s book Orzeszkowo 14.
An excellent introduction to the social and cultural complexities of the region is the publication Przypuszcza prepared by the Krajobraz Sightseeing Society. It will tell you all about the forest, the roads carved through the primeval forest, the workers’ protests that took place in Hajnówka as well as many other tales.
But the best-known resident of the Białowieża Forest is not a person, but a bison. Rafał Kowalczyk, a researcher and director of the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Mammal Biology Institute, wrote a book about one of them. ‘Viking’ got his name from his elaborate horns, which immediately grab the attention not only of people, but also of other bison. The youngest readers would surely enjoy a series of books about Pompik the Bison by Tomasz Samojlik or Lolek by Adam Wajrak, a moving tale of a certain dog.
Meeting with the Forest, Meeting in the Forest
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A sunny morning in the Białowieża Primeval Forest. Narewka River near the village of Gruszki, photo: Agencja Wschód / Forum
The greatest treasure of Podlasie is the territory of the Białowieża National Park (BNP), which includes Europe’s last natural, primeval forest. This territory is distinguished by its tremendous biological variety. Within the park, there are over 8,000 species of invertebrates, about 120 species of nesting birds, 52 species of mammals, 809 species of vascular plants, over 3,000 species of spore-bearing plants and fungi, nearly 200 species of moss and 283 species of lichen.
It’s worth starting your visit to the forest with a stop at the Orłówka Protected Unit – the most valuable natural site in the Białowieża National Park. The forest that grows there has been doing so for centuries – entirely without human interference. As a rule, people first notice the fallen and broken trees which are, for many species, their sole source of subsistence. Visiting this area is only permitted in the company of a licensed BNP guide.
One can move about more freely around the northwest portions of the BNP, that is the former Hwoźna Protective Unit. You can get there either from the Narewka River side or from Stare Masiewo. This territory is intended for tourism on foot, by bike or on skis. There are 25 kilometres of footpaths and 14 kilometres of bike paths. Wooden bridges and information signs make movement along the paths easier. This part of the forest can be a good alternative for those who have difficulty arranging for a guide or who simply prefer a more independent way of becoming acquainted with the forest.
Meeting a Bison in the Wild…
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Bison, photo: Marek Kosiński / Forum
… is not always easy, especially in the summer. The king of the forest can be seen on most of the park’s promotional materials, on monuments and on vodka and beer labels, but meeting one in the wild demands patience. You can ask residents of the villages adjacent to the forest about places which the bison tend to favour or where they sometimes sleep at night. Coming across a bison is easier in the autumn, winter or early spring – that’s when they most often come out of the forest in search of food. Driving through Pogorzelce, Teremiski and Budy as well as Narewka and Stare Masiewo, it’s recommended that you look to the sides of the road.
The most determined seekers of the forest king can choose to follow the ‘Bison’s Trail’ footpath, which runs for twenty kilometres. This walk winds through three sites where the bison are fed in the winter: ‘Kosy Most’, ‘Czoło’, and ‘Babia Góra’.
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Spotted flycatcher, photo: Adam Wajrak / Agencja Gazeta
Amongst the species of nesting birds in the Białowieża Forest, birdwatchers take special interest in the white-backed and three-toed woodpeckers, the lesser spotted eagle, the golden plover, owl, as well as red-bellied and white-bellied flycatchers. In the vicinity of the forest, one can also encounter the black stork and the hazel grouse (or hazel hen). If you wish to hear songbirds, it is best to arrive two to three hours after sunrise, but if your curiosity is for birds of prey, you should go to the edges of the forest around noon.
If you are interested in observing birds, you’d do best to find a specialised guide. Birdwatching tours are given by, among others, Tadeusz Przygocki or Arkadiusz Szymura.
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Dziedzinka, photo: Piotr Wojnarowski / Forum
As a rule, tourists visiting Białowieża head for the Palace Park, the Natural-Forest Museum and the Bison Breeding Centre. Of the educational paths, the most popular are the Żebra Żubra (‘Bison’s Ribs’), the ‘Szlak Dębów Królewskich’ (‘Royal Oaks Trail’), and ‘Miejsce Mocy’ (‘Places of Power’). In high season, these places tend to get crowded – therefore, it could be more rewarding to explore the lesser-known sides of this region.
It’s worth paying a visit to the Directors’ Park, a garden created at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries according to a design by Walery Kronenberg. In addition to the natural beauty of the park, one’s attention is drawn to the wooden administrative buildings dating from the mid-19th century. While in the area, one simply must see the interior of the church, in which many decorative elements made of wood can be seen. Furthermore, in the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas adjacent to the Palace Park, look for the ceramic iconostasis imported from St. Petersburg. If you were taken with the animal portraits of Simona Kossak, you will surely want to see Dziedzinka, a forester’s lodge hidden deep in the forest. In fact, you can’t enter it, but the view alone is enough to let you imagine the situations depicted in Lech Wilczek’s photographs. Lovers of wooden architecture should visit the former train station of Białowieża Towarowa, which nowadays houses the Tsarist Restaurant, or take a walk along Century Street, where wooden multi-family houses stand.
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Plutycze, photo: Michał Dąbrowski
Characteristic of the Białowieża Forest region are the country roads along which wooden two-storey houses stand with their roof peaks facing the road. In front of their fences on the side facing the street, wooden benches were almost compulsory – places to meet, to talk and, at one time, also to sing.
Take note of the fine differences in the architecture of various villages: for instance, in Białowieża itself, the houses rarely have shutters or decorations carved in wood. An exception was made for structures connected with the Tsar’s court, including what is probably the building most photographed by tourists – the Governor’s Mansion in the Palace Park. In Białowieża, one can find well-preserved old-style homes along Podalany II Street. When planning your trip, it’s worth considering a drive through Czyże, Ploski and Plutycze, in which you’ll find many well-tended, colourful wooden homes. Instead, the aforementioned shutters can be seen in the so-called ‘Land of the Open Shutters’, made up of the villages Trześcianka, Soce and Puchły. There you can also see the characteristic verandas attached to the homes.
The Orthodox Churches & the River
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Orthodox parish of the Protection of the Mother of God in Puchły, photo: Michał Dąbrowski
A second characteristic element of the Podlasie landscape are the wooden (though not only) Orthodox churches. One of the most beautiful wooden structures can be found in the village of Puchły. The seat of the Protection of the Mother of God parish was built between 1913 and 1919. It is the third church built on the site; the first was built in 1756. After a visit to Puchły, you can go on to Ciełuszki and Kaniuki, all the while enjoying the view of the meandering Narew River.
Another must-see point in the regional itinerary should be the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Hajnówka, designed by Aleksander Grygorowicz with the participation of Jerzy Nowosielski. This is the largest two-level Orthodox church in Poland in which concrete dominates the structure. The architect acknowledged in an interview that his ambition was to show an example of church architecture which needn’t be overly traditional.
I dreamt of doing something that would be unassuming, sincere in its message, but at the same time designed for liturgical and functional uses.
Orthodox churches that deserve a visitor’s attention can be found, for example, in Łosinka, Dubicze Cerkiewne and Jałówka. But you should keep your eyes open throughout your visit and also appreciate the more modest places of worship – for example, the chapel in Kaniuki or the Orthodox church in charming Krynoczka.
During the summer in Hajnówka County, there are many larger and smaller festivals featuring regional music. Information about them doesn’t always appear on the Internet – you have to keep your eyes open for posters or ask some locals.
During the ‘Z wiejskiego podwórza’ (‘From the Country Courtyard’) festival in Czeremcha, you can hear folk ensembles from many countries. The festival always concludes with a concert by Czeremszyna, a group inspired by the musical traditions of Podlasie who sing in Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and the local dialect.
Concerts organised for Noc Kupały [a local holiday which combines an ancient Slavic celebration of the elements – water, fire and earth – also honouring St. John the Baptist – editor’s Note], for instance in Dubicze Cerkiewne, have a far more entertaining character. The most eclectic music in turn is performed during the chamber concerts entitled And People Live There, Too, which takes place in the villages of Hajnówka County sponsored by the Belarusian Museum and Cultural Centre in Hajnówka. It’s well worth checking out the festival’s Facebook page and at least once going up there to hear the artists singing in Belarusian.
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Marcinek, photo: Michał Kość / Reporter / East News
On local menus, you will find Russian, Belarusian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Polish dishes. A mandatory item on the menu is, of course, babka ziemniaczana – potato cake – which should be complemented in the summertime by a cold beet soup and, in the wintertime, with the warming solianka – a hot beef soup. The foundation of the local cuisine is potatoes and flour – kiszka (potato-filled intestine), kartacze (baked potatoes filled with ground meat) and pierogi (potato-filled dumplings). You wash down your lunch with compote, kvass (a fermented cereal drink) or beer. Hajnówka is also home to a small brewery: Browar Markowy. The names of the artisanal beers produced there refer to the region’s history.
As recently as a few years ago, the clear majority of local restaurants and inns reflected the traditions of hunting, but now the restaurants also offer vegetarian and vegan options. On that score, worth recommending is, for example, Niezapominajka in Hajnówka. You can spend your entire holiday in the ‘Home in the East’, i.e. a vegetarian agrotourism.
After lunch, you’ll surely appreciate a regional treat – a cake made up of many layers of dough and sour cream, known as marcinek. The tradition of baking this cake and its name are linked to the history of the Tsar’s Palace in Białowieża where Saint Martin was honoured with elaborate festivities. On that occasion, the cake known as marcinek was baked. You can find it inside – among other places – the Emma Café in Hajnówka, in Społem stores and in most Białowieża cafés, for instance the Bike Café or Przystań na Lato.
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Zaleszany village, a monument commemorating the victims of the crime from 1946, photo: Michał Kość / Forum
It’s easy to fall in love with Podlasie – withits colourful houses and churches, its wild nature and open spaces. To get a full picture of the region, it’s also worth setting aside a bit of time to get to know some of the more troubled times in its history.
In the gravel pit near Podolany in the Białowieża Forest, near the road leading to the Jagiellońskie Forest Education Centre, there is a monument commemorating the Jews of Białowieża. Katarzyna Winiarska, working with the eldest residents of Białowieża, has been working to restore the memory of those former residents of the area. On the basis of interviews collected by her, a presentation was created entitled ‘Our Neighbours Who Are No Longer,’ in which children and young adults from the region performed. More about the fate of Białowieża’s Jews can be found on the website of the Virtual Museum of the History of Białowieża Jews. Those seeking more traces of the Jewish presence in the region can go to the Jewish cemetery in Narewka or visit the synagogue in Orla.
In early 1946, Zaleszany, Zanie, Puchały Stare, Szpaki, Końcowizna and other villages of the Hajnówka and Bielsk Counties became the sites of massacres, particularly of the Orthodox Christian population. Between 29 January and 2 February of 1946, seventy-nine people were killed. In Zaleszany, each year on 29 January, a panichida – an Orthodox mourning service – recalling the tragic events is observed. There is also a monument in the village recalling the victims of those events.
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Budy, photo: Michał Dąbrowski
Are the Podlasie woods and villages a panacea for the woes of the contemporary world? Maybe. In order to take advantage of them, one has to open oneself to experiencing nature: one has to be self-aware, to appreciate the beauty of the primeval Polish forest, of the animals that live here, the plants and the microorganisms. As research demonstrates, a leisurely walk through the forest has therapeutic effects on the psyche, the body and the immune system.
Written originally in Polish, translated by Yale Reisner, June 2022
Tytuł (nagłówek do zdjęcia)
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