Not only festival venues: how "Zubr-fest" attracts guests of Bialowieza Forest

Excursion enclosures of the Belovezhskaya Forest became one of the most crowded points during the days of the “Zubr-Fest”. After getting acquainted with the main sites, guests went to see the inhabitants of the national park. Entire families gathered near the fences, children watched the animals with interest, and adults tried to capture them in photos. This walk became a natural continuation of the festival program and another opportunity to get acquainted with the nature of the ancient forest.

The Zubr-Fest environmental festival itself is being held in Belovezhskaya Forest for the first time. Its two-day program combines science, sport, culture and gastronomy. The start of the events was given by the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Zubr-2026: from the revival of the species to the brand of the territory”, dedicated to the preservation of the bison and its importance for Belarus.

The program also included the family relay “Dad, Mom, I am a sports family”, cultural and gastronomic events. One of the main events of the second day was the race. Families with children covered a distance of less than a kilometer, and adult participants took the 9.2-kilometer route along forest and country roads. An unusual track allowed runners to change the usual urban asphalt to trails among centuries-old trees.

In the evening, the festival program will continue with performances by artists. Guests are waiting for musical numbers and an open-air concert, which will end the eventful day in the Belovezhskaya Forest. For the convenience of guests, the organizers provided additional transport links and a free transfer from Brest.

By the way, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the largest preserved forest areas of flat Europe. It is located on the territory of Belarus and Poland, and the area of the Belarusian part of the national park is 150 083 hectares. The path covers the territory of Brest and Grodno regions, its length from north to south reaches 65 kilometers, and from west to east - from 20 to 52 kilometers.

The modern stage of protection of this territory began on December 25, 1939, when Belovezhskaya Forest received the status of a state reserve. In 1991 it was transformed into a national park, in 1992 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 1993 it received the status of a biosphere reserve. Environmental, scientific, educational and tourist work is carried out here. In the Forest there are 59 species of mammals and more than 250 species of birds, and its main symbol is the bison - the animal around which the idea of the new festival was built.

First - the whole family, then - 9.2 kilometers in the forest. How was the race at the "Zubr Fest"