Day 83 POLAND Bialowieza

We had a very energetic day. We woke at 430am and couldn't get back to sleep so we got up to do a hike in the Bialowieza forest on the Zebra Zubry trail.

After breakfast we went to the spa to use the steam room to aid the hayfever. Then got bicycles from the hotel and cycled into town. Most of the places were closed except for St Teresa's Church.

We found a cafe that was open for a light lunch of soup. Despite the hayfever, we sat outside because there were about 20 little kids in the cafe and the noise was like a cacophony of galahs after red cordial.

The primeval pocket of Bialowieza forest is declared Strict Reserve and entry is restricted in numbers and only with a guide. We met our guide Joao from Totem Tours to enter the restricted part of Bialowieza forest. It's one of the few primeval forest left in the world. Even more rare that it is on flat lowlands with excellent water source. Such land would historically be used for farming. A primeval forest is undisturbed naturally regenerated eco system untouched by human activity.
Joao was an excellent guide. He is from Portugal and his childhood dream was to visit this forest since he first read about it in a magazine when he was 9 years old. He is now living his dream. He explained about how to spot water areas by looking at where the alder trees grow at they need part of their root system in water. The forest creates it's own microclimate to keep itself in balance. Interestingly enough he said the the fauna was in balance too. The bison tended to eat bushes and leaves off trees while wild horses grazed and ate grass. With the eradication of wild horses, the only human interference was having to cut the grass in the meadows leading to the forest.
The fallen leaves and trees, fungi, mycilliums, moss and licen all work to provide organic matter for the forest. There is an equal loss and accumulation of organic matter each year. I expected many more large trees, but Joaoo explained that the trees here have short lifespans. He showed us how a fallen log creates an exposed area where the animals do not feel safe to stop and graze. As a result, small trees can grow and develop to replace the fallen tree. Quite astounding how Mother Nature keeps everything in harmony.

Managing the numbers who can enter this Strict Reserve meant that we had the forest to ourselves most of the time. We passed 2 other small groups heading in different directions. We spent 4 hours walking through the forest and did not want to leave. I could imagine fairies and elves living there. Ruby said she could walk another 4 hours through the forest again. It was simply magical.

We went to Carska restaurant housed inside the historic Białowieża Towarowa railway station, which was originally built in 1903 for Tsar Nicholas II. The station was constructed as a private terminal for Russian Tsars visiting their vast hunting estates in the Białowieża Primeval Forest. It allowed royalty and their guests to arrive in maximum comfort from St. Petersburg. We had sturgeon and Polish lobster which was a tiny marron and delicious Pavlova/ Meringue dessert.Read more