Things To Do in Bialowieza

Your first stop will probably be the Palace Park (Park Paacowy; Park Paacowy 5; tel. 85/681-29-01; www.bpn.com.pl). The oldest building in the grounds was constructed in 1890 for Russian royalty. The site was originally the hunting grounds of Polish kings. There is no admission charge, and you can wander 'round the English-style lawns. The Natural History Museum (Park Paacowy; tel. 85/681-22-75), which has an interesting coverage of the ecosystem and the history of the area, is also located here. You'll immediately notice the "juvenile" 250-year-old oak trees in front of the museum. To see older oaks, take the 3km (1.9-mile) yellow trail from the PTTK office to the Royal Oaks (Deby Królewskie). These magnificent specimens have clocked more than 400 years under their bark. Outside the eastern park entrance, you'll find the double-domed late-19th-century St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (Sportowa 9; tel. 85/621-25-00; www.bialowieza.cerkiew.pl). Church services are on weekends only (Saturday 5pm; Sunday 10am and 5pm). At other times, you'll have to call the office in advance in order to see the colorful icons within. With the exception of the Strictly Protected Area (SPA), the rest of Biaowieza National Park can be accessed with or without a guide.

Number Crunching -- The park area has about 500 European bison. An adult male can weigh up to 900kg (1,984 lb.); a female, 640kg (1,411 lb.). They may look like lumbering giants, but they are agile enough to clock 40kmph (25 mph) when charging.