Welcome to the Biebrza Wetlands

 Welcome to the floodplains of one of the last untamed rivers in Europe, to a unique wilderness where man lives in harmony with the rhythms of nature, and where the present is intertwined with rich tradition and history. Along with the warm welcome of the people, you will enjoy an unspoiled landscape teeming with bird life, and who knows, Mother Nature might even arrange a moose sighting for you.

Crystal water, clean air
Because the North-eastern corner of Poland was spared the pollution of large industries, it is known as the country`s green lungs. It is here, several kilometres from the Belorussian border, that the Biebrza River begins its unusual course.

Living river
For hundreds of years, the vast and inaccessible Biebrza Wetlands lay at the edge of the Polish, Lithuanian and Russian cultures. A mere five hundreds years ago (quite recently for Europe) man wrought large-scale changes on the Biebrza landscape. Vast swamp forests were replaced by patches of wet fen meadows which were harvested for hay. Despite this intervention, the Biebrza Wetlands have succeeded in retaining their naturall beauty. Unlike most European wetlands, the Biebrza region was never drained, and the wetlands are now the largest and best preserved of their type in Europe. What makes them so unique is the meandering Biebrza River, a living river whose springtime floods turn large areas of meadow into lakes. Far from causing alarm in the wetlands, floods are accepted as they have been for centuries as a natural and welcome occurrence.

The jewel in the crown of Europe`s natural heritage
In 1993 the rich wildlife, natural attributes, and beautiful landscape earned the Biebrza Wetlands the status of National Park, the highest rank in Polish nature conservation. Soon thereafter, the Biebrza National Park was added to the Ramsar Convention list of most important sites for wetland conservation around the world.

XIXth century poetry retold in birdsong
All nature lovers will find something to interest them in the Biebrza Wetlands. Who can fail to be moved by the sight of marsh marigolds carpeting a flooded meadow, orchids in bloom, the flute-like call of the curlew, a soaring black stork, a bittern booming at night, duelling ruffs, the howling of wolves, the sight of a beaver lodge or peacefully browsing moose. The Biebrza Wetlands also offer many opportunities for other encounters, less spectacular but every bit as interesting , such as dwarf birch, a living memory from the glacial period, tens of thousands years ago, when Middle Europe was covered by arctic tundra. However, more than anything else, Biebrza owes its reputation to its rare birdlife. For many years, the Biebrza Wetlands were well known among Western European bird watchers for their exotic eastern flavour. The Wetlands are the first stop on their way from West to East for large numbers of breeding white-winged black terns, great snipes and greater spotted eagles. One of the biggest attractions is the aquatic warbler. This small, dull-coloured bird is at risk of extinction and the Biebrza National Park provides its most important refuge. Many birds which have become rare or extinct in Western European countries still live in large numbers in the Wetlands. Here, it is still possible to hear bird concerts perfomed exactly as Adam Mickiewicz, Poland`s equivalent of Lord Byron, described them more than a hundred and fifty years ago.

A year-round spectacle
The Biebrza Wetlands are fascinating all year round. Witness the explosion of life in spring and summer. Autumn days bring a calm silence to the melancholy landscape of rusty sedges and golden patches of birch. Autumn nights echo with the calls of red deer and moose announcing the season of love and combat. In winter, stories, sometimes dramatic, are written on the snow by the tracks of wolf, otter, ermine, wild boar, moose and many other four-legged and winged inhabitants of the Biebrza Wetlands.

An undefeated fortress
Vast and difficult to cross, the Biebrza Wetlands were a natural line of defence against attacks by hostile armies. Their strategic military importance was enhanced by the mighty Fortress of Osowiec and by a line of forts which were built in the XIX`th century at the command of Russian tsar. The Fortress, besieged many times during both world wars, remained undefeated. Now, as well as attracting sight-seers and history buffs, the mysterious underground chambers of the Osowiec Fortress provide a safe winter haven for hundreds of bats.

Rainbow eggs and happy cows
The Biebrza region is also rich in culture, customs, and traditions. It is especially famous for hand woven wool blankets decorated with diverse and highly complex patterns. Another vivid form of folk art is egg painting using waxes and dyes. These beautifully ornamented eggs play an important role in Easter ceremonies. The countryside surrounding the Biebrza Wetlands has retained many features of the landscape and lifestyle, which vanished in other, parts of Poland decades ago. For example, crosses and roadside chapels are found along country roads and every Biebrza village has its complement of numerous white stork nests. Here, in the peaceful freedom of the Wetlands, herds of cows live out happy lives; unlike the majority of their kin in the rest of Europe, Biebrza cows roam the valley unattended, swimming across the river to reach unfenced pastures, and decide for themselves when to return to the barn.

Welcome Scandinavian rocks in the very centre of Europe
Basically flat, but full of unique beauty, the Biebrza landscape is an echo of the glacial era. A retreating glacier not only shaped the river valley and surrounding hills, it also carried rocks from the Scandinavian peninsula to the very centre of Europe. These rocks are found today in the walls of many picturesque Biebrza barns. A particulary impressive rock outcrop marks the geometric center of Europe which is located right here in the city of Suchowola, capital of one of the Biebrza communities.

The friendly Wetlands invite you!
The Biebrza Wetlands, once wild and inaccessible, now welcome you to enjoy their charm safely and at your leisure; alone or in the care of a local tour guide. The Biebrza National Park invites you to marvel at landscapes from a top of observation towers, or to explore 400 km of walking trails that range from easy to high-endurance. Kayaking and fishing also await you in the clear waters of the Biebrza, while mushrooms and berries are yours for the picking in the adjoining forests. Close by, the Fortress of Osowiec, still thriving with military life, invites you to encounter living history. Whether you choose to stay in a farmhouse, a guesthouse, or a hotel, you will savour delicious regional dishes.

All this awaits you in the Biebrza Wetlands. Welcome.