The Strict Reserve of the Polish national park is the core — the piece that has never been logged. Entry is only permitted with a licensed guide, on a walk of a few hours, and it is the reason to come: 40-metre spruces, oaks centuries old, and deadwood everywhere.

The forest edges and meadows at dawn are where bison are most often seen, particularly in the Białowieża glade and along the roads through the surrounding forest in winter when they come out to feed. The bison here are free-living descendants of animals reintroduced after the species went extinct in the wild.

The reserve's woodpecker sites are a serious birding draw: white-backed and three-toed woodpeckers, pygmy owl, hazel grouse and collared flycatcher, all specialists of old forest.

The European Bison Show Reserve near the village holds bison, wolves, lynx and tarpan-type horses in large enclosures — a fallback rather than a wild encounter, but useful for seeing animals you will probably not find in the forest.

Winter is the best season for mammals: bison are easier to find, tracks show in snow, and the forest is quiet. Spring brings woodpeckers drumming and migrants.

Practicalities

Białowieża village is around four hours by road from Warsaw. Local guides are compulsory for the Strict Reserve and worth hiring for the wider forest — several are outstanding naturalists.

The forest sits directly on the EU's eastern border, and a border barrier constructed in recent years cuts through the ecosystem, with real consequences for the movement of bison, wolves and lynx. Access to some areas near the border has been restricted at times. Check the current position before travelling.