The hook
The Belarusian half of Europe's last great primeval lowland forest, home to wild European bison, and the quiet lodge in the woods where leaders signed the agreement that dissolved the Soviet Union.
01Why it's worth it
This is the eastern side of the same ancient forest that straddles the Polish border, one of the last surviving fragments of the old-growth lowland woodland that once covered much of Europe, protected here for centuries first as a royal and tsarist hunting ground. It shelters the largest population of European bison, the continent's heaviest land animal, brought back from near-extinction, along with wolves, lynx, and deep, untouched stands of oak and spruce. History was made in these woods too: in 1991 the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus met at a hunting lodge here and signed the accord that formally ended the Soviet Union. Between the primeval forest, the bison, and that moment, it carries real weight, though visiting comes with the same caveat as the rest of the country.
02How to experience it
Visit through the reserve, which offers guided walks and cycling into the old-growth and to the bison enclosures, from the Belarusian side near Kamyanyets. As with all of Belarus, check current travel advisories and the political situation before planning a trip. It is the twin of Poland's Białowieża across the border.