Biarezinski Biosphere Reserve

Minsk Region, Belarus

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The Biarezinski Biosphere Reserve, officially known as the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, is a large protected wilderness area in northern Belarus, located on the border between the Minsk and Vitebsk regions about 100–120 km north‑east of the city of Minsk.

It covers roughly 85,000–86,000 hectares and is one of the oldest and most strictly protected nature reserves in the country, included in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves and also recognized as a Ramsar wetland of international importance.

The reserve consists of a mosaic of coniferous and broad‑leaf forests, lakes, rivers, floodplains, and one of Eastern Europe’s largest undrained peat‑bog complexes, creating a haven for rare and threatened species such as European bison, elk, brown bear, wolf, lynx, and many birds and plants listed in the Belarus Red Book.

It is used both for scientific research and for limited eco‑tourism, offering guided walks, bird‑watching, and nature‑photography opportunities in a quiet, largely untouched forest‑and‑swamp landscape.