Discover Podlaskie
Accommodation in Podlaskie
Podlaskie offers a wide variety of nature and cultural experiences: Białowieża National Park covers the central part of the Białowieża Forest, while the Biebrza National Park is characterised by marshes and peat bogs across an extensive wetland area. There are also designated trails and waterways in Wigry National Park, as well as Tatar traditions in Kruszyniany. When planning your trip, it is worth first considering which of these landscapes and experiences interest you most.
Forest, wetland and landscape park
Białowieża National Park is located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship and covers the central part of the Białowieża Forest. One of its main attractions is the Muzeum Przyrodniczo-Leśne. For visitors interested in the national park, this means there is a named museum to visit in addition to the forest area itself. This combination makes Białowieża a good focus for travellers who would like to include both nature and a museum visit in their plans.
The Biebrza National Park offers a different landscape: its extensive wetland area is characterised by marshes and peat bogs. This gives it a distinctly different character from the Białowieża Forest. The Suwałki Landscape Park, in turn, is Poland’s oldest landscape park. You can therefore choose between forest, wetland and landscape park according to your personal interest in nature.
On foot, by bike and on the water
Wigry National Park has a total of 190 km of designated and developed routes for walking and cycling. This figure indicates the overall extent of the routes; on its own, it does not tell you the length or course of any individual route. For your planning, the choice of transport is straightforward: you can explore the park on foot or by bike and take the routes into account as you plan your trip.
Wigry National Park also offers a way to explore by water: visitors can use kayaks, rowing boats, sailboats or other non-motorised watercraft on waterways where access is permitted. If you enjoy being on the water, you can compare this selection with the land routes and plan your holiday around one of these two types of experience.
In Narwiański National Park, the Waniewo–Śliwno footbridge can be accessed from both villages for walking. However, adverse weather conditions may cause it to close temporarily. This possibility is important to bear in mind if you plan to visit the bridge. You can also cross the Narew River in a traditional pychówka. This boat was formerly used for agricultural work, so the crossing offers a glimpse into the boat’s historical use as well as a way across the river.
Tatar culture in Kruszyniany
In Kruszyniany, the mizar behind the mosque is one of the area’s distinctive cultural sites. The Muslim cemetery has graves that are several hundred years old, and visitors can walk among them. This offers a different way to experience the region from its trails, waterways and protected landscapes: here, the focus is on history and a particular place. This stop may also interest travellers looking for a cultural focus alongside nature experiences.
Another part of Tatar tradition is Sabantuy in Kruszyniany, celebrated every August as a Tatar ploughing festival. If you would like to include this event in your trip, August is part of the festival’s description. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip: are you mainly interested in trails, water, wetlands or cultural sites? Base your plans on the specific places you want to visit, then decide which parts of Podlaskie you would like to prioritise on your trip.
Subregions at a glance
Bielski, Łomżyński, Moniecki, Augustowski, Hajnowski, Białostocki, Grajewski, Suwalski, Kolneński, Sejny, Siemiatycze, Sokółka, Wysokie Mazowieckie and Zambrów.
For the broader travel overview: Poland.
