Date :
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Belarus attracts travelers not only with its ancient castles, age-old religious structures, war-time monuments, but also with unusual tourist attractions. One such attraction is a narrow-gauge railway that runs through the 'Ozyory' republican landscape reserve, located not far from Grodno.
The narrow-gauge railway in Ozyory is part of the former peat railway, built in 1955 to serve a peat briquette plant in the Vertilishki village of the Grodno region. It's one of the longest narrow-gauge railways in Belarus, with a length of about 30 kilometers and a track width of 750 millimeters.
When the peat briquette factory in Vertilishki was closed, the question arose about preserving the railway. In the early 2000s, it was decided to convert the Ozyory narrow-gauge railway into a tourist route through the reserve's territory. Today, this unusual excursion enjoys popularity among Belarusian and foreign tourists. Guests from China, Russia, Poland, Germany, and Lithuania have already visited. The Ozyory narrow-gauge railway will be appreciated by eco-tourism enthusiasts, lovers of wild nature, and fans of unusual adventures.
What is narrow-gauge railway travel?
The journey takes place on a motor trolley, a simple rail vehicle equipped with an engine, moving at a leisurely speed of 10 to 15 km/h. It comprises several carriages with wooden benches that accommodate 5-6 people. The route is 11 kilometers long and the tour takes about two and a half hours. All participants are given a safety briefing prior to departure. The route includes stops where tourists can look around, listen to interesting stories from the guide, and take beautiful photos.
The road goes through a unique bridge over the picturesque White Lake - the only narrow-gauge bridge in Belarus. Excursion participants travel through ancient oak groves, forest areas, and both highland and lowland swamps. Travelers get the opportunity to observe all the diversity of Belarusian wild nature: 200-year-old oaks, mast pines, sand dunes, rare birds, and plants listed in the Red Book. Along the way, the guide will talk about the local wildlife, features of the local landscape, and the diversity of meadow, swamp, and forest flora of the reserve. Travelers will learn how peat is mined, what role swamps play in the ecosystem, and encounter curious animals along the way.
The final point of the trip is the Holy Swamp - a place of significant importance for Belarusian history. Here, during the uprising led by Kastus Kalinowsky, fierce battles took place between the tsar's soldiers and the rebels.
What should the traveler know?
- Excursions are only held during the warm season.
- The minimum age of participants is 6 years old.
- Before the trip, ensure you have drinking water, comfortable footwear and clothing, a hat, and insect repellents.
- To get to the starting point of the route, you need to get to the agro-town of Ozyory, then drive about two and a half kilometers from the intersection of Zavodskaya and Sovetskaya streets heading towards the "Friendship" children's camp.
