Bielsk County: Churches, Hillforts and Routes

Explore Bielsk County through its cultural sites and traces of its history in the landscape. In Bielsk Podlaski, these include a park with a medieval hillfort, a historic church and a commemorative sculpture. In Brańsk, history leads to the early medieval Zamczysko hillfort; the Dolina Górnej Narwi horse trail offers a different, route-based focus. When planning, you can distinguish between individual cultural sites and a trail.

Bielsk Podlaski: Park and Sacred History

The 6.16-hectare Aleksander Jagiellon Park is situated around Góra Zamkowa. In its northeastern part are a medieval hillfort called Góra Zamkowa and a pond. The name Góra Zamkowa thus refers both to the park’s focal point and to the hillfort in its northeastern section.

The Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God (Cerkiew Narodzenia Przenajświętszej Bogarodzicy) is the oldest sacred monument in Bielsk Podlaski. In 1562, it was moved from Góra Zamkowa to its present location on Jagiellońska Street. The church houses a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, donated by Princess Helena, the wife of Polish King Alexander Jagiellon. Since August 2025, tourists have been able to visit the church Monday to Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. Confirm the hours before your visit; guided tours can be arranged.

More Cultural Sites and a Horse Trail

The “Wielki Walny Sejm Bielski AD 1564” commemorative sculpture is located in Queen Helena Park. Karczma Słuszna offers a different architectural detail: its present-day building was constructed of brick in 1993, while the façade’s plank cladding evokes the character of the earlier wooden building.

The early medieval hillfort site in Brańsk is now called Zamczysko. It was established in the 10th or 11th century at the confluence of the Nurzec and Bronka rivers. The Dolina Górnej Narwi horse trail is another way to explore the area, focused on a route: it runs for approximately 35 kilometres along the southern edge of the Upper Narew Valley within Bielsk County. The length is approximate. Unlike the individual cultural sites, the focus here is on a route, which calls for a different allocation of time when planning.

Getting Around Bielsk Podlaski

The Bielsk Podlaski Tourist Information Office is located in the town hall, which also houses the Museum of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Muzeum Obojga Narodów). The address is ul. A. Mickiewicza 45.

Podlaskie as a Broader Travel Destination

The wider travel destination of Podlaskie offers further nature and culture themes. Białowieża National Park encompasses the central part of the Białowieża Forest; one of the park’s main attractions is the Museum of Nature and Forest (Muzeum Przyrodniczo-Leśne). Wigry National Park has 190 kilometres of designated and developed routes for walking and cycling. On waterways open to visitors, you can use kayaks, rowing boats, sailboats or other non-motorised watercraft. This allows you to consider land- and water-based activities as distinct focuses.

The Waniewo–Śliwno footbridge in Narew National Park is accessible for walking from both places; adverse weather conditions may result in temporary closures. Biebrza National Park encompasses a vast wetland with marshes and peat bogs. Cultural experiences are also part of this broader travel destination: in Kruszyniany, behind the mosque, is a mizar, a Muslim cemetery with graves several hundred years old, among which visitors can walk. Sabantuy, a Tatar ploughing festival, is celebrated there every August.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Bielsk Podlaski, Topczewo, Ploski, Suwalski, Sejny, Sokółka, Wysokie Mazowieckie, Łomżyński.

See the broader travel overview: Podlaskie.