Republican landscape reserve "Yelnya"

Raised, or oligotrophic, is a type of swamp that is fed by precipitation. They are widespread in the northern part of Belarus, and their peculiarity is the low content of mineral salts in the water. Another interesting feature of raised bogs is their convex surface.

The Yelnya massif is the largest among the raised bogs of Belarus and the fifth largest in Europe. The territory of 25 thousand hectares includes 118 lakes and serves as a home or resting place for 130 species of birds. The center of Yelnya rises 7 meters compared to the outskirts. Five rivers have their source here: Elnyanka, Berezha, Volta, Vyanuzhka and Grafsky Stream. But not one river flows here.

Over the past decade, Yelnya has become a recognizable brand and a popular tourist destination. Today Yelnya is:

· Walking along the longest and widest ecological trail

· Bog shoe excursions

· Watching thousands of cranes

· Huge reserves of fresh water suitable for drinking

· Largest cranberry harvests in the country

· 405 species of vascular plants, of which 13 are listed in the Red Book

· Opportunity to see dwarf birch, cloudberry, and other tundra plants

· 8 Red Book species of insects

Habitat of the badger and wild hamster

· Nesting territory of the ptarmigan and black-throated loon

The length of the deck on the Ozeravki-Yelnya route is 2.5 kilometers. Of these, 1 kilometer is from the parking lot to the entrance to the swamp and 1.5 kilometers directly along it. The eco-trail leads to a small lake, at the entrance to which there is an observation deck. In warm weather, daredevils even manage to swim in the lake. The second path, leading through Lake Kurganistoe to the central part of the swamp, is also equipped with flooring, only not from boards, but from logs.

During the year there are two most beautiful periods in Yelnya. This is the end of May-beginning of June, when fresh greenery appears, birds fly in and everything blooms. And also August-September, the velvet season, when everything is replete with yellow and crimson flowers, mosquitoes disappear and cranes appear. The fascinating landscapes of wild nature will not leave you indifferent!