Białowieża Palace

Białowieża Pałac is a decommissioned railway station located in Białowieża, in the Podlaskie Voivodeship of Poland, near the Palace Park. It was built in 1897 to serve the needs of the Russian tsars’ residence, providing them with convenient access for hunting trips. Tsar Alexander III and his family traveled here by train, underscoring the historical significance of this location. Over the years, Białowieża Pałac transitioned into a passenger-only station, especially after the opening of Białowieża Towarowa station. During the interwar period, it was used by Polish President Ignacy Mościcki, who invited guests for hunting expeditions. After World War II, the original wooden pavilions were destroyed and replaced by a late modernist building, which eventually fell into disrepair. The railway line operated for over 100 years but was closed in 1993 due to lack of profitability. Following its closure, Białowieża Pałac began to deteriorate, in contrast to Białowieża Towarowa, which was restored by local entrepreneurs. Between 2014 and 2015, a new wooden pavilion was constructed, architecturally inspired by the 19th-century station, albeit with some modifications due to site constraints. The area around the station now also features an educational Knowledge and Play Park and an English garden, enriched by the Alley of Stars of the Białowieża Forest, where visitors can find animal tracks and life-size casts of wild animals, adding cultural and ecological value to the site. Today, the station grounds no longer have tracks, symbolizing the end of a chapter in Białowieża’s railway history.