Plizio Visual Lab

Olmany Mires

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

wildlife

Weather…

The Olmany Mires in the Stolin district constitute one of the largest natural transition and raised bog complexes in Europe. The territory extends across the southern part of the Brest region along the border between Belarus and Ukraine, forming part of the vast Pripyat Marshes. Historically, the area was utilized as a military training ground from the 1960s onwards, which ironically prevented human settlement and preserved the original biodiversity. Today, it is protected as a Ramsar site of international importance and provides one of the most critical habitats for rare birds of prey, such as the Greater Spotted Eagle. The landscape is characterized by expansive open mire tracts, scattered forested sand dunes, and numerous small relict lakes. The preservation of this complex ecosystem is essential for regulating the regional water balance and serves as a significant natural carbon sink in Eastern Europe.

Location: Belarus
Nearby: Stolin (25 km)

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	-6	-5	1	8	14	18	21	20	15	8	2	-3
Rain mm	46	38	44	42	74	77	95	61	43	56	49	49

📋 Practical info

📅

Best season

The Olmany Mires are primarily interesting from May to September. At this time, biodiversity is highest and rare bird species such as the Eurasian Curlew are active.

🌅

Best time of day

As in other mires, early morning and evening are best. At midday you can focus on observing dragonflies and butterflies.

📜

Etiquette

Stay on the marked boardwalks and paths to avoid damaging the fragile mire. Take your litter with you and avoid open flames.

🎒

What to bring

In addition to binoculars, waterproof clothing and insect repellent are essential. Mosquitoes can be very abundant in the mires.

🧭

Getting there

The Olmany Mires lie near the Ukrainian border, about 50 km southeast of Pinsk. Access is by car on secondary roads; there is no public transport.

🦌

What to expect

The vast mire landscape requires much patience; choose a high viewpoint and systematically scan the area. Rare waders are often the reward for waiting.