Well-known as a favorite spot for hikers, cyclists and sports enthusiasts of all kinds, this forest was once the hunting ground of kings and counts, especially the Habsburgs, in the area. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, landowners began to extract large quantities of timber to pay off their debts. The Habsburgs instructed their fellow architect and descendant of a family of gardeners, Joachim Zinner, to plant a variety of plantations for the same economic reasons, so that they would have yet more wood available to pay their debts. This gardener chose to plant only beech trees. Firstly, because he really fancied this species, but also because the climate and soil in the Sonian Forest offered ideal conditions for beeches to grow. Once they had grown sufficiently, they were cut down and other trees continued to be harvested. The part of the forest, called Joseph Zwaenepoel, and recognized as an official UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site covering 230 hectares. The largest beech trees in the world can be found here! The density of these trees is breathtaking (up to 30 per acre), as is the biodiversity of the many species that live beneath them. One of these giant trees surpasses them all: over 200 years old, it stands almost 50 meters tall, and its trunk is over 1.5 meters wide!
Don't miss the chance to take a leisurely stroll through the Sonian Forest and discover these majestic beech trees!