Thickest tree in the Netherlands

The Gnome Tree in the Chestnut Valley at Heerlijkheid Beek

The Gnome Tree in the Chestnut Valley at Heerlijkheid Beek

Berg en Dal

Between Beek Ubbergen and Berg en Dal in Gelderland

Berg en Dal - Diet trees do not exist. The thickest tree in the Netherlands took about 4.5 centuries to develop into a record tree. The observed size of the trunk depends on the measuring method (where do you measure and do you assume the circumference or the diameter at the thickest place), but the Tree Foundation keeps it at a circumference 850 centimeters. Regardless of how you measure, this is an absolute record!

The Gnome Tree

Sweet chestnuts near Nijmegen in Gelderland This record tree, also popularly called the gnome tree, is a sweet chestnut (Castanea Sativa) and is located on the Heerlijkheid Beek estate.

The estate is located on a steep ridge that originated in the penultimate ice age when the sliding ice from the far north came to a halt here and formed a moraine. Due to the height difference, this area was already of strategic importance in Roman times. The Romans brought the sweet chestnuts from other places and planted them here. Since then, the descendants of those chestnut trees can be found all over the area here.

Grenade impact in the Gnome Tree

The gnome tree is hollow inside. The fairytale goes that you can lure the gnomes out of the tree with a song (hence the name Gnome Tree). A more plausible explanation for the hollow in the tree is a grenade impact during World War II.

Heerlijkheid Beek

The Kastanjedal is located on the Heerlijkheid Beek estate, a beautiful walking area with considerable height differences and beautiful views.

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Berg en Dal trips in the area

    Adress and visitor information

    Thickest tree in the Netherlands

    Address: Oude Holleweg (in de buurt van)
    Postal code and City: 6572 AA  Berg en Dal
    Province/Region: Gelderland

    Visit: An average visits takes approx. 1 hours.
    In the forest between Beek Ubbergen and Berg en Dal. Nijmegen area.
    In the center of Beek at the water wheel a path starts that leads to the Chestnut Valley.

    Let op: The locations on the map are indicational. It is not always the entrance, parking lot or best route. The map shows up to 8 locations in the area. Want to see all locations? Check our Hotspot map or use the Search option on this website.


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    Waning gibbous

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