Can you pronounce “Bettlereiche”?  I can’t.  Bettlereiche is the name of a tree I visited in Thun, Switzerland.  When planning a May 2019 trip to Germany, France, and Switzerland I explored the Monumental Trees website for a big tree to visit.  I found one in Thun Switzerland which we stayed one night in.  So on our way to the Lauterbrunnen Valley we stopped to see Bettlereiche.

The tree is a Pedunculate White Oak estimated to be 670 years old.  It’s girth is measured at 8.20 meters – which is almost 27 feet.  The tree was just leafing out when I visited, and appears healthy.

When looking at other huge trees on the Monumental Trees website some are just broken down shells barely alive.  I like still thriving trees like Bettlereiche.  Just a note on Pedunculate Oaks – from my research it is basically the same as what we call in America an English Oak.  They are know for long life with some Pedunculate Oaks in Europe estimated to be 1500 years old.  I have a number of hybrid white oaks which have some English oak in them planted in my woods.