Mount Schauinsland [1’284 m] is located at the western edge of the Black Forest. Westerly winds prevail at this exposed location, which have given the landscape its shape and character during thousands of years.
On the hill crests above the village of ‘Hofsgrund’ there are pastures with stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) twisted into bizarre shapes by the winds. Most of these trees have markedly asymmetric crowns and are bent to the east.
The wind-bent beeches on Mt. Schauinsland are well known among nature photographers and have been captured umpteen times [including by myself]. When I spotted them for the first time I was overwhelmed by their stunning beauty. Since then I returned several times to marvel at their unique appearance.