The ascent to the Bettlachstock summit is steep and exhausting. The trail on the west side of the mountain leads through mixed forest; in which are also beeches. Conspicuously old trees I have not seen.
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The history of European beech forests begins around 10’000 years ago, after the end of the last Ice Age. Starting from several refuge areas, i.e. ice-free areas where the beech could survive, it conquered almost an entire continent. Up to today, beech is one of the main tree species of Central Europe and is characterized by its ability to adapt to different climatic and geographical conditions. However, settlement activities and economic use have reduced Europe’s natural beech forests to only a few areas.
The last large areas of these primeval forests are in the Carpathian Mountains. There are only a few remnants in the Alps. Centuries-old beech forests are now extremely rare and endangered. The uniqueness and at the same time the worthiness of protection of the beech forests has been recognized by UNESCO with the award as a World Natural Heritage Site.