The Thousand-Year-Old Oak

The Thousand-Year-Old Oak is an oak tree in the hamlet of Mellaar in the Belgian municipality of Lummen. The tree is located in a small forest area north of the Dikke Eikstraat. In that small forest area there are several old oaks that are called the son of the Thousand-Year-Old Oak and the grandson of the Thousand-Year-Old Oak.
The trunk circumference of the Thousand-Year-Old Oak is approximately 6.3 meters. The core of the tree has rotted away.

In a circle of wooden posts stands a 'judicial tree', under whose crown, according to Frankish custom, court sessions were held. Until the end of the 17th century, those sentenced to death were brought to the 'Verbrand', as the surrounding fields are still called, for execution. At a height of 1.50 metres, this 24 m high mastodon has a trunk circumference of no less than 6.20 m
Close by is also the Jonge Eik, which has also reached the respectable age of more than 35 years.
Source: walking guide: GR 5/E2 Noordzee- Rivièra - route ter lage landen

The Thousand-Year-Old Oak, along with many others, including its approximately 400-year-old "son," has been given a small estate with a millennium forest, a peace forest, a boardwalk, a lookout tower, numerous information boards, play and learning areas for children, a field with old crops, and a flower meadow. The tree itself remains the focal point, but be sure to take your time to explore everything around it. It has become more than just a sight or a highlight on a walk compared to the past.