The Süntelbuche is a rare form of the common beech. It impresses with its special growth form: short, twisted trunks as well as crippled and overgrown branches. Süntelbuchen grow more in width than in height. They rarely get higher than 15-20 meters. Due to their zigzag growth, Süntelbuchen were often referred to as witchwood or devil's beech, because they were viewed as haunted or spoiled by the devil. The name Süntelbuche comes from the fact that they often appeared in the Süntel, a mountain range near Bad Nenndorf. Until the middle of the 19th century there was the largest beech forest in Europe. Today you can still find individual copies there at around 50 locations. The rarity of the trees also has to do with the fact that other tree species prevailed because their straight growth makes them better suited for construction and furniture production. It is also not ideal as a supplier of firewood because the beech trees grow so slowly. And you can't stack such crooked wood very well either. The Süntelbuchenallee has been renatured in recent years with great attention to detail. It is approx. 500 m long and houses over 100 trees over 100 years old as well as numerous replanting. Due to the slow growth, it takes quite a long time for Süntelbuchen to show their characteristic shape. Such a high number of Süntelbuchen in one place is an absolute specialty worldwide! In order to preserve this treasure for a long time to come, it is incredibly important not to climb on them, not walk around on the roots or even damage the bark. There is therefore a clearly defined area on the avenue where visitors can stroll through the avenue.