- An Aachen sweet chestnut tree in Vaalserquartier has been officially designated a national heritage tree, having already been named as such in July of this year.

- The sweet chestnut, which is already a natural monument, is to be specially protected and thus potentially become an ancient German tree.

- A new footpath and an information board have been installed so that anyone interested can see the robust and impressive tree for themselves.

Old, tall and thick - that's how you can describe the sweet chestnut tree that was officially declared a national heritage tree on Friday, October 25. A fenced footpath now leads to the tree, which is already a natural monument. An information board has also been installed and a bench in front of it is to follow. You can admire the robust chestnut tree on the meadow on the corner of Schmiedgasse and Alte Vaalser Straße. However, this is only possible from a distance, as the area around the tree is very sensitive and is also used as a sheep pasture. Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen emphasized: "This award is not only an honour for our tree, but also for our city of Aachen. It reminds us how important it is to protect and care for our natural monuments so that future generations can also learn from them and enjoy them." Jürgen Drautmann, Head of Tree Protection at the City of Aachen, also explained the challenges that often arise when protecting natural monuments: "When protecting our natural monuments, it is often difficult to strike a balance between preserving the monument and ensuring sufficient road safety. We always have to take care of both aspects."

What is a national heritage tree?

The aim of the National Heritage Tree Initiative of the German Dendrological Society is to provide special protection for potential ancient trees. Some of these trees can live to be over 1,000 years old and are therefore particularly worthy of protection. A total of 100 national heritage trees are to be found and proclaimed so that they can subsequently be intensively cared for. The proclamation is carried out by a board of trustees at the German Dendrological Society. The financial sponsor is the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation, with whose help 43 trees have already been selected as national heritage tree candidates - 40 of these have already been officially recognized. A remarkable achievement, considering that there are comparatively few very old trees in Germany and only certain tree species can live well over 500 years. In addition to the sweet chestnut, these include the yew, the winter and summer lime tree and the giant sequoia.

The Aachen sweet chestnut

Estimates of the age of the Aachen sweet chestnut vary widely, with figures ranging from 300 to 800 years. The National Heritage Tree Initiative now states on its homepage that it is around 450 years old, 18 meters tall and has a trunk circumference of 8.04 meters (measured at a trunk height of 1.3 meters). The sweet chestnut is therefore ideally suited as a national heritage tree, as such a tree should have a trunk circumference of over 400 centimetres and preferably be over 400 years old. This was also recognized by Prof. Dr. Andreas Roloff, Head of the Board of Trustees for National Heritage Trees in the German Dendrological Society, who was immediately impressed by the chestnut tree at first sight and contacted the owner - the City of Aachen. It was very quickly decided that this tree would become a national heritage tree. Roloff was impressed: "The veteran tree is badly scarred by lightning strikes, storms and broken branches, but is bursting with vitality with all its cracks, dents and cavities, which is a real treat. The optimal and protected environment of the giant chestnut is also a great pleasure: a landscape conservation area with sheep grazing." This robustness paid off in July 2024 - since then, the sweet chestnut has been a national heritage tree.

Castanea sativa - the sweet chestnut

It is no coincidence that a sweet chestnut, or Castanea sativa, has been chosen as a national heritage tree: this tree species is particularly robust and less susceptible to extreme weather events such as hot dry periods, which is why the sweet chestnut is also known as a climate tree. Originally from the Mediterranean region, the sweet chestnut has been widespread and native to Germany for a long time - especially in western Germany. The tree's edible chestnuts served as an important staple food, especially in times of grain shortages. Botanically, the tree species belongs to the beech family, it has a life expectancy of 500 to 1,000 years and the nut fruits are harvested from the end of September to the beginning of October. When they fall from the trees, they are also a favorite food for wild boars and squirrels.

The Lord Mayor expressed her special thanks to the initiative's board of trustees and to the farming family who, as tenants of the land, established contact between Roloff and the city. The Aachen tree can be admired from fall 2025 in a book about Germany's national heritage trees that will then be published.