917 m | 1.3 km-effort
During the clearing process, the head forest ranger Charles Joseph Lafontaine noticed a beautiful oak whose main trunk was divided into four perfectly distinct, symmetrical
trunks. It dates back to 1820.
In 1870, this oak therefore stood alone amid the vast arable farming lands. Because of its shape, it was named Larbre des quatre frères (The Tree of Four Brothers). After a few years
of arable farming, the project proved to be a failure. Firstly, the poor soil of La Fagne gave a poor yield, and secondly, the massive importing of cereals from the United States caused prices to fall. The Société Lamarche went bankrupt. La Fagne was split up, sold and resold. The least productive plots were replanted and the others were converted into pastures.
The marvellous Four Brothers oak is therefore the last remnant of the original La Fagne. This tree, whose circumference is over 6 metres, is so tall that it towers over the whole forest massif. It has since been listed by the
Royal Commission of Sites and Monuments.
Walking
Randonnées au coeur d'une nature préservée GUIDE+
