Plan your visit
Chêne d’Allouville-Bellefosse is one of France’s great natural sites — bring good shoes and a camera. Locate it on the map, book a room nearby in a click, or add it to your travel list to build your itinerary.
About Chêne d’Allouville-Bellefosse
In the Norman village of Allouville-Bellefosse stands one of the most extraordinary trees in France: an enormous oak thought to be well over a thousand years old, and famous the world over for the two tiny chapels built inside its hollow trunk. In the 17th century, as the ancient tree's heart rotted away, a local priest turned the cavity into a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin, later adding a second chapel above, reached by a spiral staircase winding around the trunk, the whole clad in weathered shingles. Still alive and still venerated, propped and tended with care, this venerable giant draws pilgrims and curious visitors alike. Ancient, sacred and utterly unique, the Chêne d'Allouville is a living monument where nature and faith have grown together for centuries — the most celebrated tree in the land.