Geosite Goudberg

Geosite Goudberg is a small open-air educational park in Hoegaarden, in the Flemish Brabant province of Belgium, home to one of Western Europe's most remarkable petrified forests. The site works as an outdoor geology museum, built around fossil tree trunks that are almost 55 million years old.

Getting there

Geosite Goudberg sits on the Goudberg hill right next to the E40 motorway connecting Brussels and Liège, just outside the town of Hoegaarden itself — a town far better known worldwide for its wheat beer than for its geology. The easiest way to reach the park is by car, as it lies in open countryside on the edge of town rather than in the historic centre. It makes a fitting stop for anyone touring the Leuven or Tienen area who wants a break from the usual churches and castles.

How did a stone forest end up here?

The story begins in 1970, when construction work on the E40 motorway exposed dozens of petrified tree trunks buried in layers of clay and silt. The find turned out to be exceptional on a global scale: the remains of a subtropical swamp forest dating back nearly 55 million years, to the Palaeocene epoch. Swamp cypresses once grew here, trees suited to the warm, waterlogged conditions that covered this part of Europe long before today's temperate landscape took shape.

Petrification happened as silica gradually replaced the wood, molecule by molecule, turning the trunks into stone while preserving the internal grain and structure of the original timber. Full excavation of the site didn't take place until March 2000, when specimens were carefully lifted from the clay and silt deposits. Some of the largest trunks were sent to scientific institutions for further study and display — two to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, and another to Museum Naturalis in Leiden, the Netherlands.

What you'll find on site

The park opened to visitors on 20 June 2003 and has functioned ever since as an open-air geological exhibition. A walking path leads past the petrified trunks that remain in place, with information panels explaining both the fossilisation process and the story of the 1970 discovery. The whole setup is designed to make 55 million years of regional geological history accessible to a general audience, tracing the shift from a subtropical swamp to the temperate landscape of Flemish Brabant seen today.

Given the scale and preservation of the exposed trunks, Geosite Goudberg is regularly counted among the world's leading petrified forest sites. It offers a rare chance to see, without any specialist background, physical proof of just how radically Europe's climate and landscape have changed over tens of millions of years.

Who is it for?

Geosite Goudberg suits anyone curious about geology or natural history, but it also works well as a family outing — the grounds are open, flat and require no special preparation. Many visitors combine the stop with a visit to Hoegaarden itself, including a taste of the local wheat beer that gave the town its international reputation.

Frequently asked questions

What is Geosite Goudberg? It's an educational park in Hoegaarden, Belgium, showcasing a petrified forest of swamp cypresses nearly 55 million years old, uncovered during construction of the E40 motorway.

When were the petrified trees discovered? The first trunks were exposed in 1970 during motorway construction work, with full excavation carried out in March 2000.

Since when has the park been open to the public? Geosite Goudberg opened to visitors on 20 June 2003.

Are all the discovered trunks still on site? No — several of the largest specimens were transferred to scientific institutions, including the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels and Museum Naturalis in Leiden.