The 1000-year-old oak Bad Blumau, called the big oak by the local population, is considered to be the oldest oak in Europe. It stands on Eichenweg between Bierbaum an der Safen and Loimeth in the municipality of Bad Blumau in the Austrian federal state of Styria.
The oak is about 30 meters high, the diameter of the trunk is 2.50 meters, the circumference 8.75 meters. The crown diameter is about 50 meters. Seven adults are needed to encircle the trunk. The area around the tree was previously used as a meeting and dance place.
In the 1970s, the tree was filled with concrete after a lightning strike. This meant that the water could no longer drain away and the oak began to rot. This was discovered in 1989 by tree surgeon Manfred Saller, who removed the core using pneumatic hammers, removed rotten wood and created pipes to allow the water to drain away. The tree regained its vitality. The work was made possible by a donation from Heidi Horten.
The oak tree is easily accessible via the Bad Blumau circular hiking trail 3 or the cycle path FF8.
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