Kaiserbuche, Natural monument at Haunsberg ridge, Obertrum, Austria.
The Kaiserbuche stands at 766 meters elevation on the Haunsberg ridge in Obertrum. The location offers views toward the Bavarian alpine foothills and Salzburg region, with an audio guide station providing information in multiple languages.
Emperor Joseph II visited this location on October 28, 1779, and ordered the planting of the original beech tree. It stood for about 225 years before falling in a storm in 2004.
The site features a Kaiser-Franz-Josef memorial chapel and stone monument that frame the tree as a focal point of remembrance. Visitors notice how these structures work together with the beech to create a place for reflection and connection to regional heritage.
The site is accessible via the VIA NOVA hiking trail and has orientation markers on location. Visitors should expect hilly terrain and changeable weather conditions at this elevation.
After a storm felled the original tree in 2004, Otto Habsburg personally planted a replacement to maintain the imperial connection. This act of continuity made the location a symbol of how history can be carried forward.
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