Hambach Forest, Ancient forest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Hambach Forest is a woodland area in the Rhineland lignite mining region, in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, spanning parts of Düren and Rhein-Erft districts. The remaining sections of woodland host more than 140 species of conservation interest, including rare Bechstein's bats and several migratory bird species that nest or rest here.

The mining company RWE AG bought the land during the 1960s and received permission to clear woodland in the 1970s, intending to extract lignite through open-pit mining. A large portion of the original forest has since been removed, while the remaining sections remain under pressure from mining interests.

The forest's name comes from the old term Bürgewald, recorded in the 10th century and later divided by the Bürgebuschordnung of 1562 into four quarters: Arnoldsweiler, Steinstraßer, Elsdorfer and Manheimer. Villagers once drove pigs into the oak woods to feed on acorns, and the surviving stands are still oak-hornbeam woodland.

The site can be entered on foot, though some sections are blocked off by fences or structures left over from earlier protest camps. It is best to stay on open paths and watch for signs that warn of hazards or restricted areas.

The Cologne administrative court ruled in September 2021 that the 2018 clearing of the tree houses was unlawful, but the Higher Administrative Court in Münster reversed this in mid-June 2023, finding the clearance lawful after all. The eviction had begun on 13 September 2018 and targeted more than fifty tree houses, some up to six years old.