Forêt de Bellême, Commercial forest near Bellême, Normandy, France

The forêt de Bellême is a 2,400-hectare deciduous woodland in the Perche natural regional park, in the Orne department. It is mainly made up of oaks, known for their fine, pinkish grain, and is listed as a ZNIEFF and a Natura 2000 site. The trees meet the water in a straight edge along the Étang de la Herse, and a pale gravel track bordered by grass and slender trunks runs through the stands.

The forest was used since Roman times and became a royal hunting ground during the Middle Ages. After the French Revolution it passed into state ownership, which is still the case today.

The Bellême forest sits in the Perche, a part of Normandy known for its oak woodlands. The oaks here are prized for their pinkish wood, which local craftspeople have long used for furniture and construction.

A parking area at the Carrefour des 7 bras, where seven forest paths meet, makes a convenient starting point. The trails are well signed and the terrain is mostly flat, making the routes accessible for all walkers.

The forest's oak was used to build a replica of the Mora, William the Conqueror's ship, and to rebuild the roof frame of Notre-Dame de Paris after the 2019 fire. Six rectangular ancient camps, up to 40 m long, lie in the woods; digs at the Camp du Châtelier found Gallo-Roman pottery and Bronze Age axes.