Bøkeskogen

''Bøkeskogen'', the beech forest in Larvik is one of the northernmost occurrences of beeches in the world. 

The forest was founded as a landscape protection area in 1980 to preserve one of Norways classic beech forests. It is a popular hiking area with paths throughout and marked trails from 2.6 to 10 km in length. “Bøkeskogen” and the municipality of Larvik became included in the Gea Norvegica Geopark in 2006.

Natural History

Right beneath the beautiful beech trees and the sparse forest floor, lies the Ra-moraine, a result of the last great cold period in Scandinavia 12-13 000 years ago. The glacier deposited rocks, gravel and clay, that was transported from large parts of Southern Norway, that was left behind as a ridge when the ice retreated. The resulting moraine is the longest continuous glacial deposition on mainland Norway, stretching around large parts of Scandinavia and Finland. This moraine was created on the ocean floor but is now above sea level due to land rise. Waves and wind sorted the moraine material, laying the foundation for different nature types to emerge. The substrate left behind in this part of the Ra-Moraine provided good growth conditions for the Beech forest.

History

The largest collection of grave-mounds in Vestfold are found in the ”Bøkeskogen”. 83 mounds are recorded and they lay in two fields. Different weapons, jewellery and various tools have been found in the burial mounds. On the basis of the recorded finds, the mounds are dated to Early Viking times (800 – 900 a.D.). The people who lived here during Viking times had been farmers, fishers, hunters and also conducted trade.