Around Europe From Tree to Tree Quiz

Answer: New Forest

The New Forest is located primarily in Hampshire, although parts of it reach into Wiltshire and Dorset. William I (the Conqueror) chose the area for his hunt, not without some controversy since several settlements were destroyed in its creation. The Domesday Book records it as 'Nova Foresta' in 1086. Two of the king's sons met their demise in the forest - Richard of Normandy and William II (Rufus) both died in hunting accidents many years apart.

Sherwood Forest is in the Midlands, in Nottinghamshire, the (Royal) Forest of Dean is in Gloucestershire and Delamere Forest is in Cheshire, in the northern part of England.

Answer: Crete

Vai is located on the north eastern tip of Crete, and was originally popularised by the hippy generation in the 1970s. The forest comprises a particular type of palm, unsurprisingly called the Cretan Date Palm - scientific name Phoenix theophrasti. The location of the forest, bordering a sandy beach, means it is very popular with tourists.

Of the other options, only Sardinia is described as being in the Mediterranean. Hvar is in the Adriatic Sea and Corfu is in the Ionian Sea and, while both seas are branches of the Mediterranean, the more specific names are used for the seas surrounding these islands.

Answer: Belarus

The forest has been a World Heritage Site since 1979 for the Polish part, with the Belarussian part added in 1992. It is particularly noted for its wildlife, especially as being the home of almost 25% of the total world population of the European bison (Bison bonasus). Other animals found there include the lynx, Eurasian beaver and grey wolf. Tree species are diverse, including birch, Norway spruce and Scots pine.

Of the other options, Hungary and Slovakia were not part of the USSR. Georgia was a member, but doesn't border Poland.

Answer: Rome

The park is the oldest in the Apennines, and the forest is mainly of beech. Wildlife found there includes the Marsican brown bear and Apennine wolf. The park was founded in 1922, and is primarily situated in the Abruzzo region. It was extended into the neighbouring regions of Lazio and Molise by the mid-1970s, and by the end of the twentieth century was around one hundred times bigger than the original site.

Florence is in Tuscany and Venice is in northern Italy. Milan is the capital of Lombardy. Rome is located in Lazio, the central part of Italy, and is the regional capital as well as the national capital.

Answer: Monsanto Forest Park

The park was designed in the 1930s, originally to replace the trees of the Monsanto Hills, which had been stripped practically bare by farming. The plan was a success, and the park, covering around 2,500 acres, is described as the 'lungs of the capital' in the twenty-first century.

The name of Monsanto includes the Portuguese word for saint - santo.

Answer: Madrid

As the name implies, the forest extends over the mountainous region of the Sierra de Guadarrama, with Scots pines and other conifers on the higher slopes. Lower down, oak trees are more prevalent and the region provides homes for wildlife such as the Spanish ibex and European wildcat. The area was approved as a national park in 2013.

Of the places listed, only Madrid is situated in central Spain. Barcelona and Valencia are on the coast, and Bilbao is in the Basque region of northern Spain.

Answer: Chantilly

The forest originally belonged to the Chateau of Chantilly, and was a Royal hunting park in the days of the French monarchy. The forest contains lakes which were created as fishing ponds in the thirteenth century by the monks living there. Trees growing there include hornbeams, pines, oaks and limes. Part of the forest is used for exercising racehorses, as Chantilly racecourse adjoins the forest.

I doubt the Big Bopper ever visited the area, but he did record 'Chantilly Lace' in 1958.

Answer: Finland

Some sources put the percentage as high as 74.2%, with a wide variety of trees such as pine, birch and spruce. Southern parts also have oak, ash, elm and maple trees. Over 50% of the forests are privately owned, with families running forestry businesses from generation to generation.

Finland is sometimes called the Land of a Thousand Lakes, so with the numbers of trees and vast areas of water, you might wonder where the residents fit in.

Answer: Berlin

The forest lies on the western part of Berlin, covering nearly seven and a half acres. The name translates as greenwood and comes from a hunting lodge built in the forest in the sixteenth century. Trees which can be found growing there include beech, birch and poplar as well as oak and pine.

Germany is, of course, renowned for the Black Forest, but I wanted to find something different to represent the country.

Answer: Montenegro

The area has been a national park since 1952 and is situated in the north eastern part of Montenegro. Parts of the forest, particularly its beech trees, are classed as virgin forest, having never been harvested. It also contains six glacier lakes including Biogradsko, the largest, and Pesica.

The name of the forest could potentially fit any of the countries listed, but I hope the mention of 'black' and 'mountainous' did not escape your notice, since Montenegro translates as black mountain.