The Summer Linden of Rivierenhof

A single linden tree earned government protection in 2010 not for its species, which is common, but for exactly where it stands: in front of Sterckshof castle, at the heart of a park whose ownership reads like a highlight reel of Antwerp history. Hof Ter Rivieren began as a modest farm in the 15th century, became the country retreat of a wealthy Antwerp merchant in the 16th, and was bought by the Jesuits in 1618 as a rural escape from the city. The linden, a summer lime rather than the more common small-leaved variety, now anchors a 30 metre protected zone around its own base, a rare individual tree designation from Flanders' heritage agency rather than a blanket park listing. Its size alone does the talking. The broad, high crown shows across the meadow it stands in, opposite the entrance to the Sterckshof manor house, and heritage assessors say it forms a visual unity with the protected building beside it. The Rivierenhof became a public park a century ago, one of the largest green spaces in the Antwerp region today, and this tree predates that public opening by centuries, a private estate's ornament turned into a landmark anyone can walk up to for free.