Fanal (Madeira, Portugal), Lorbeerwald -- 2025 -- 1546, by Dietmar Rabich, Taken on 17 November 2025, 10:08
Gallery mode Full size at the museum

Window mode follows your eyes with your camera, in this browser only: no picture or position leaves your device.

Fanal (Madeira, Portugal), Lorbeerwald -- 2025 -- 1546

Dietmar Rabich

Taken on 17 November 2025, 10:08

Classification
Photograph
Museum
Wikimedia Commons
Rights
CC BY-SA 4.0, as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Kids profiles and older: it shows nature, places, still life or a children's book. How works are placed

View at the Wikimedia Commons

About this work

Laurel trees (Ocotea foetens) in the laurel forest “Fanal”, Madeira, Portugal Fanal is a mystical high plateau area in the northwest of the island of Madeira. It is located in the Laurisilva Forest, an evergreen laurel forest that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Fanal is particularly well known for its centuries-old laurel trees with gnarled, moss-covered branches. The frequent fog creates a fairytale-like, almost surreal atmosphere. The trees are part of an ancient ecosystem that covered large parts of southern Europe millions of years ago. Historically, the area was used for agriculture at times, for example as pasture land. Today, Fanal is a nature reserve and a popular destination for hikers and nature photographers. It is considered one of Madeira’s most impressive natural monuments and symbolizes the island’s original, wild landscape.