The French term ‘allée’ is used in many parts of Europe when referring to tree-lined ‘ways of passage’ in parks and gardens, in towns or in the country. In the context of landscapes, ‘avenue’ has the same meaning in English. ‘Avenues’ (or ‘tree avenues’) are thus ‘ways of passage’—paths, streets, and roads, but also canals—lined with rows of regularly spaced trees.
Avenues (in this sense) constitute an important cultural, natural, and landscape heritage in France, Europe, and beyond.
To know more about tree avenues, go to the "Quiz" and to the "Tree avenues and road safety" pages.
♦ To foster knowledge about the cultural, natural, and landscape heritage that avenues represent ♦ Through information and education, to raise the awareness of the general public and professionals about the values of avenues ♦ To showcase the heritage of tree avenues and associated best practice ♦ To promote the economic activities and jobs avenues create ♦ To protect and renew existing avenues, and to develop new ones ♦ To support initiatives and protagonists helping to preserve tree avenues ♦
We are avenue lovers, determined to showcase this valuable heritage and convinced it is an asset for all of us. The board is made up of: Eric Mutschler, chair; Isabelle Kauffmann, secretary; Pierre Courbet, treasurer; Pierre Collin ; Qing Liu ; and Danièle Saget. Chantal Pradines, expert on avenues in France and in Europe, is executive director.
The international symposium "The essential beauty of tree avenues" is over. It ended with the Carcassonne declaration about tree avenues and road safety.
The presentations (slides and videos) are available online here.
They supported us in 2023:
In 2022, we launched our "Rencontres nationales des acteurs des allées d'arbres", annual national meetings dedicated to private and public avenue owners, avenue managers, professionals and engaged citizens who are keen to preserve tree avenues and who want to share their experience in field visits.
We are convinced that their practice in managing and maximizing the value of tree avenues may inspire many stakeholders.
In 2022, they took place in the Haute-Garonne County (around Toulouse), in 2023 in Châlons-en-Champagne. In 2024, they will take place in Montgeron, south of Paris.
Our press releases in French and in English ...
Download Presse release French - The Carcassonne declaration about tree avenues and road safety - april 2024
Download Press release English - International symposium - october 2023
Download Press release French - Rencontres nationales - septembre 2023
Download Press release French - Observatoire artistique - juillet 2023
Download Press release French - Mémento sur la protection des allées - juin 2023
Download Press release French - Rencontres nationales - septembre 2022
Download Press release French - Observatoire artistique - juin 2022
Download Press release French - Observatoire artistique - mars 2022
Download Press release French - Observatoire artistique - juin 2021
Download Press release French - Observatoire artistique - septembre 2020
They talk about us...
Tree avenues: Nature and us - Listen to the interview in La nature et vous (Radio Grand Lac), dated 28.09.2023
Mémento - Look at the reference in Espace public et paysage de Juillet-août 2023
Mémento - Read the article in UP' Magazine du 30.06.2023
National meetings - Read the article in Le Moniteur, dated 25.10.2022
National meetings - Read the presentation in Le lien horticole, dated 5.10.2022
Artistic observatory - Watch the news report by Vosges Télévision, dated 9.08.2023
Artistic observatory - Read the article in Le Monde, dated 10.07.2022
Artistic observatory - Watch the news report by Vosges Télévision, dated 24.03.2022
Artistic observatory - Read the report in Vosges matin, dated 4.07.2021
Artistic observatory - Read the report in La Voix de la Haute-Marne, dated 2.07.2021
Artistic observatory - Watch the news report by France 3 Grand Est, dated 26.06.2021
Artistic observatory - Listen to the presentation in France Bleu Sud Lorraine's radio programme Embarquement immédiat pour la Lorraine, dated 26.06.2021 at 18’48
Artistic observatory - Read the article in Lettre de l'arboriculture n°97 . novembre 2020
Artistic observatory - Watch the news report by Vosges TV, dated 25.09.2020
Artistic observatory - Read the report in Vosges matin, dated 23.09.2020
Exhibition - Listen to the radio programme Durablement Vôtre du 25 septembre 2019
Symposium - Read the report in Matériel et paysage n° 143. Décembre 2018
Symposium - Read a report in Paysage Actualités n° 414-415. Novembre-décembre 2018
Symposium - Read the report in La Nuova Provincia, dated 23.11.2018
Symposium - Read the article in Moniteur, dated 19.11.2018
Symposium - Watch the news report by Vosges TV, dated 13.11.2018
Symposium - Read a presentation in La Stampa, dated 11.11.2018
Symposium - Read a presentation in Gazzetta d’Asti, dated 9.11.18
Symposium - Read a presentation in La Garance Voyageuse n°123. Automne 2018
Symposium - Read a presentation in Sites & Monuments n°225. 2018
Symposium - Listen to the radio programme Durablement vôtre, dated 15.10.2018
♦ Contribuer à la connaissance du patrimoine - culturel, naturel, paysager - des allées ♦ Sensibiliser, former et informer le grand public et les professionnels à ses valeurs ♦ Valoriser le patrimoine des allées d’arbres et les bonnes pratiques le concernant ♦ Promouvoir les activités économiques et l’emploi qui en découlent ♦ Protéger les allées existantes, les renouveler, les développer ♦ Soutenir les actions et acteurs contribuant à la préservation des allées d’arbres ♦
Des amoureux des allées, déterminés à valoriser ce patrimoine, et convaincus que sa richesse est une chance pour chacun. Le CA se compose de : Eric Mutschler, président ; Isabelle Kauffmann, secrétaire ; Pierre Courbet, trésorier ; Pierre Colin ; Qing Liu ; Danièle Saget. La déléguée générale de l'association est Chantal Pradines, spécialiste des allées en France et en Europe.
For the 5th season of the Artistic Observatory of the ash tree avenue in Trampot, we welcome several artists from different disciplines.
American photographer Wayne Gudmundson will be in residence from May 31st to June 6th in Trampot. His work, exhibited notably at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, or the Reykjavik Museum of Photography, explores the marks left by humans, nature and time in the landscape. Concerning trees, his black and white photographs seek to show how they interact with the landscape, creating it.
He will photograph the avenue in Trampot as well as other avenues in the surroundings. His editing and printing work will be done as part of another artistic residency, at the Tusen Takk Foundation, in Michigan (USA).
For the fifth year in a row, visual artist Constance Fulda (France) will continue making rubbings of the ash trees in the avenue. Each rubbing on a special Japanese paper, is unique, like the signature of the trees, made of the imprint due to the bark and former scars. Put together, they will represent a piece of about 125 meters long. Read more about Constance Fulda and her previous work in the avenue under 'Observatory 2020' to 'Observatory 2023'. Constance Fulda will be in residence from June 16th to June 23rd in Trampot. Come and see her perform her rubbings on Sunday, June 23rd from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
On the same day, at 3:30 pm, we will also welcome the French ensemble Angeli Primitivi (José Le Piez and Patricia Chatelain) for a concert of 'Arbrassons'. The Arbrassons are acoustic sculptures created by José. The sound is produced by simply carressing the wooden surface. This acoustic process was discovered and developed by José Le Piez. It has an amazing poetic force and seems to hold magic. Its only equivalent in the world is that of the livika, a sacred instrument used in funeral rites in Papua New Guinea.
José Le Piez will then remain in residence in Trampot to perform his art of sculpture, which he practices in the spirit of martial arts. José has worked in collaboration and exhibited with Ernest Pignon-Ernest or Giuseppe Penone, and his sculptures are exhibited e.g. at the Utopia Museum in Belgium, the Mona Museum in Australia, the Museum of Natural History of Rouen-Normandy, or the City of Sciences in Strasbourg. In Trampot, José will work on timber from ash trees in the avenue that had to be cut down in 2023.