Deep in the Blockhausen forest experience park in Saxony stands a true record-breaker - the world's longest wooden table. Stretching almost 40 metres and weighing 2 tonnes, it was carved from a single spruce trunk, making it one of the most curious roadside attractions in the region.

Blockhausen itself is an unusual destination - a forest dotted with Canadian-style log cabins, chainsaw sculptures, and the venue for an international chainsaw carving competition held every year. The table stands on a specially paved 5 by 50 metre gneiss-slab plaza, framed by 24 stone columns supporting a roof and flanked by carved wooden miners in traditional uniforms. In summer the place buzzes with festivals and carving contests, while in autumn and winter it takes on a quieter, almost fairy-tale mood among the surrounding Ore Mountains forests.

How to get there

• Blockhausen lies between the villages of Mulda/Sa. and Dorfchemnitz in the Mittelsachsen district - reachable by car, with just a short walk from the parking area, easy difficulty
• Also accessible on foot or by bike via forest roads connecting both villages

Practical information

• The table measures 39.80 m in length and weighs 2 tonnes, certified by Guinness World Records on 13 May 2010
• It was made from a roughly 120-year-old spruce, 41 m long, felled in 2008 after a bark beetle infestation
• Up to 170 people can sit at the table at once
• Local historical events are engraved into the tabletop
• The annual Huskycup international chainsaw carving competition takes place nearby

Fun fact: the table's legs and cross-braces were made from the branches of the very same tree that provided the tabletop - nothing was wasted.