Although the term “forest bathing” has recently started to circulate in the West and even in the popular Netflix series addressing urban concerns, the concept goes back to 1982, when Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries began promoting the health benefits of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing). The person who has really made the approach famous is the forest medicine expert Dr. Qing Li, who published an appealing book on the subject also presenting a map of 40 most beautiful forests from around the world. We checked them for you and have noted down our favorites below!

THE MOST AMAZING FORESTS OF THE WORLD

EUROPE
Taiga Forests, Finland
Wistman’s Wood, Dartmoor, UK
Black Forest, Germany

AFRICA
The Congo Basin Rainforest

ASIA
Mossy Forest, Malaysia
Yakushima Forest, Japan

NORTH AMERICA
Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California, US
Boreal Forest, Canada

Click to buy “Forest Bathing” by Dr. Qing Li.
Header image: Eco-friendly Treehotel in Northern Sweden.
Map illustration by Sarah Locher.