The Carpathians, a mountain range stretching over 1500 km in Central and Eastern Europe, are home to some of the last primeval forest areas in Europe. Most of them are located in Romania, primarily high-altitude mixed forests where the sycamore maple, indispensable for instrument making, grows. They make up two-thirds of Europe's primeval and natural forests, (Scandinavia left aside). For comparison, the share of the Alps in the European primeval forest heritage is only 0.4 percent. Although they are protected as national and nature parks, EU Natura 2000 sites and UNESCO World Heritage sites, these precious forests are constantly being decimated by legal and illegal logging.