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The objectives of this research were to investigate the concentration; characterize the distribution; and determine the sources of heavy metals in European mountain beech forest soils. Total of 37 soil samples were collected from 11 countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain). Concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg were in ranges of 0.98-22.98 mg kg-1, 0.99-6.03 mg kg-1, 2.51-26.01 mg kg-1, 4.22-83.42 mg kg-1, 11.25-39.77 mg kg-1, 4.79-56.34 mg kg-1, 1.38-91.76 mg kg-1, 32.50-252.20 mg kg-1, 0.20-5.07 mg kg-1, respectively. Hotspots of heavy metals were observed in luvisol and rendzina soils developed on carbonate bedrock. Multivariate analyses discriminated between component 1 with a large positive associations of As, Cd, Cr, Zn, Hg, Pb, CaCO3, Corganic, pH, EC, Mg, and Ca and component 2 with a large positive associations of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, clay, Al, and Fe. Positive matrix factorization Factor 1 was defined by As, Pb, and Zn, Cu and Hg provided similar contributions for Factors 1 and 2. Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni provided the highest percentage contributions for Factor 2. Pollution index, Enrichment factor of Cr, Hg, As, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Co ranges: 0.05–1.17, 4.48–246.63, 0.01–3.21, 0.06–2.97, 0.18–3.40, 4.30–81.62, 0.56–3.20, 0.52–3.83 and 0.21–3.81, respectively.