Bridegroom's Oak

#380 among destinations in Germany

Top attraction, Tree

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Facts and practical information

Bridegroom's Oak in Germany stands as a unique testament to the romantic era of snail mail courtship. Nestled within the Dodauer Forest, near the town of Eutin, this ancient tree has been playing matchmaker for over a century. The oak's hollow trunk has served as a public postal address for love letters since 1927.

The tradition began when a local chocolate maker's daughter fell in love with the son of a Leipzig-based chocolate maker. Forbidden to see each other, they started exchanging letters by leaving them in the knothole of the oak tree. Their story culminated in marriage, and since then, the tree has been a symbol of hope for those seeking love.

The Bridegroom's Oak receives about 1000 letters every year. Aspiring lovers from around the world send letters to the tree's own postal address, hoping someone will pick up their message and write back. The tree thus facilitates a peculiar form of blind dating, with some correspondences leading to friendship, romance, and occasionally, marriage.

Local name: Bräutigamseiche Coordinates: 54°8'11"N, 10°33'21"E

Location

Dodauer ForstSchleswig-HolsteinGermany

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Day trips

Bridegroom's Oak – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Eutin Castle, Ukleisee, Dieksee, Großer Eutiner See.

2.5 miE
Library, Park, Museum
Eutin Castle, Eutin
65 min walk • Eutin Castle in Eutin in the north German district of Ostholstein is the cultural centre and nucleus of the town. Taken together, this castle, Gottorf Castle and Glücksburg Castle, form the most important group of courtly secular buildings in the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
4.7 miNE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Ukleisee
120 min walk • Ukleisee is a lake in Kreis Ostholstein, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. At an elevation of 26.5 m, its surface area is 0.32 km². This lake is a kettle hole, remaining from Weichselian glaciation.
2.6 miNW
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Dieksee
66 min walk • The Dieksee is a lake in the Holstein Switzerland region of North Germany.
3.3 miE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Großer Eutiner See
84 min walk • The Großer Eutiner See is a lake in Holstein Switzerland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It lies northeast of the town of Eutin. It has an area of 230 hectares, is up to 17 metres deep and lies at a height of about 26.7 m above sea level. It northern side borders directly on the woods of the Seeschaarwald.
4.2 miW
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Höftsee
108 min walk • The Höftsee is a lake in the Holstein Switzerland in North Germany. It lies on the River Schwentine east of the town of Plön between the Behler See and the Großer Plöner See.
3 miNE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Kellersee
78 min walk • The Kellersee is a lake in the Holstein Switzerland region of North Germany. It lies east of the village of Malente on the River Schwentine, has an area of 560 hectares, is up to 27 metres deep and lies at a height of 24 m above sea level.
3.4 miNW
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Langensee
87 min walk • The Langensee is a lake in the North German lakeland region of Holstein Switzerland. It lies on the River Schwentine between the lakes of Dieksee and Behler See.
6.5 miSE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Middelburger See
166 min walk • Middelburger See is a lake in Süsel, Kreis Ostholstein, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. At an elevation of, its surface area is 0.26 km².
5.1 miNW
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Schöhsee
129 min walk • Schöhsee is a lake in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. At an elevation of 22 m, its surface area is 0.78 km².
5.1 miSE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Barkauer See
131 min walk • Barkauer See is a lake in Süsel, Kreis Ostholstein, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. At an elevation of, its surface area is 0.48 km².
3.9 miE
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Sibbersdorfer See
99 min walk • The Sibbersdorfer See is a lake in the district of Ostholstein within the region known as Holstein Switzerland in the North German state of Schleswig-Holstein.