Bräutigamseiche

Deep in the Dodauer Forst woodland near Eutin stands the Bräutigamseiche — the Bridegroom's Oak — a venerable pedunculate oak with a hollow branch that doubles as a letterbox. Since the 1890s, people seeking a partner have dropped handwritten notes with their contact details into the cavity, trusting other visitors to read and reply. The tree long held the distinction of being the only tree in the world with its own postal address: 23701 Dodau. Dozens of marriages are said to trace back to its anonymous matchmaking, a tradition that continues today without any digital intermediary. The walk from the Forsthaus Dodau through the beech forest to the tree takes roughly twenty minutes and is open year-round.