Stelmužė oak
Species:
Common oak (Quercus robur L.)
Age:
more than 1 000 years
Region:
Stelmužė village, Zarasai district, Utena county, Lithuania
The Stelmužė oak - a symbol of statehood and strength
You will find 1,000 — 1,500 years old Stelmužė oak, one of the oldest trees in Europe and a symbol of
strength, in the Northeast of Lithuania near the XVII century wooden church built by Latvian masters without the use of a single iron nail. Indeed, Lithuanians say that a man is as strong as Stelmužė oak. Tourists experience Stelmužė oak’s beauty and rich history of sacrifices by pagan priests under its branches or skeleton and rifle of a Napoleonic soldier found in its cavity. In Lithuania, acorns of Stelmužė oak are used to propagate many oaks, preserving this veteran tree‘s genes for many years to come.