Stelmužė

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stelmužė is a village in Zarasai district municipality of Lithuania. There is a wooden chapel built in 1650 not using saws or iron nails; it is the oldest wooden religious building in Lithuania. Stelmužė is also known for the Tower of Slaves (Lithuanian: Vergų bokštas), a rectangular building constructed of stone and bricks in the 18th century, used for imprisonment of serfs.

Stelmužė Oak (Lithuanian: Stelmužės ąžuolas) is an English (Pedunculate) oak tree which is growing in the former Stelmužė Manor park. It measures as much as 3.5 m in diameter and 13 m girth in its widest part; respectively 2.8 m. and 9.58 m at the waist level. The oak reaches 23 m of height with only side branches remaining alive. It is believed to be at least 1,500 years old, possibly, as many as 2,000 years old; this makes it the oldest oak in Lithuania and one of the oldest in Europe. However, exact measurements of age are difficult as the inner part of the trunk has been removed. The oak is a nature heritage object in Lithuania and is the best known tree in the country.