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. It was restored and registered as a 17th century architectural cultural monument.[1]
The village is famous for its Stelmužė Oak, the oldest in Lithuania and one of the oldest in Europe. The oak is about one and a half thousand years old.[2] It is often called the tree that is "older than Lithuania itself."[3] It has been through a long range of historical events, having had sacrifices by pagan priests conducted under it and a skeleton and rifle of a Napoleonic soldier found in its cavity.[4]
It was nominated for Tree of the Year in 2017, receiving 12th place and 5,245 votes.[5]
55°49′39″N 26°13′11″E / 55.82750°N 26.21972°E / 55.82750; 26.21972
