Desperate People Have Been Visiting This Tree For Over A Century With A Singular Purpose In Mind

It’s peaceful in Dodauer Forest, and the only noises in the German woodland are coming from birds singing and trees swaying. That tranquility is suddenly broken, though, by the sound of footsteps: a lone person walking soberly towards an enormous oak. They seem totally intent on making it to this tree in particular — but why?

The main attraction

As it happens, this individual’s far from the only person to march through Dodauer Forest towards this precise spot. In fact, this tree’s attracted thousands of visitors over the past century or so. That might seem a little strange, especially as it doesn’t look all that special at first glance.

Mystical tree

The truth, though, is that this enormous, centuries-old tree really isn’t like any other. It has an almost mystical reputation, with many individuals believing that it has the ability to help them. These folk are trying to escape a certain kind of anguish, which ultimately leads them to this forest.

Myths and legends

A lot of myths have attached themselves to the tree over the centuries, meaning that it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what’s true and what isn’t. If anything, though, that only adds to the allure of the tree and the forest that surrounds it. Walking around this place, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d slipped into a fairytale.

Once upon a time...

Dodauer Forest’s hardly the only woodland in Germany to give off a kind of fairytale vibe. After all, many of the tales we hear as children are intrinsically tied to this nation and its trees. The Black Forest, in particular, is at the very heart of that storytelling tradition.