Linde, Historic lime tree in Schenklengsfeld, Germany

Linde is a natural monument in Schenklengsfeld consisting of four separate trunks that grow from a shared root system and form a broad crown. The branches are supported by a framework of beams positioned between two stone rings.

The monument dates back to the 8th century and was long used as a gathering place for judicial proceedings. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, judges regularly met there to conduct trials and render decisions.

The tree was a meeting place for dancing and fairs for centuries, and its name lives on in the village's Dorflinde and Riesenlinde. A stone in the centre of the four trunks reads "Gepflanzt im Jahre 760", a date a village schoolteacher is said to have had carved in the 20th century.

The tree is freely accessible at any time, standing openly in the village and easy to reach on foot. Comfortable shoes are recommended so you can walk around the tree and explore the surrounding area comfortably.

The crown's circumference of 120 metres is the largest preserved linden canopy recorded. The horizontal main branches are held by a roughly 65-metre framework resting on more than 80 beams, a structure in place since at least 1900. A stone in the centre of the four trunks reads "Gepflanzt im Jahre 760", though the date was cut in the 20th century by a village schoolteacher.