Himmelgeister Kastanie, Natural monument in Himmelgeist, Düsseldorf, Germany.
The Himmelgeister Kastanie is a horse chestnut tree in the Rhine river bend of the Himmelgeist district in southern Düsseldorf. After the tree declined, the remaining trunk was transformed into a sculpture called Jüchtwind by a chainsaw artist, which still stands as a striking wooden form.
The tree was a well-known natural monument that survived both World Wars despite artillery fire around it. In December 2015, most of it disappeared, leaving only a 5-meter section that was later carved into art.
The name carries medieval roots that locals have kept alive over generations. People from around the world send letters to the tree's postal address, turning it into a place where visitors share personal thoughts and hopes.
The location sits easily accessible along a Rhine bend in the southern part of the city and can be reached on foot or by bicycle. The site is open and can be visited anytime without special arrangements needed.
In 2009, the tree had a symbolic wedding ceremony where it was married to the Bridegroom Oak in distant Eutin. This unusual gesture linked two protected trees through a romantic connection that visitors still find touching today.
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