Queen Louise’s Oak Tree and Park

The Historical Park of Tauralaukis Minor. The locations is reminiscent of the times of the royal port city under the rule of Prussian Queen Louise as well as of even older times, namely the age of the Baltic Tribes. Old maps show the Tauralaukis Oak Forest near the bend of the Danė River. Judging from the map, it is believed that the forest has been around for at least 300 years. 200 years ago, when Klaipėda was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia for a year, Queen Louise and her children would go for walks along the park paths. The Queen travelled here by horse and chariot or by boat just to have a leisurely stroll and to have lunch under the oak trees. She considered the park to be as amazing as the Tiergarten Oak Forest in Berlin. One of the oak trees, dubbed the Oak Tree of Louise, can still be found growing in the forest. A monumental stone, dedicated to the Queen, has been placed where paths cross sometime around the 19^th and 20^th century. 

The King also mentioned the presence of a small square with trees planted around it – the former shooting range, carousel, and a small isle mound with a castle on it. Decorative shrubs surrounded the square. A vast sea of jasmines populated the meadows of the forest, forming a pleasantly soothing scent and atmosphere. A restaurant, summerhouse, and a set of benches used to stand near the square. The Prussian royal family used to live in Klaipėda during the Napoleonic era. The offspring were especially fond of the square. Memoirs mention the happiness that the park brought to the princes. They especially enjoyed climbing the tall trees and having a spin on the carousel. Even the youngest princesses, Charlotte and Alexandrine, would find a seat on the carousel and would let the two horses spin them around. William and Frederick, the future rulers of the country. Charlotte, the future wife of Nikolas I of Russia, really liked the jasmines. They never forgot this little corner of the world. Even when all of the royal offspring grew up, they continued to visit the forest and all of its beauty.