LEHDE, Germany — After eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring for months, Andrea Bunar has returned to her distinctive role of transporting mail via barge through the winding waterways of the Spreewald Forest delta, located southeast of Berlin.
On Wednesday, the 55-year-old mail carrier resumed her position at the stern of her vessel, wielding a single lengthy oar to propel, direct, and guide her craft through the shallow channels.
“The start of the season is always special for me,” Bunar remarked as she stepped aboard the yellow barge wearing her postal service uniform. “After the long winter break, I enjoy being in the nature and back on the water.”
For 14 years, Bunar has been transporting correspondence and parcels to residents of Lehde, situated approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Berlin.
Throughout winter months, she uses an automobile to reach farms and residences, though this method proves challenging due to icy conditions and requires significantly more time than summer deliveries. Between April and October, she operates her 9-meter-long vessel, depositing mail Monday through Saturday into mailboxes that Lehde residents have positioned directly along the riverbank.
Her services extend beyond delivery, as she also provides stamps to those living along her remote route and collects outgoing mail from residents.
The Spreewald region is renowned for its extensive network of 300 kilometers of waterways, many winding through verdant forests and wetlands. This inland delta forms where the Spree River, which also flows through Berlin, divides into numerous small channels within the forest.
The area has earned UNESCO biosphere designation to safeguard its ecosystem, including the region’s varied plant and animal life.
Lehde holds the distinction of being Germany’s sole location where postal delivery occurs by boat. This village has received its mail via watercraft for 129 years.
Previously, residents collected their correspondence once weekly on Sundays at church following religious services. However, as populations migrated from rural areas to urban centers, the demand for frequent long-distance communication increased, prompting the German postal service to implement more regular delivery schedules — and in Lehde’s case, which resembles a verdant Germanic miniature of Venice, by boat.
Weekly, Bunar transports approximately 600 letters and 80 packages, requiring roughly two hours to navigate her barge along the 8-kilometer route.
In recent times, the postal worker has noticed a shift from letters to packages in her deliveries.
“I already delivered an e-scooter, a lawnmower and a fridge — sometimes my barge feels like a little container ship,” she explained. On Wednesday, her first day of the spring season, she transported a large saw to one resident, along with typical items including bills, registered mail, and personal correspondence.
“This is and has been my dream job all along,” Bunar said with a smile. “Being on the water is just so relaxing — it slows down life.”
