Andrea Bunar had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring and the moment she could once again deliver mail by barge through the narrow waterways of the Spreewald Forest delta, located southeast of Berlin.
On Wednesday, the 55-year-old German postal worker stood at the back of her yellow boat, using a single long oar to row, steer, and navigate through the shallow waters. "The start of the season is always special for me," said Bunar, dressed in her postal uniform. "After the long winter break, I enjoy being in nature and back on the water."
Bunar has been delivering mail and packages to the villagers of Lehde, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) southeast of Berlin, for 14 years. During winter, she uses a car, but icy roads make the task cumbersome and time-consuming. From April to October, she returns to her nine-metre-long (29-foot-long) barge, dropping off mail Monday through Saturday in mailboxes placed by residents on the riverbanks. She also sells stamps and collects outgoing mail.
The Spreewald is renowned for its 300-kilometre (185-mile) network of waterways, many winding through lush forests and wetlands. The Spree River, which flows through Berlin, branches into hundreds of small canals here, forming an inland delta. This region is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, protecting its diverse flora and fauna.
Lehde is the only place in Germany where mail is delivered by boat, a tradition spanning 129 years. Previously, villagers collected mail once a week at church after Sunday service. As people moved to cities, the need for more frequent communication grew, prompting the German postal service to adopt boat delivery in this Venice-like village.
Each week, Bunar delivers around 600 letters and 80 packages, taking about two hours to navigate the 8-kilometre (5-mile) route. Recently, packages have outnumbered letters. "I've delivered an e-scooter, a lawnmower, and a fridge—sometimes my barge feels like a little container ship," she said. On her first spring day, she transported a large saw alongside bills, registered mail, and letters.
"This is and has been my dream job all along," Bunar said with a smile. "Being on the water is so relaxing—it slows down life."
