Stenstrup shows how landscape and industrial history are connected: Stenstrup Issø is a glacial lake formed by meltwater and is also linked to the local history of the brickworks. A nature trail runs from Rødme to Stenstrup; historic buildings and the church offer further insights into the area. If you are looking for accommodation for your stay, you can weigh up whether nature, architectural history or both should be the focus.
Nature trail, rail and landscape
The Stenstrup–Rødme nature trail runs from Rødme to Stenstrup. Check the trail conditions before setting out. If you are travelling by train, it is also worth checking the timetable: from Stenstrup station, travellers can take the Svendborg railway towards Odense or Svendborg. The two directions offer practical guidance for planning your journey without limiting your stay to a single travel option.
Old clay pits lie southeast of Stenstrup. They have a distinctly extensive landscape character, with local grazing areas and a high proportion of wooded areas. This offers a different perspective on the landscape alongside the nature trail: here, the terrain and how it is used together shape the character of the area.
Issø and the history of the brickworks
Stenstrup Issø is considered Denmark’s second-largest glacial lake formed by meltwater. It formed when large quantities of meltwater were dammed in the lowland around Stenstrup. Brickworks have used Issø since the Middle Ages and continue to do so today because of its distinctive clay composition. The landscape can therefore be viewed both as a result of the Ice Age and in connection with the local industrial history.
The brickworks area in and around Stenstrup included as many as seven brickworks. The cultural environment of the brickworks emerged in the mid-19th century. These details describe different time spans: the brickworks’ use of Issø dates back to the Middle Ages and continues today, while the cultural environment took shape in the mid-19th century.
Among the architectural remains is a building known as “Det lange hus”, also called “Brødløs”. It is an example of workers’ housing in the brickworks area. The brickworks directors’ villas were built in the historicist and national romantic villa style. Together, the different types of buildings show two sides of the brickworks area: the workers’ homes and the directors’ villas.
The ruins of one of the original brickworks can be seen at Stenstrup Syd station. The chimney at Stenstrup Maskinstation is probably a surviving remnant of a former brickworks and a prominent landmark in the area. Both remains give the industrial history a tangible connection to today’s townscape.
Church and local history
Stenstrup Church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Its nave is Romanesque, built of fieldstones and dressed stone; the oldest bell dates from 1503. The dedication, construction and date of the bell offer different ways into the church’s history: they name the saint, describe the nave’s architecture and provide a specific historical point of reference with the bell.
Stenstrup offers several clearly distinct themes for a stay: the nature trail between Rødme and Stenstrup, the landscape of Issø, traces of the brickworks and the history of the church. Depending on what interests you most, you can focus your time on the landscape and route or on the architectural remains.
Discover more destinations: Gudme, Svendborg, Gudbjerg Sydfyn, Eskebjerg, Åbyskov, Thurø By, Vårø, Nørre Vornæs
To the main travel overview: Svendborg Municipality.
