The limestone beneath Faxe holds the story of a 63-million-year-old coral reef. The exhibition “Denmark’s Fossil Coral Reefs” at KALK explains how the reef formed the limestone—and makes geology the guiding thread for discoveries in Faxe Municipality. The museum connects natural history and geology with the cultural history of limestone.
Fossils and trails in Faxe Limestone Quarry
On guided fossil excursions, you can search the quarry for corals, snails, shark teeth and mussels. The tour covers about 2 to 2.5 kilometres; the ticket includes admission to the KALK Geological Museum. If you want to explore the quarry independently, you can borrow a hammer and chisel at KALK.
Faxe Limestone Quarry is still active and also offers a glimpse into its operations. It is open to the public via the trail system from the hostel; near the Geomuseum, there are several entrances to the edge of the quarry and to platforms along the quarry wall. A geological trail leads to five stops that explain its history. Tables, benches and a fire pit at the edge make it a good place for a picnic.
Forest trails, views and activities
At Camp Adventure, the Skovtårnet combines a 3.2-kilometre elevated walkway through the forest with a viewing point. The platform is 140 metres above sea level. From there, the view stretches over forests and fields and, on clear days, as far as Copenhagen and Malmö. The tower is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The climbing park has twelve courses with more than 150 obstacles, as well as a 500-metre zipline through the forest. There are also two specially designed children’s courses for children aged three and up. Adults can support the children from the forest floor area without buying their own admission to the climbing park. This is a practical way to split up the activities at the same location according to individual interests, without everyone having to do the same thing.
The hiking trails also offer different perspectives: the coastal long-distance trail Sjællandsleden is one of the marked routes in the municipality; shorter Heart Paths are marked near Haslev. The Faxe Ladeplads–Strandegård Dyrehave route branches off from the Sjællandsleden and runs through the landscape of Zealand to Faxe and Faxe Limestone Quarry. Forests, sea, lakes and beaches shape the municipality’s natural landscape. The municipality’s outdoor portal offers overviews of beaches, cycling and hiking routes, as well as outdoor accommodation options.
Gisselfeld: Renaissance and garden landscapes
Gisselfeld Kloster combines architectural history with a landscaped park. Peder Oxe established the estate in its present form and had the castle built between 1547 and 1575. Gisselfeld is one of Denmark’s oldest and best-preserved Renaissance castles; parts of the main building can be visited on guided tours.
The approximately 40-hectare Gisselfeld Park is an English landscape garden with modern design influences. Around half of the area consists of carp ponds. During the season, the park is open to the public for a fee; opening dates may vary. In Gisselfeld’s private woodland, cycling is permitted on paved paths, but not on the forest floor. Events are held in the park several times a year, including cultural salons, Halloween and a Christmas market.
Mills, miniatures and everyday history
Blåbæk Møller consists of a watermill and a windmill, both listed in 1959. Guided tours are available for groups of at least ten people. Another glimpse into the past awaits in Roholte near Strandegårds Dyrehave: Troldhøje comprises burial mounds covered with beech and oak trees and a Neolithic long dolmen. From the mounds, the view extends across Faxe Bay.
In Faxe Ladeplads, the Miniby depicts the town as it looked around 1900, at a scale of 1:10. You can also see how the miniature houses are made in the workshop. The harbour also tells a story of local history: Vemmetofte and Bregentved had it built together to ship limestone from Faxe Limestone Quarry. Hylleholt Church combines historic architecture with modern church art and has a distinctive spire.
The Øst Cultural Museum presents exhibitions on local history in its museum building in Faxe and places them in a broader context. The Andels Elmuseum looks at homes and their technology in the past, with historic televisions, record players, dynamo-powered flashlights and washing machines. For a locally inspired break, the “Nattergalen” tea salon serves English Tea Royale. You can also get holiday tips for South Zealand and Møn at the Faxe Ladeplads marina.
Discover more destinations: Mosebølle, Fakse, Rønnede, Faxe Ladeplads, Leestrup Strand, Haslev, Karise, Lolland.
For the full travel overview: Zealand.
