Rude combines a rich manor house history with a landscape of intensively farmed fields and woodland east of the village. Holsteinborg adds a distinctive church and cultural history; from Rude, a path leads through the forest to the double coastline and the natural area around Glænø. These offer two different focal points for planning your trip: village and manor house history on the one hand, and woodland and coastal landscapes on the other.

History in Rude and Holsteinborg

Holsteinborg Church dates from 1728 and is one of the last two private churches in Denmark used as ordinary parish churches. Holsteinborg is also a well-preserved, representative example of a Danish manor estate, with a main building, farm buildings and moats. The church and manor estate ensemble thus represent different facets of local cultural history.

Guided tours of Holsteinborg can be booked through the estate office; they include the church, H. C. Andersen’s room, the Reventlow Room and the park.

On Christmas Eve 1808, Denmark’s first Christmas tree was lit at Holsteinborg near Bisserup. The literary connection came in later decades: H. C. Andersen first visited Holsteinborg in 1856; by the time of his death in 1875, he had visited 35 times in total. The Christmas tree story and Andersen’s visits offer two different historical perspectives: a single event on a specific holiday and a series of repeated visits.

Rude was founded around 1200 as a clearing in the area’s then extensive woodland. The Bronze Age burial mound Dansehøj was a meeting place for the farmers of Rude when the village elder blew the horn. Rude was also the administrative headquarters of the county district and had a Birkedommergård, a Tinghus and a police station. Its founding as a clearing describes Rude’s origins; its role as an administrative headquarters points to another side of its history.

Woodland, Water and Birdlife

Rude lies in a manor estate landscape with intensively farmed fields; woodland is located east of the village.

You can reach the woodland east of Rude by car via Næstved Landevej; on foot, it is accessible via a field path. A path also leads from Rude through the forest to the double coastline and the natural area around Glænø.

Holsteinborg lies on Holsteinborg Nor; islands and coastal areas shelter it from Smålandshavet. The eastern part of Holsteinborg Park offers views across Holsteinborg Nor and towards Ormø and Glænø. The area around Holsteinborg is an important resting place for migratory birds and is also of great importance to many breeding waders and ducks.

For planning purposes, two natural features can be distinguished: the path from Rude leads through the forest to the double coastline and the natural area around Glænø; views from the eastern part of the park take in the Nor, Ormø and Glænø. A route through the forest and views of the coastal landscape thus offer different focal points.

Discover more destinations: Venslev, Svenstrup, Årslev, Korsør, Stillinge Strand, Slagelse, Boeslunde, Bisserup

Back to the main travel overview: Slagelse.