Our exploration of Denmark continues! There are a few perks of living on an island (yes, although not exotic, much of Denmark is islands). It is great to be able to walk out to the water in times like these and breathe in the fresh ocean air. It is still rather cold here, mid 40s most days, but the weather has taken a turn for the better. We have seen the sun nearly everyday for the last few weeks. And if you don’t know, Denmark is much like Seattle through the winter, it is very cold and very, very, VERY wet.
Stevns Klint: Historical Significance
We hopped in our car and drove about three hours south and then east to a UNESCO world heritage site: Stevns Klint. The site is a span of white chalk cliffs that stretch 11 miles long, and the white cliffs are known for their geological importance, because the are one of the best exposed Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundaries in the world. In short, the cliffs are from the Paleogene Period and could be as old as 66 million years. This period is associated with the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Højerup Church
The Højerup Gamle Kirke (Old Højerup Church) is built on the cliff edge and is from the year 1200. As a result of erosion, a landslide in 1928 caused the area around the alter to collapse into the sea below. A new church was built 980 feet back from the cliff in 1913, but you can still visit the old church on the cliff edge. I thought this was one of the more beautiful scenes I’ve toured in Denmark.
Mini-Staycation
We actually rented an airbnb for a night to stay and enjoy the site. We were surprised that people were still renting places on airbnb in the time of the coronavirus shut down. The host didn’t meet us but left us the keys on the table and a bottle of sanitizer.
For $65 a night, we stayed in an “old horse barn” on a Christmas tree farm along the cliff edge of Stevns Klint. I will link to the actual bnb because it was adorable! It was rustic and had an old wood-burning stove.
They had painted the old wood inside white to give it a chic update. Unfortunately for Ras, he was a bit too tall for the small house, but we spend most of our time outside anyway. From our bed upstairs you could see out into the vast ocean.
As I mentioned we were on a cliff edge, so the sea was 150 feet below us. We spent a few hours in the morning and night walking along the edge. We hit it on a perfect day, there was no wind and the sun was pouring out over the land. I love spending time in the country, I feel so at home.
I had a weird feeling wash over me as we were walking along the water, and I told Ras that if it were my last day on earth, I would want the day to end there. This place has that kind of perfect hakuna matata vibe to it, and in DK it is a must-see.
Comments