Rudkøbing – main city of Langeland

We finish the visit to Langeland by going to the only city of any significance on the island. It is Rudkøbing – and despite being the biggest city it is only a town by most other standard with its total population of less than 5,000 people.

The city has a decent collection of old houses and cobbled streets making it a nice place to go around and explore for a bit. The city did have a decent amount of industry a half a century or so ago – but this has more or less disappeared and now the main business in the town is tourism as it function as the main support town for the many summerhouse area which is spread across the island.

There are no major sights in the city – it is just the old houses which is nice to go and wonder around for a bit. The town is fairly small so it is a manageable walk to get all around the old town area. If you are staying in a summerhouse on the island you will most likely be coming by – either to do your shopping or when you are driving to or from the island since the only bridge is right next to Rudkøbing. So instead of rushing by you could go and have a little break in the town. It is big enough for you to find a several restaurants and places selling ice-cream at least during the summer time of the year – which is when most people will visit anyways.

One thing you will notice when you visit the town is they are very happy of their famous native son – Hans Christian Ørsted. He was born in the city as a son of the local pharmacist before he went to Copenhagen. He went to Copenhagen and discovered electromagnetism in 1820 – actually somebody had made the discovery in 1802 – but this had never become generally available knowledge – hence Ørsted got the honor of the discovery.

He has got several things marking this discovery – like a park in central Copenhagen and lately one of the world biggest developers of wind farms at sea has changed its name to Ørsted in recognition of Hans Christian Ørsteds discovery. Here in his home town you will find a small exhibition of his life’s work – which we didn’t go and see since it was closed for the day when we got there – but it is free to enter so if you get there before four you can go in. there is also a statue of him in front of his old childhood home where he spent his childhood in one of the nicest houses in the old town.