Old town of Stubbekøbing

The old town of Stubbekøbing used to be an important town at the eastern coast of Falster. The city is old dating back to at least 1288 when it was burnt down during a civil war. Like so many other old towns the main reason Stubbekøbing prospered was the favorable location with a protected harbor which provided a good base for trading with the nearby islands and places further away around the Baltic Sea. There was also a profitable trade with the Netherlands and Great Britain.

House on the main street of Stubbekøbing

The city of Stubbekøbing was actually the most important town on the island of Falster in the 16^th century. Unfortunately the city wasn’t doing too well in the following century and it lost the right to do foreign trade. The city wasn’t the natural center of Falster anymore the city of Nykøbing was assuming the leadership as the most important settlement. This continued in the 19^th century when the railway arrived at Falster and Nykøbing became the main hub for train travel on the island. Stubbekøbing did get a station but it was only connecting Stubbekøbing to Nykøbing where you would have to change to travel further afield.

Despite the tough times the city did survive as an important settlement till today. There are still more than 2,000 people calling the town their home. There is actually a ferry connection across the narrow straight of Grønsund connecting Stubbekøbing with the island of Bogø. This probably used to be an important route – but today it is possible to do a bit of a detour and take a bridge to Bogø which has made the ferry connection less relevant today.

Considering the small population in the town it is hardly a surprise it is a bit quite to visit the town. It is not a huge problem and the long history of the town mean there is a good collection of old houses to go and explore. The houses are mainly concentrated around the harbor and the main street through the town so it is easy to go and explore. The town is small so it won’t take too long to explore the town – unless you decide to look into some of the local museums. I haven’t actually been to them – but I have a feeling they are kind of small town museums so it won’t take too much of your day if you decide to go and see what is on display.