Heading deep south

We stay on the small island of Falster which is famous for one thing – it got the geographic location of Gedser Odde which is the southernmost point in Denmark. So this is indeed the Danish Deep South. The place is south of the southernmost city of Denmark Gedser which shares the name with the southern point and is home to a ferry connection to Germany.

The southern point is marked by a large stone called sydstenen or the south stone. It isn’t actually located at the southern point but inside the courtyard of a small building which has a little exhibition about the nature around Gedser Odde.

The extreme location has as a result the nature around this area is quite special. There are water to all sides and no point to the south so the area is subject to pretty violent seas during storms. The storms do take a little bit of the shore every year and the steep access to the shore is five meter pretty much straight down to the water so you need to find a stair leading to the beach if you want to get there. The southernmost stair was closed when we went by since there was some need for repair due to the weather.

The location make this spot an important stop for the migrating birds which has to cross the Baltic sea to get to Denmark on their way further north into Scandinavia. So not surprisingly this is one of the locations in Denmark where the most different species of birds has been observed.

The location down here has been tricky for shipping during the years. Hence it there is a lighthouse nearby. It dates back to 1802 and is thought to be the oldest light house tower still standing today. The lighthouse is still in use but naturally it has been updated several times during the lifespan of the lighthouse.

The exhibition hall is a remainder of the traditional military importance of the area. The building was originally built as a marine station for the navy but has been decommissioned and the current use is much more peaceful.