Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
STEVNS KLINT: WORLD HERITAGE WONDER
Denmark's number of World Heritage sites increased in June 2014 when both the Wad-
den Sea and Stevns Klint were added to Unesco's illustrious list. The latter, a fossil-rich
chalk and limestone cliff located south of Køge Bugt (Køge Bay), made the list for its su-
perlative geological record of the Chicxulub meteorite. Crashing off the coast of Mexico's
Yucatán peninsula circa 65.5 million years ago, the meteor is believed to have ended the
Cretaceous Period and the age of the dinosaurs. Evidence of the ash cloud that formed
on impact, and of the flora pertaining to both the pre- and post-impact periods, is embed-
ded in the thin, grey, horizontal strip of fish clay running along the middle of the cliff face,
between the white chalk below and the limestone overhang above.
While visitors are currently unable to get close to the fish clay, the best place to see the
stratification, not to mention to soak up the area's extraordinary natural beauty, is in
Stevns Klint Højerup, 5km southeast of the town of Store Heddinge. It's here, at the
southwest corner of the car park, that you'll find
Stevns Museum
(Højerup Bygade 38;
adult/child Dkr25/free; 10am-5pm daily Jul & Aug, 11am-5pm Tue-Sun May, Jun & Sep), which ex-
plores the coastline's unique geology. Directly east of the car park, on the edge of the cliff,
stands the 13th-century church
Højerup Gamle Kirke
( 9am-5pm daily Jun-Sep, shorter hrs
rest of yr). In March 1928 the chancel and part of the church's cemetery tumbled into the
sea when part of the cliff gave way. As a result, the nave now leads to a small balcony of-
fering a superb view of Stevns Klint and the sea.
To reach the base of Stevns Klint, you'll need to descend 110 steep steps just south of
the church grounds. At the bottom, climb the second set of steps (beside the first) to
avoid the rockiest part of the beach. The trail leads to the very foot of the cliff, from where
it's possible to see the thin layer of fish clay half way up the cliff face.
Back at the top of the cliff, follow the walking trail just north of the church grounds for
commanding views of Stevns Klint. The trail itself is beautiful, traversing woods, skirting
fields of wheat, and overlooking the deep blue of the Øresund. An easy 1.3km north along
the trail is
Stevns Fyr
(Fyrvej, Tommestrup; lighthouse 11am-3pm Mon-Fri, noon-3pm Sat & Sun;
gallery 11am-4pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun), a lighthouse dating back to 1878. Beside it,
Stevns Fyrcentre hosts temporary art exhibitions. In the spring and autumn, the area is a
good spot to observe migratory birds, including cranes.
From Højerup Gamle Kirke, a 3km walk south along the trail leads to the
Koldkrigsmu-
seum Stevnsfort
(Cold War Museum; Korsnæbsvej 60, Rødvig; underground fortress guided tour
adult/child Dkr110/60;
10am-5pm daily Apr-Oct), where daily guided tours (90 minutes) al-
