Southern Zealand

© Lonely Planet Publications 137 Southern Zealand Towns in this nontouristy region are primarily modern, and most people shoot through them on their way to the southern beaches or to Jutland. However, there are nuggets of gold to be panned from the gravel. Køge is the prettiest town in the area, a delightfully preserved cobbledy place, with a medieval church and half-timbered houses straight from the lid of a chocolate box. Nearby is the adorable hamlet of Vallø, with a fairy-tale moated castle complete with frogs on lily pads. The third historical settlement worth your time is Sorø, again rich in history and tilted wooden homes. Viking fans have a gem in the remains of 1000-year-old Trelleborg, the best-preserved ring fortress in Scandinavia. It’s an evocative site, deep in Denmark’s rural heart and pretty much unencumbered by modern buildings and roads – squint, and you can almost believe SOUTHERN ZEALAND yourself back in Harald Bluetooth’s time. If you have kids, then Næstved is a must. Within a radius of 10km you’ll find the theme park BonBon-Land; FantasyLand, an indoor playground for younger kids; Holmegaard Glassworks, where your young ‘uns can engrave their names on glass or blow their own masterpiece; Næstved Zoo; and child-friendly beaches at Karrebæksminde. The triangular region between Næstved in the south and Sorø and Korsør to the north is spotted with forests, small lakes and streams, as close to undomesticated nature as you’ll find in Zealand. Hire a canoe in Næstved and explore the waterways at your leisure. If you’re travelling across the region between Køge and Korsør using your own transport, the rural Rte 150 makes an excellent alternative to zipping along on the E20 motorway. HIGHLIGHTS Ride the Wild Boar rollercoaster, voted the best in Denmark, at the BonBon-Land theme park near Næstved ( p152 ) Puzzle over the enigmatic remains of the Køge Viking ring fortress at Trelleborg ( p147 ) Trelleborg Vallø Treat your loved one to a weekend at the romantic cliff-top hotel in Præstø ( p154 ) Næstved Admire the medieval town of Køge ( p138 ) – its narrow streets of half-timbered buildings hide Denmark’s oldest house Præsto Kiss a frog outside the fairy-tale castle at Vallø ( p142 ), and see if it turns into a prince! 138 SOUTHERN ZEALAND •• Køge lonelyplanet.com Getting There & Around der the narrow cobbled streets containing Like that of North Zealand, the transporta- Denmark’s best-preserved 17th- and 18th- tion system in Southern Zealand is linked century buildings. Add in a decent array of to Copenhagen and just about all of the independent shops and tempting restaurants, region can be reached in an hour from the and your maximum walking speed will be a capital. Having your own transport is more lazy amble. important, though, since the destinations Køge is also a thriving fishing and trade are more scattered than in the north and a centre. There are narrow beaches along the good amount of the region’s appeal lies in bay to the north and south of town, although the pastoral scenery witnessed as you travel you’ll need to ignore the somewhat indus- through. trial backdrop of the modern commercial harbour. KØGE In 1677 a vital naval engagement was pop 34,476 fought in the waters off Køge. Known as the The country’s largest town square sits at the Battle of Køge Bay, it made a legend of Danish heart of Køge, creating an open, relaxed feel admiral Niels Juel, who resoundingly defeated from the off. The main joy here is to wan- the attacking Swedish navy. 0 20 km SOUTHERN ZEALAND 0 10 miles Roskilde COPENHAGEN N o r t h Holbæk Fjord To Hillerød (47km); 53 Frederikssund 55 Z e a l a n d 21 6 (36km) Kalundborg Jyderup 21 23 23 21 23 Roskilde To Århus 151 (67km) 57 231 Lejre 217 Greve Tissø 225 E20 255 6 22 Osted E47 Stenlille E55 255 Ruds Vedby 14 Solrød Gørlev Køge Bugt 215 151 SOUTHERN ZEALAND Store Bælt 203 E20 Køge Ringsted E20 150 Sorø 150 Frederiksberg Hejninge 269 Vallø Slagelse Trelleborg 239 Tystrup 209 To Nyborg S o u t h e r n (26km) Sø 261 157 Z e a l a n d E20 14 Vråby Halsskov E47 E55 Stevns 259 Store Heddinge Klint Fuglebjerg Skelby Haslev Korsør 265 Suså Fensmark 154 22 151 54 Rødvig Skælskør Fakse Næstved 209 Fakse Ladeplads Agersø 265 Karrebæksminde Gavnø 265 Præstø Omø Dybsø Fjord Fakse Bugt Fjord Smålandsfarvandet Præstø 22 265 Knudshoved Odde 151 E47 E55 Kalvehave Vordingborg 59 MØN Femø Fejø FALSTER LOLLAND.

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