The last leg of the south Sjælland Danish pilgrimage took me from Maribo to Rødbyhavn where, if continuing south, I would be able to take the ferry to Germany. Just more than 21km, in bright sunny weather and very few roads – but a lot of a km’s along a discontinued railway line.
After a nice leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we drove to Maribo, where my wife spent the morning.
We walked through the old town towards Søndersø, passing the cathedral.
I walked along the western bank of the lake, following it for a couple of kms., past the open-air museum with old houses and leaving the path to head towards the village of Bursø.
After Bursø, I reached the Jernbanesti, a 17km discontinued rail track, turned path from Maribo to Rødby (initiated on 1874), extended to Rødbyhavn in 1912. The last passenger train ran in 1963, and the last freight train 1989. Trains still run to Rødbyhavn, but no longer through Maribo, but via Nykøbing Falster.
The path went south to Holeby. A small town with a station and a diesel motor factory that closed in 2005, but the buildings leave a reminder of an industrial past. From Holeby I walked from east to west towards that largely deserted Rødby, and then south towards Rødbyhavn and the ferry terminal to Germany. There wasn’t a lot of variation as I walked past fields and hedges, but the weather was beautiful and bird boxes were set up along the route.
The last 5kms from Rødby were tough going as I walked along the motorway. Although I like walking alone and being able to set my own pace, when the going get tough, it would be nice to have some kind of distraction and a fellow walker.
I was happy to see the ferry terminal, just as the boat to Germany was about to leave for Germany.
The building above houses a museum about the new bridge and tunnel that will connect Denmark and Germany. It was closed. My wife picked me up and we drove to the beautiful town of Nysted, passing the impressive Lungholm Manor on the way.
I have now completed the Danish pilgrim routes in Sjælland, Lolland and Falster, walking from the Swedish border to the German border and from Tårnby on the eastern side of Sjælland to Korsør on the western, ready to walk across Fyn. All told I have so far walked 387 km, in Danish weather at its very best and Danish summer scenery – also at its very best.