Trail 17, Langeland

This text is an excerpt from the book about the Archipelago Trail and therefore provides more background, detail and inspiration than the shorter trail leaflets.

Parish Boundary

One kilometre north of Dageløkke, between Vestergård and Eshøj, you reach a small depression where a stream flows into the coast. It marks the old boundary between Bøstrup Parish and Snøde Parish.

Porpoises and Seaweed Lanes

Here you walk close between land and sea. Net stakes stand offshore, and cormorants often dry their wings here. In calm weather, you may spot porpoises close to the shore.

Several lanes run straight down to the water. Today they are used by locals launching boats. In the past, they were used to collect seaweed and eelgrass for fertiliser and bedding.

Near Skattebølle, four kilometres north of Dageløkke, there is a small “coffee spot”.

A 6,000‑year‑old Shell Midden

Three to four hundred metres south of Stoense Harbour, you walk through a wetland where a Stone Age shell midden from the Ertebølle culture was found.
Measuring 15 × 20 metres, it contains oyster shells, periwinkle shells, charcoal, pottery, flint flakes and broken tools.

Stoense Harbour

Stoense Harbour never had quays — in Viking times, “harbour” simply meant a place where ships could be loaded and unloaded on the beach.
The Rødgrund reef calms the waves, and the 6–10 metre deep Stoense Channel made the spot ideal as a natural landing place.

Feddet

North of Stoense Harbour lies a large sandy headland once used for grazing livestock and today used for recreation.

Vestervænge

Just before Lohals, the trail takes you through the deciduous forest Vestervænge, with large old beech trees.
The forest is a dog‑walking area managed by the Nature Agency, and the trail passes a small shooting range with signposted shooting days.

Lohals

Lohals is the largest town in northern Langeland — once home to fishing, ferries and small industries.
In the 20th century it had a sawmill, engine workshop, brewery, boatyard, customs office, several merchants and a telegraph station.

Seaside hotels emerged around 1900. After the bridge connections in the 1960s, ship traffic declined, and the ferry to Korsør closed in 1998.

Today the town flourishes again — especially with the cultural venue Banjen and the popular Frikadelle Festival.
There is a bakery, grocery store, floating shelters, a campsite and several good eateries.

Plenty of Nature and Forest

The Nature Agency owns large areas around Lohals, open to visitors around the clock.
Wild camping is allowed in Østre Stigtehave, Mørkholm and Bræmlevænge.

The forests are being converted to close‑to‑nature forestry with mixed species and selective logging.

Vester Stigtehave

North of the harbour, a coastal path leads into Vester Stigtehave, where the westernmost part is untouched forest with ancient oaks and beeches. Shelters are available.

East of this lies Øster Stigtehave, home to some of the island’s finest beech trees.

Hollænderhus and the Forest Garden

On Hovvej lies Hollænderhuset, a small nature centre with a forest garden and campsite.

Mørkholm

The forest of Mørkholm is being converted from coniferous to deciduous trees due to bark beetle damage.
From Hønsebjerg, a classic hat‑shaped hill, you have a fine view over the area.

Bræmlevænge

The forest Bræmlevænge borders Lohals from the southeast. It offers forest meadows, small woodland lakes and burial mounds.
A primitive shelter site with a fire pit is located by the old gravel pit.