A hike from Spodsbjerg to Bagenkop along the coast of Langeland, 1. leg - Denmark

According to Danish law you can freely hike along the coast. If you plan to hike along the entire coast of the island of Langeland, the small town Spodsbjerg on the middle of the east coast is a great place to start. If you head south from Spodsbjerg you can follow the coast and hike on the edge between water and land almost all the whole way to Bagenkop. You will find a great variety of beautiful sea and inland views and you can visit many small forests along the way. On the east coast of Langeland waves and currents have removed and deposited material for centuries, so today it is almost straight and characterized by flat sandy beaches and steep cliffs. To the south you pass Keldsnor Lighthouse, and on the hike around the southern tip bring you to the spit at Keldsnor - a unique wetland and birding locality. Through small woods you hike to Dovns and Gulstav cliffs on the south tip of the island. Hiking through a large track of land where the grassy vegetation is maintained by grazing wild horses, you reach Bagenkop, a nice fishing village with lovely holiday homes on the west coast. You only encounter a few obstacles along the way, but if big stones or a watercourse is blocking the beach, you can just go back and find a path that brings you back to the beach. If you get tired of walking in loose sand or round rocks, there is many possibilities for going on top of a dike, a cliff or at the edge of the beautiful coastal forests - Bovballe Skov, Lunden, Østre Gulstav, Vestre Gulstav and Søgaard Forest, all forests where the public is welcome on the trails. Information • Accommodation (campsites, primitive campsites (for tents and / or shelters)) o In Spodsbjerg o At Kågården close to Skovsgård Manor o Midway, at the end of Østerskovvej / at Garnhuset o In Lunden o In the East Gulstav forest, close to the southern tip of Langeland o In Bagenkop • Shopping: Spodsbjerg and Bagenkop • Dining places: Spodsbjerg, Skovsgård, Bagenkop. We have divided the hike in two stages: Stage 1. Spodsbjerg - Garnhuset at Østerskov. Ca. 15 km (19 km inclusive a visit to the ecological manor, Skovsgård) Stage 2. Garnhuset at Østerskov - Bagenkop. Ca. 15 km. This text describes the first section of our hike: Stage 1. Spodsbjerg - Garnhuset at Østerskov. Numbers on the map refer to the pictures and text below.

1. The hike starts in Spodsbjerg. The Archipelago Trail from Rudkøbing to Tranekær / Lohals has a small detour to Spodsbjerg. The detour ends just north of the ferry port in Spodsbjerg, here is a parking space and here the hike begins towards Bagenkop. (http://www.visitfyn.com/ln-int/funen/nature/about-archipelago-trail) Spodsbjerg is a nice ferry / fishing / tourist town with several eateries, a bathing hotel, two campsites, good beaches and a large holiday cottage area.

Go south, cross the ferryboat waiting area between ferry and ferry waiting room - here are dry weather, shelters and restrooms. Go west at the fish shop Kutterfisk, past the fishing harbor and the former lodge station, a distinctive building with a large glass party towards the Langelands belt. At the marina (Spodsbjerg Turistbådehavn) there is playground, barbecue and covered table-bench set.

Sign before the dike after the harbor in Spodsbjerg. 2. It would be an obvious decision to continue south along the coast of Spodsbjerg Sdr. Dige, but the owners of the properties along the dike have banned traffic here, so go instead on Spodsbjergvej through the city and turn east to the Skippervænget, which ends in a small staircase down to the coast. Continue on the beach south. Walk past the open common area at the Spodsbjerg Drejet summer house area.

Path from the beach to the gravel road “Drejet” (Drejet is the name of three places: a wetland, the area with cottages and a small gravel road). 3. Go inland (west) along a grassy path along the southern edge of the summer cottage area, turn onto Gyvelvænget and go southwest to Drejet, which becomes a gravel road. Follow Drejet for 1.5 kilometerss. Where the road Søvejen links up to Drejet, continue straight out another 100 meters. Then turn East along Baragervej for 100 meters, follow Tværvej app. 100 meters and then Næbbevej to the coast (app. 800 meters).

Where the small stream “Tudserenden” (Toads Drain) discharges to the sea. 3. ALTERNATIVE: You can continue along the coast, but you risk getting stopped where the small stream “Tudserenden” discharges to the sea. You may have to throw shoes and pants to get over and sometimes it may be necessary to swim! To follow the trail back north into the country is no solution - the area is swampy and impassable and there is no bridge!

4. After the Tudserenden, there is a few hundred meters of coast with dense vegetation and swampy coast, but it is possible to get through it. You reach a property from which you can follow Næbbevej until it turns west into the country.

5. Continue along the coast along Havgaard Forest. If you get tired of strolling in the loose sand on the beach, go up to the gravel road, which runs parallel to the coast.

Discharge to the sea of the Fladmose-Hellevad-ditch At the Fladmose-Hellevad ditch, which drains the former wetland “Sylten”, you can walk a few meters into the country and find the bridge that crosses the ditch. At Sønderskov Strand and Fuglsbølle Strand there are several table-bench sets and garbage bins. South of Polleholmsvej, the coast becomes slightly less accessible, but you can walk on the top of the cliff that extends 300-400 meters south. 6. Where Kildemosevej end at the coast, there is a pair of table-bench sets. There is also a toilet and space for parking. Walk on the beach. At high tide, however, it may be necessary to walk on the dike between the beach and the wetland.

At Gillesbjerg Where Gillesbjergvej ends at the coast lies a small green area with a shed, caravan, table and a car without plates (October 2017). Follow the coast further south to the parking lot next to the 90 degrees bend where Kågårdsvej ends and Påøvej (parallell to the coast) starts.

The toilet building at Kågårdsvej / Påøvej 7. The area at the parking space is a popular picnic area / beach in the summer. Here you will find a nice toilet / garbage can, kept clean, table-bench sets and a map over Langeland showing facilities for disabled. Continue south to the beach or Påøvej - more table-bench sets and a nice sandy beach - or go in land and visit the ecological manor Skovsgård. At Kågården, a mere 250 meter inland, there is a primitive campsite.

On the way to Skovsgård manor: Konabbe Forest ALTERNATIVE: We recommend to divide from the trail along the cost and go in land to Skovsgård Manor (about 4 km extra in total). Follow Kågårdsvej to the west (you will pass the primitive campsite at Kågården), after approx. 500 meters turn southwards into Konabbe Forest and follow the trail through the nice forest to the manor. See also: http://www.spor.dk/sporene/fyn/skovsgaard-sporene-ved-konabbe-skov

Skovsgård manor Skovsgård manor is owned and run ecologically by The Danish Society for Nature Conservation. There are several museums, especially the Tyendemuseet (“tyende” is the Danish word for servants living in the household of their master) in the basement under the main building is exciting. "Kys Frøen" (Kiss the Frog) is an experience center for families with children who can explore the nature and waterholes around the manor, and learn about the plants and animals living there. Among many other things the children can make food of weeds and grind grain for pancakes. The ground floor of the manor is used for art exhibitions. In the first floor there are exhibitions about the history of the estate. Of Skovsgård's total area of 389 hectares, 253 hectares are farmed for crops farming without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. The rest is permanent grass or reserved for nature to benefit plants, insects and other animal life. You can eat and buy ecologically produced food at the cafeteria of the Manor, info on opening hours: http://www.skovsgaardmadmarked.dk/. See also: http://www.skovsgaard.dn.dk Follow the trail back through the forest to the end of Kågårdsvej (7) and continue south along the coast or at Påøvej.

A stone to commemorate the stranding of prisoners of war. 8. Where Påøvej turns sharp west, stands approx. 100 meters from the coast a stone to commemorate 1500 Russian and French prisoners of war and their German guards. They were aboard a floating dock, which stranded here on May 4, 1945. The Russian prisoners came to Rudkøbing, the French were accommodated at the Skovsgård Manor.

Go down the slightly steep slope (clay and big stone) to the beach. Follow the water edge on the sand / pebble. As in many other stretches along the east coast of Langeland, the coast of small clay cliffs is eroded by the sea, and in many places big trees threaten to fall down on the beach. The hinterland is alternately marshland, woods and cultivated fields.

9. Dilapidated shed, but it has a roof that can protect you from the rain while you eat your lunch package (August 2017).

10. A privately owned, cozy, old bathhouse with red painted timber, rooftops and an impressive galvanized staircase. It is situated at the end of a forest road in the small forest Eskebjerg Garden and is visible from the beach. Here is also a small pier ans a sandy beach. When Eskebjerg Garden has passed: Look into the country for the whitewashed Hjortholm Gods, which lies approx. one kilometer from the coast and is owned by Dorte and Hans Ahlefeldt-Laurvig.

Stone art and bathing bridge at Bukkemose

Handicap lift at the end of Slåvænget The stretch from Sønderskovvej to Østerskovvej is characterized by a tract of land with summer cottages near the coast - Bukkemose. Along the cottage areas there are nice trails, and there is a table-bench set, barbecue area, parking and playground. At the cottage area there is a solid bathing bridge, and at the end of Slåvænget there is a public toilet building and a handicap crane (to lift a handicapped person into a boat).

The renovated Garnhus (Fishing Net House) at Østerskov / Bukkemose 11. The first stage of the hiking trip to Bagenkop ends where Østerskovvej ends blindly at the coast. Here is a renovated house where the local fishermen maintained their nets - a memorial from the time of World War II when fishing from the coast was common here. In the house you are welcome to eat your lunch package, and posters tell about the house and coastal fishing. Here is also - just south of the end of Østerskovvej - a primitive campsite where you can stay for a fee. Further information at http://udinaturen.dk/facilitet/Garnhuset-%C3%98sterskov/15773.