Cranes next to the village that love cranes, 3 April 2020

Tranekær is a village on the middle of the island Langeland (The Long Island) in Denmark. It is the former capital of the Northern Langeland Municipality, now a part of the Langeland Municipality. Tranekær is also the home to a big manor, former a castle to defend the island from luting from tribes from Northern Germany and inhabited by a count who says that the manor is the oldest permanently inhabited house in Denmark. But back to the cranes. Literally Tranekær means the village that loves cranes. For many years there were no cranes around the village that loves cranes, but approximately 10 years ago they moved into the wetland south of Tranekær called Flådet. First, they were very shy but now they don’t take care of the cars passing on the road right next to Flådet. To avoid that the Flådet stays as grassland, it grazed by a group of stallions, that is deported here from a big herd of Exmoore ponies that grazes the southern tip of Langeland who also have the task of reducing the up growth of scrubs. The stallions are exported here from the southern tip of Langeland to avoid an inbreed of the Exmoore ponies here, and a new stallion with is imported to bring fresh genes into the population.

The Tranekær pair of cranes taking a brake and maintaining their plumage

The Flådet wetland with Exmoor ponies and crane

The Flådet wetland with cranes (in the centre of the picture)

A crane together with European roe deer, also known as the western roe deer or simply roe deer. The roe deer is a relatively small deer, with a a shoulder height of 65–75 cm, and a weight of 15–35 kg, and the crane is a big bird, Cranes are very large birds, often considered the world's tallest flying birds. And the crane on the picture is far taller than the deers!

One Exmoor pony and three roe deers.

One Exmoor pony and three roe deers.

View from The Medicine Gardens towards Tranekær Castle. The Medicine Gardens is a botanical garden for medicinal plants. https://medicinhaverne.dk/english/

Langeland, Cold War and the forest “Lunden”, Hike, March 23, 2020

The Langeland Fort was built by the Danish Navy in 1952-54. The task of the fort was to prevent enemy naval forces from penetrating the Great Belt/Langelandsbæltet. Further the fort had the task to protect the minefields which, at the start of a war, the Navy intended to put out to control the passage of the Great Belt and counter an invasion of Denmark from the Baltic Sea. In addition, the fort's anti-aircraft fire was supposed to protect the Air Force and Navy's radar stations at Langeland. The location of Langeland's idyllic southern tip signals central contradictions: the idyllic and peaceful landscape versus a military installation. According available information the Warsaw Pact planned to put a 70kTon nuclear bomb on the fort in the early stages of a nuclear war. The contradictions between the idyllic landscape and nuclear warfare are symptomatic of the Cold War and daily life on the edge of a devastating conflict that at times seemed eerily near.

The trip was approx. 8 kilometers.

When I came to Østervej I turned left and immediately then right to the Strandvej at Broegaard

The coast at the bottom of Strandvejen, View of Føllesbjerg Marine Station, the only active military installation left after the fort was closed down in 1993.

There are many cargo ships passing.

View from the end of Strandvej to the north.

Remains of the underwater microphones (hydrophones) and magnetic cables (loops) that were established on the seabed off the coast at Langelandsfortet to, for example, reveal foreign submarines while crossing the Great Belt.

Below Føllesbjerg

View of the small forest called “Lunden”

Inside the Nature Agency's small forest, “Lunden”

In the Lunden. The Danish Nature Agency has created some fine trails and a primitive camp site. https://naturstyrelsen.dk/naturoplevelser/naturguider/sydlangeland/

In Lunden. Primula vulgaris, the common primrose https://naturstyrelsen.dk/naturoplevelser/naturguider/sydlangeland/sevaerdigheder/

As soon as I came out of the Lunden forest I had a nice view of Keldsnor Lighthouse.

View to the north to the southern entrance to Lunden

View from Rathvej over Keldsnor. It is barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) that are in the field in front of the burial mound.

Keldsnor.

Barnacle geese.

View of Keldsnor Lighthouse, from the south.

Lundemosen, just vest of forest Lunden, https://naturstyrelsen.dk/publikationer/turfoldere/fyn/sydlangeland/

The old house serves as a holiday home

Some roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) keep an eye on me as I am taking the photograph

There are many beautiful views towards the Langelandsbelt from Lundevej and Vognsbjergvej

From Vognsbjergvej there is a small road down to Føllesbjerg Marine Station

View from Vognsbjergvej

My hike started and ended at the parking lot at Langelandsfortet.

The map is from on application from 2009: Development of a new Cold War exhibition on Cold War Museum Langelandsfortet: The Cold War - a warm period in our history.

Denmark: Rudkøbing (Langeland) to Marstal (Ærø) with the new ferry, the ÆrøXpress, 1 March 2020

Marstal with its 2300 inhabitants is the biggest city on the island of Ærø. The island of Ærø just vest of Langeland , and you can nearly walk over there. Marstal is probably the only Danish city based solely on shipping. Marstal owes its existence the its natural harbor. From ancient times, Ærø has a town, Ærøskøbing, with exclusive rights to trade. But Marstal was able to challenge this right because the small island was divided between 4 dukes, and the one owning Mastal had an interest in promoting its trade. In 1634, during the area when Ærø was divided between the 4 dukes, Marstal came outside the influence of Ærøskøbing, and the duke who took ownership of the part of the island, where Marstal was located promoted the business of maritime traffic in Marstal. The maritime traffic got a boost in 1729 when Marstal came under the Danish king. Before that Marstal was a part of the German part of Denmark, and trade was more difficult . When Marstal came under the Danish king it resulted in the disappearance of a number of customs, which had previously restricted trade. The Marstallers were known for their focus on their sailing, their great diligence, accuracy, foresight and their ability to cooperate for their cause. Marstal's history, with focus on the maritime and marine engineering part, is brilliantly told at the Marstal Maritime Museum. Here you can easily get a few days going with all the artefacts and stories from Marstal shipping through the ages. https://www.marmus.dk/ https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marstal

On the way to Marstal with the ÆrøXpressen. In Marstal's major power days as a maritime city, what is now a marina, was filled with magnificant sailing ships in the winter.

Marstal seen from the ÆrøXpressen. he harbor of Marstal in 1912 with some of the many sailing vessels that were inactive during the winter months where the weather was too bad, it was too cold and there was less cargo to sail with. In its hey days, almost ¼ of Denmark's total fleet of ships belonged to Marstal, and the town had the second biggest trade fleet in Denmark after Copenhagen. Although not much shipping remains today, the Marstallers still hold on to their identity as a maritime city. When, in the name of the “Holy Centralization”, in January 2000, central authorities had decided that the Marstal Navigation School should close, a large portion of the island's population went to the Danish Parliament on Friday, January 14 - to protest. And Marstal Navigation School survived.

Marstal town seen from the ÆrøXpressen.

On Frederiksøen is the beautiful old lime kiln. The harbor pier is an extension of Frederiksøen and Erik Hale. The harbor pier is a huge building made by dedicated shipowners and sailors in the winter while the ships lay still, to protect against storms to the east. It was built for the purpose of the city's sailors from 1821 to 1841 and expanded a few times later.

Before getting a common water supply, the many private wells played the crucial role in the water supply.

Marstalsgade. The last building in the picture is the former cinema, now the Marstal Marine Association's house. Marstal Seamen has restored the cinema and uses as a clubhouse. https://www.marstalmarineforening.dk/form%C3%A5l Carsten Jensen's bestseller "We, the drowned" is about the sailors from Marstal. Carsten Jensen writes in his novel "All the streets and alleys in Marstal were main streets. They all led down to the World Sea." https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/we-the-drowned-by-carsten-jensen-trans-charlotte-barslund-and-emma-ryder-1945736.html

In the now abandoned cemetery there are some old tombstones left from the upper class Marstallers.

Marstal church was built in 1738. 7 votive ships testify to the town's connection to the sea and the development of maritime transport from the 18th century Yacht to the present coaster. On the tombstone is written a small limerick: Here rests Christen Hansen at anchor with his wife. He does not embark until he comes before the throne of God.

In the church there are many votive ships (you are in a city dedicated to sailing!). One of them were a nice model of a Yacht, the most common ship type from the 1700s until long into the 1900s. When the Marstallers started sailing on the large seas, the Yacht was too small and not seaworthy enough.

We were 50 persons on an excursion with the Langeland Museum Association. We had lunch, which was Labskaus, a culinary specialty from Northern Germany popular among sailors, in the Marstal Marine Association's premises. In 1988, the Marstal Marine Association acquired its own house, namely the building that since 1921 had housed the Marstal Cinema Theater. The old cinema is beautifully restored and filled with memories of the members of the Marstal Marine Association's long life at sea.

English cannonball collected after an unsuccessful (from an English point of view) siege and shooting at Marstal in 1808. Image from the Marstal Marine Association's premises. The many wars at that time, in which Denmark went from a medium-sized naval power to a small agricultural and trade nation, caused many setbacks for Marstal's shipping fleet. Marshall's prosperity ended with the war with England in 1807 to 1814. Trade stopped, several ships were taken by the English and others lost. It took several decades for Marstal's shipping to recover. After the war in 1864, Marstal's shipping from the Danish waters and the Baltic turned to the world seas with larger ships, especially schooners with two or three masts. Also during both World War I and World War II, Marstal suffered heavy losses at sea by both sailors and ships.

On this map from Google Earth you can see: - The harbor protected by Frederiksøen and Eriks Hale. to the north and east. - There is a natural navigation channel leading to the harbor from the south. - The sandbar in extension of Ristinge Klint on Langeland makes access from the north more difficult.

My first trip with the new ferry; Rudkøbing-Marstal, the ÆrøXpress, March 1, 2020

After six years with no ferry connection, the Marstal (island Ærø) - Rudkøbing (island Langeland) ferry route started up again. On December 18, 2019, the ferry had its first official trip. The ÆrøXpressen is a newly built hybrid ferry, prepared for battery operation. The new ferry is run by a private ferry company, and is the result of several years of work by a group of very dedicated Marstal citizens, https://www.aeroexpressen.dk/en/service/vessel In the sailing ship era, Marstal was Denmark's second largest port (after Copenhagen) measured in number of ships and tonnage. Not badly done by a small town of today's 2300 inhabitants. Sailing is also part of the city's self-understanding, and it hurts the Marstallers when the ferry connection Marstal - Rudkøbing stopped January 2013 after nearly 150 years of operation.

Inauguration of the ÆrøXpress 18th of December 2019.

The ÆrøXpress ferry on its way to Rudkøbing.

The view from the sun deck of the ÆrøXpress towards the Langeland bridge.

Ready for departure. In the background the old waiting building for passengers and the new terraced houses where the ruins from the pig slaughterhouse was situated until very recently.

A Google map af the area, with Marstal and Rudkøbing. Upper centre is one of Denmarks main islands: Fynen. Upper right another of Denmarks main islands: Sealand.

A nice view from the sun deck of the ÆrøXpress towards Rudkøbing, the main town of Langeland.

On our way to Marstal. On the left one of the many shipyards formerly situated in Marstal (https://www.hccbaadevaerft.dk/). This one is still functioning, but not building many new ships. Today it is mainly the identity as sailors among the inhabitants of the town, that is remaining from the time when Marstal was the second biggest trading harbor in Denmark. No many cargo ships have Marstal as their home town today.

Back in Rudkøbing.