Michael Falch: Insiderguide to Langeland
"I first visited Langeland as a 16-year-old on a moped, because of love, then the rest of my family followed."
This article is an extract from the magazine Det Sydfynske Øhav. You can find the full magazine at the bottom of this article.
Photo:VisitLangeland
Photo:John Rasmussen
"I call Langeland the island of love"
What to explore
The Hatbakkerne at Vesteregn in South Langeland is an area that I remember from my youth that the old people called "little Austria" because it looks like a miniature mountain landscape. It's so beautiful to drive around that area, I've always loved it.
It is also the hat hills - along with the flat fields of Tønder from my youth - that inspired me to write the song "In a land without high mountains", which, like many other songs, I wrote in my half-timbered house in Tryggelev Mose.
And if you're in these parts, you should also take a stroll past the small village with the poetic name Sædballe and see the landscape, Fredmosen and the coastline out there at the end of Paradisvejen. There's a small, lonely yarn house there that I've always loved.
Photo:VisitLangeland
What you need to taste
Photo:Bagenkop Kro
You have to go to Bagenkop Kro if you can get a table! When the owners started talking about doing a fish buffet, I told them it was foolhardy and that I didn't think it would work. I have my regular table down there, and every time I'm there, I'm happy to admit that I was horribly wrong. It has become a gigantic success, and people come in droves from all over the country.
The round "hindbærsnitter" raspberry pastries from Pastry by Holst & Riess in Humble are heavenly - I could live on them. In the pedestrianised street in Rudkøbing, Hisham also cooks burgers with pride at Grand House Burger. That's where we go when we need a break from our Thai cuisine at home.
Photo:Pastry by Holst & Riess
Something to experience
I have to mention our charity festival NEAR, which will be held for the first time at Broløkke Manor in September 2024. It will be a poetic music festival with a seated audience, with all profits going to the social cause "The Wildest Birds". In addition, several new music events have been added to Langeland, such as Liv & Glade Dageløkke and Ø-Festival. There will be 4-5 very different festival experiences on Langeland in the future, and I believe this will create a fantastic synergy that will benefit the island.
Then there's "ØP" (Ørstedspavillonen), a wonderful old, beautifully renovated venue in Rudkøbing with concerts and private events.
We had our Danish wedding party there and I've played there several times myself.
©Søren Stidsholt NielsenPhoto:Søren Stidsholt Nielsen
Where to stay overnight
Before my sister Dorte moved back to Rudkøbing, she was a regular at the campsite in Emmerbølle. When all my children and grandchildren are gathered here, we've had to use it and Ristinge Camping. Both places have fantastic facilities - also for playing football, which some of the grandchildren love. Otherwise, you should rent a holiday home or cottage on Langeland, as there are houses to suit all tastes. If you're looking for the ultimate in luxury, I'd recommend the luxury rooms at Broløkke Manor.
Where to stroll & hike
Vejlen and Hjertestien, which runs from Rudkøbing town right into the forest. "It's crazy that you can walk directly from the shopping street, past the mill, and then suddenly you're in the wildest nature area. It's fantastic to be close to nature, even if you're in the centre of a provincial town. Here is city life for my wife and the countryside for me.
Photo:Bettina Klem Andreasen
Along the coast at Egeløkke, walking along the Øhavsstien (Archipelago Trail) is incredibly beautiful. Many places on the island are almost untouched, and Langeland is a slightly hidden gem that people are now fortunately discovering on a larger scale. This is the positive aspect of Langeland not having had the same status as tourist islands such as Samsø and Bornholm - there is still plenty of potential here.
Photo:Jens Loft
Rudkøbings old streets are extremely well preserved. Ramsherred, for example, has experienced a huge renaissance, which is something the small houses deserve. It's almost like tiny houses, there are 3 floors, but everything is tiny and so cosy.
A must try
You should go and see the Cold War Museum in South Langeland, because it's a very special place. Until recently, people thought it was just something from the old days, but now it has suddenly been reactualised to a frightening degree. I've been there several times with my grandchildren.
Langeland art is definitely an attraction in itself. The art towers, for example, where I got to create a sound installation when they were opened up for art back in the day. Photographer Jan Nielsen's bird pictures are world-class, so wherever he exhibits, you should go. There are also several excellent painters like Hans Kjær and Keld Nielsen, who are the ones I know most about.
Photo:Simon Staun
Beautiful gems on Langeland
The wild horses at Gulstav are worth a visit, and Oehlenschlægers Bøg at Stengade Strand is one of the Langeland attractions because it helped inspire the poet to write "Der er et yndigt land". Tranekær Castle and the wonderfully active Sugar Factory are recommended.
My favourite spot is a bench overlooking the sea at the end of Fredmosen at Bovballe Forest in South Langeland. I sat here every day for over a year and looked longingly eastwards because my Asian wife couldn't come to Denmark. It has stuck with me.
Photo:VIsitLangeland
Unique to Langeland
Langeland is experiencing a boost these years and the Langeland mentality is nice and I have felt extremely welcome here ever since I was a big boy. There's something extremely down-to-earth about the Langelanders.
They're often a bit reserved and don't just come rushing at you. But when you start to get to know the tone, you discover the humour.
It doesn't get too little in a delightfully unbridled way. Fully unfolded, you experience it on a Saturday morning at football with the old boys at the most beautifully situated training pitch in Denmark directly on the South Funen archipelago, complete with passing ferries to Strynø and Ærø.