Gedser

The location of the small town of Gedser on the island of Falster has many distinctive features. Gedser is the southernmost point in all of Scandinavia, and the town has one of the largest ferry ports, which connects Denmark with the port of Rostock. It is also home to the southernmost lighthouse in Scandinavia. Scandinavia’s southernmost point is marked by the “Systenen” stones. These erratic boulders, located at the southernmost tip of the island of Falster, are also the largest and, weighing 5 tonnes, the heaviest stones transported here by the Ice Age glaciers. The history of Danish geology, the changes to the landscape and its distinctive features are part of an exhibition at a small geological collection in the Gedser Library. The neat little white holiday cottages with their pointed roofs stand out in Gedser Danland holiday park. The coast drops steeply into the sea here. The beaches are small.
For centuries, fishermen and recreational anglers have set out from here, the southernmost tip of the island of Falster, heading for the open sea and always hoping to feed their families in what was once a fishing village. Although tourism—especially tourism for families, sunbathers and holidaymakers seeking relaxation—is gradually finding its way to Gedser, this small, lively community has remained true to its fishing and seafaring traditions. Still defined by its village character, Denmark’s southernmost town is often filled with the smell of freshly smoked fish. Gulls can be seen squawking on the quay, and in Gedser, everything else also seems to happen calmly, thoughtfully and with careful consideration.