Like every year, the European Street Market is in town ! There you can find Dutch tulipes, British fudge, French fashion, Italian cheese, Belgian waffles… you name it ! The European Street Market gathers stalls from all around Europe, offering a large selection of cheeses, delicatessens, pesto, sweets, crafts and street food. They tour around Denmark since 2008, visiting 20 cities in 6 months (May-September). Don’t miss it in Nykøbing from July 2 to July 6 ! It is located right in the center, at Jernbanegade.
While Sankt Hans Sunday (St- John’s Eve) is celebrated in Denmark with bonfires and songs, it will again be possible to see the F-16 fighter plane painted with the colours of the Danish flag (Dannebrog), over parts of the country ! The aircraft will take off from the Fighter Wing Skrydstrup on Sunday 23th of June at 18:00. You should be able to see in Nykøbing’s sky at 18:16 !
According to the Armed Forces it is a good opportunity to be seen on social media. The aircraft was recently painted in red and white to celebrate the 800 years of the Dannebrog.
In order to modernize the center of the town, the main square (Torvet) is currently under renovation. But with the diggings came something absolutely outstanding : a golden ring from the Middle Ages ! The discovery has been made by Martin B. Nielsen, in connection with the Museum Lolland-Falster.
The ring carries a figure of the Virgin Mary and Jesus and is dated from the second half of the 14th century. It was pressed down between the stones of an old pavement and has probably been lost.
Just in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Virgin Mary was very popular. The ring may have belonged to both a man and a woman, and not necessarily a person from the church. It was part of the personal worship of religion, and the ring has been of great importance to the owner.
Nykøbing Falster just got a new Instagrammable place ! You’ll find this very colourful street art at Store Kirkestræde, right close to the Abbey Church. The project, called Latinerkvarterets Street Art Projekt (“The Latin Quarter Street Art Project”) was made in collaboration with the commune, the cultural center Multicenter Syd, and several painting shops (Nykøbing F Malerlaug, Colour Plus). ColourPlus actually gave the 100 L of primer, the paint and the materials needed by the young people from the cultural center to make the cozy street colourful.
What do you think ? Would you take selfies there ? Then don’t forget to add the hashtag #latiner4800 ! You can see more photos of the street’s make over in the local newspaper.
Along your nice stroll in Nykøbing’s pedestrian street Østergågade in the center, you’ll stumble upon some very impressive stone heads on the right side of the theater (Ostergågade 2). These massive art pieces have been carved in granite by Thomas Kadziola, and artist and sculptor born in 1962.
They were actually made – but in smaller size – in the same style as the stone figures of his famous monument called Dodekalitten, which consists in an alignment of 12 massive granite heads, some reaching up to 9 meters high and 45 tons. The name of this Stonehenge-like monument comes from Greek, meaning “12 stones”. Nykøbing has only 4, but they are definitely worth seeing !
If you want to purchase some Danish souvenirs to your gourmets friends or family, or just bring home a little piece of Nykøbing, the shop Thea is THE place to go. This amazing boutique is located in the center, at Frisegade 4.
Thea is actually the little sister of Marius, the tobacco and alcool shop, an institution in Nykøbing since 1865 (which I’ll make you discover soon in a next blog article !).
At Thea, you’ll find amazing homemade tea blends, numerous variants of local candies, salted liquorice (another Danish specialty), chocolate, and many other sweet things to taste, drink or to decorate your home.
If I can give you a good tip, there are at least three products you should definitely bring back home. First, the “inevitable” flavoured lakrids (liquorice). You’ll find many different shapes and flavours, from the trendy passion fruit liquorice coated with white chocolate to the old traditional type of liquorice with ammonium salt.
For those who are not into liquorice, the handmade bolcher will without doubt be a hit. These hard candies are made in Denmark since a very long time, with boiled syrups, plant extracts, dye and flavourants. So many to chose from !
And if you really enjoyed your stay in Nykøbing, why not have a little piece of the town on your walls ? The local graphic designer Mette Glyholt makes and prints right here in town these very beautiful posters, about Nykøbing but also other cities from the Lolland-Falster region.
If you go to Løveapoteket (The Lion Pharmacy) at Langgade 5, in the center of Nykøbing, you can’t miss the cheeky wooden monkey hanging in the middle of the shop. This is the work of an iconic Danish designer called Kay Bojesen (1886-1958). His philosopy was “great design is something that everyone is entitled to”. Kay Bojesen actually considered himself a craftsman, not a designer. In 1952, he was appointed Purveyor to His Majesty the King of Denmark. He’s famous not only for his cutlery and tableware, but also his wooden menagerie.
If you’re interested in purchasing Kay Bojesens’s animals, you can go for instance to the shop Imerco, at Jernbanegade 6 (close to Flying Tiger), where you’ll find the whole zoo : monkeys, rabbits, elephants, sea parrots, bears, dogs, love birds… Be aware that they are quite expensive… but owning a piece of iconic Danish design is priceless ! The 20 cm monkey costs 899 DKK which is 120 € / 136 $.
The shop is located in the heart of the town, in the main pedestrian street, at Jernbanegade 6B. According to what they say on their website, Flying Tiger Copenhagen claims they have what you need (pencils, handcream, batteries, napkins…), what you dream of (design lamp, embroidered cushion, tea pot…) and things you didn’t know existed. In the last category, let’s say Flying Tiger is very creative ! Flying Tiger Copenhagen’s dedicated design team has won numerous international design awards for their imaginative work.
The shops are packed with 1500 items, with a new collection every second week. If you stroll down Jernbanegade, don’t miss a little tour in this unusual shop ! You’ll find colourful products, that are also quite cheap. Here are the latest Easter products from Flying Tiger you can find in Nykøbing.
Named after the Russian Tsar Peter the Great who visited Nykøbing Falster in July 1716, The Tsar’s House is the towns’s landmark.
The half-timbered house was built in the 1690′. Some archaeological researches suggested the place was already used in the 1200 to house merchants and servants. The first known owner was Ivar Rosenfeldt, who started the guest house in 1697, and was also the postmaster of Nykøbing. Actually, as the post was not delivered to the city, people came to collect it in this house.
In the beginning of the 18th century, Denmark’s King Frederik IV was allied with the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, and offered him to use his fleet in order to invade Scania, under the Great Nordic War. On his way to Copenhagen, where the fleet was at anchor, Peter the Great stopped at Nykøbing. According to the legend, he preferred to eat at the inn, rather than stay at the Castle in the company of the royal family… Some even say he also slept there, although there is no proof.
The inn, who is told to be the oldest in Denmark, added then a wooden plaque to commemorate the auspicious visitor, an item that is still visible today in the restaurant. Nowadays, the Tsar’s House is listed, and is owned by Lolland-Falster’s Museum.
Until recently, the restaurant was open and it was a must see for all visitors. Unfortunately, it closed permanently in September 2018… What a shame ! The restaurant was managed by Nelli Hjorth and Alen Music, but after a rough year, Lolland-Falster’s Museum, who owns the building, chose to terminate their agreement and asked them to leave. Luckily for me, I had the chance to eat there three times. One for a coffee, and twice for very memorable Sunday brunches. You can imagine how wonderful it was to eat in such a legendary place…
Last year, the 15th of June (2018) a Søstrene Grene shop opened in Nykøbing Falster, at Jernbanegade 23. If you’re not familiar with the concept, let me tell you a story. Everything started in the town of Århus in 1973 when Knud Cresten Vaupell Olsen and his wife Inger Grene open a little shop, that they call Søstrene Grene (The Grene Sisters). But more than a shop, the team creates a whole experience. Inspired by ballet, classical music and Danish design, they invent a new universe shaped by storytelling, that we nowadays know as “The World of Anna and Clara”. So who are these two “sisters” ?
Anna is a creative artist, and Clara focus on being practical and organised. In fact, these fictional “ghosts” incarnate all what the shop has to offer. Let’s start the tour !
Like some other Scandinavian shops, Søstrene Grene is mapped like a labyrinth, forcing you to walk by all the different sections. The tour starts with the decoration and home accessories universe.
You can also find decorative and practical items for children, as well as numerous toys and colouring books.
Once we leave the children universe, time to have fun with all the crafts and hobbies section ! Pencils, paint, yarn, stickers, paper… It’s impossible not to find anything to keep you busy during rainy days.
And if you have to throw a partie and wrap presents, the two sisters have all what you need !
Last but not least, you end the tour in the cooking and delicatessen section, where you can find very interesting products.
A secret door, a hidden room… During renovation in 2017, the little Museum of Nykøbing Falster discovered in the building a hidden room, filled with old crates and various notes and drawings. It turned out to be the legacy of the former owner of the old house, Cornelius S. C. Rödder. Be sure to read this story until the end… some things might not be quite as they seem…
Born in 1821 in Nykøbing Falster, Rödder was the son of a rich upper-class family from a noble German lineage. He studied medicine in Copenhagen. In 1856, during a trip in Italy, he found some strange writings and very unusual specimens. He later met the famous Thomas Merrylin, a London-based crypto-naturalist and xeno-archaeologist. That’s when his focus turned towards the Dark World and the occult, leading to an incredible cryptozoology collection we can see today at the museum. Vampires, fairies, baby dragons, werewolf… Welcome to the Museum Obscurum !
We start our journey into the dark world by exploring various mysteries, from Harry Potter’s story to Mary Shelley’s quotes.
We then enter in Cornelius S. C. Rödder’ universe by arriving in his living room where there is a little spiritism alcove. Ouija boards were very popular around 1900, helping people to connect with their loved ones who died during wars.
In his study room, Cornelius gathered numerous strange findings, like odd stuffed animals, as well as prehistoric and medieval artefacts.
From there, we finally have access to the Dark Room, whose entrance is cleverly hidden behind the library. Here are some of the most interesting specimens found by Rödder.
Draco alatus, the Dragon
Most commonly known as “Dragon”, Draco alatus is a species of membranous winged theropod dinosaur. It is said it is the member of a theropod family that survived the extinction event 65 millions years ago.
Little Devil
Here you can see a specimen of a human infant skeleton, with a peculiar disformity on the skull, forming two large cranial horns. According to Merrylin’s diaries, this is the result of the mother’s abuse of narcotics.
The Forest Child
This tiny skeleton was found in 1891, in a tomb on the Peninsula of Osbora. It is supposed to be a creature that was worshipped.
Homo lupus, The Lycanthrope
Also know as “werewolf”, this specimen of Homo lupus belongs to a species of bipedal hominid, related to both Homo sapiens and Homo vampyrus (the vampire). The wolf-like characteristics might be the result of a genetic mutation caused by a virus. This very specimen is a 15 years old female, who probably died of starvation. She was the last piece collected by the anthropologist Edward Harrell who worked alongside Thomas Merrylin.
Homominus aquaticus
This Ichtyosapien is fish-like species, closely related to mudskippers (Periophthalmus).
The Ship Elf
Also called “Klabauter man”, the ship elf is a good spirit. He helps discovering weak spots on the ship by knocking the wood with his club. Cornelius S. C. Rödder found this one in Norway.
That’s not all…
Across the numerous rooms of the museum, you can encounter other disturbing sights, and discover some mysterious writings.
Could all that be true ?
Actually, the Museum exhibits some specimens from the well known Merrylin Cryptic Collection. His amazing collection is the work of a Londonian illustrator and sculptor, Alex CF. Few years ago, CF’s fictional work took internet by storm, after the publication of a viral story about “mysterious skeletons found in a basement under an old London orphanage”.
In 2017, the Nykøbing museum acquired some of his cryptid sculptures and imagined a fantastic and dark scenography, by Leif Plith Lauritsen and Erik Kristiansen as well as Museum Lolland-Falster’s employees. Their work won the Historic Day’s Renewal Award, a prize “to honor the innovative, surprising and different ways of conveying history and making history accessible to more people”, as the organization writes in their webpage.
Since I live in Nykøbing and craft special items for people from the town, I thought I could talk about my little shop, Facettes Jewellery. For few years, I’ve been making handmade jewellery, with premium materials, only from Europe. My favourite materials are rose gold, silver, and handmade glass beads from Murano (Venezia, Italy) that are quite popular here.
I often make custom order, which is something I really enjoy, because I love to know my client and what they want, and craft something truly unique what would fit them and their personality. I sold my jewellery several times at “client evenings” in the shop Catwalk-Papaya, in the center. But most of the time I sell online (www.facettesjewellery.com).
I also have clients who come directly at home to see the jewellery and enjoy a customised private sale. Feel free to do the same ! You can contact me via the Facebook page of my little webshop, and we can arrange an appointment, where you’ll be able to chose jewellery, or to order some special pieces only for you !
Bjørnebrønden (“The Bear Well”) is a very nice fountain in the heart of Nykøbing, at the main square, Torvet. It is made of granite from the Danish island of Bornholm, by Mogens Bøgghild (1901-1987). The Bear has been donated by the wholesaler E. Jeppensen in 1939 to celebrate Nykøbing Falster’s 400th anniversary as a market town.
The architect Kaare Klint, in charge of the project, mentions that “the bear is a well-known symbol of a nation, and thereby related to a nearby house and a famous visit that took place in the year 1716”. That year in July, the Russian Tzar Peter The Great visited Nykøbing Falster, where he chose to eat (and perhaps also stay overnight) at the inn, which has since been known as the Tsar’s House (Czarens Hus).
It is also the wholesaler Jeppesen who’s behind the preservation of the Czar’s House and the Falsters Minder Museum in the same building. There is thus a close connection between the story of this protected building on the corner of Langgade / Færgestræde and Bjørnebrønden.
The “Bear project” is a result of an architecture competition, and was submitted on November 24, 1937, at Charlottenborg.
The original drawing of the Bear Well project. (Source : KØS)
In a letter dated 29 August 1938, the architect Kaare Klint wrote to the mayor: “After Mogens Bøggild has completed the model of the bear, it is my conviction that Nykøbing will have a work of art of rank, therefore it is very important to me that the surroundings be arranged in the best way ”.
Both architect Kaare Klint and sculptor Mogens Bøggild are important national representatives of each their art discipline, architecture and visual arts. For this reason, the Bjørnebrønden’s presence in the middle of the town square (Torvet) is an important, cultural-historical landmark in Nykøbing Falster.
The Bear Well has been renovated in 2002-2003. The old elm trees have been replaced by two linden trees. The round benches were restored in oak, prepared according to the original drawings. Everything, both sculpture, well, paving, benches and trees are in very good condition, and the renovation respected the original drawings.
Unfortunately, the main square is being renovated (2019-2020) : the Bear Well will move, to let place to a “puddle”, the benches and trees will be removed… In a petition from 2018, on Facebook, the Cultural Heritage Association wrote that “it will be no less than a scandal and, to the extent, disrespectful of the history”. They set as example the latest renovation, : “It was done with the help of The Conservation Fund and Nordea. The square can easily be subjected to renovation without breaking it up.”
So far, as I’m writing this story (April 2019), the renovation of Torvet has just started. A fountain has already been removed (The Canon), but this didn’t break the heart of local people, because most considered it as an “ugly piece of modern art”. At the contrary, The Bear Well is cherished by the town’s inhabitants and visitors. Let’s hope he will keep the place it deserves…
At Dronningensgade 27A, there is this wonderful painting called Svanemor (“The Swan Mother”) by Henry Heerup, made in 1990. Everytime I walk by, I have to stop to admire it. I love the simplicity and the naive style. This motif with a swan mother, two chicks and an egg has been used many times by this painter. You can find Svanemor in several lithographies.
Henry Heerup (4 November 1907 – 30 May 1993) was a Danish painter and sculptor born in Frederiksberg. He studied painting under Axel Jørgensen and Einar Nielsen at the Royal Danish Academy of Art. He also studied sculpture there under Einar Utzon-Frank. His first oil painting was “The Old Oak in Wolfvalley” in 1924.
If you really like this mamma swan with her chicks, you can buy a poster here.
“Svanemor”, by Henry Heerup Dronningensgade 27A 4800 Nykøbing Falster GPS coordinates : 54.767684,11.870113
In the center, behind the Job Center, there is what we call Aftenskolen, “The Evening School”. It is the place where people can go after work (or school) to learn various hobbies. There is also a Music School. And at the back of the parking, on you see some colourful tags. Or are they street art ?
Nykøbing Falster lies on the island of Falster, connected by the 295-meter-long Frederick IX Bridge over the Guldborgsund (Guldborg Strait) waterway to the island of Lolland. No wonder why the seal of Nykøbing Falster is a ship ! You can find it in different places in the town, especially on the ground.
At Klosterkirken, the Abbey Church, you can find a nice ship carved in wood, on the right side at the entrance, which is also the seal of Nykøbing Falster.
You can also see some nice vessels hanging from the church’s roof. It’s not clear whether those are ex voto, or just presents to the church.
If you follow one of the streets that leads to the church (Store Kirkestræde), you will find the famous tavern Marine Stuen. This tavern exists since 1938, and is owned today by Søren Andersen, who took over the place in 1967.
And if you want to see real boats, you have to go to the harbour at Slotsbryggen.
If you want to walk around 4 to 5 km, from the center of Nykøbing, you should really stroll along Guldborgsund Strait, on Strandboulevarden (“Beach Boulevard”). You can start from Slotsbryggen (The Castle’s Dock), close to the cinema Nordisk Film Biografer, and take your time enjoying nature, all the way up to the outskirts of Nykøbing. (Map at the end of the article).
This is one of my absolute favourite walk, and I do it several time a weeks with my dogs. It is also the best place to see seasonal variations, with changing water and vegetation. These pictures have been taken in March and April 2019, just at the start of the Spring.
It’s time to go back to civilisation ! Here’s the view of Nykøbing when you go back to the center. You can see Slotsbryggen, Vandtårnet (The Water Tower), the Danish Agro factory, and further away, on the right, the Nordic Sugar factory.
Here’s a map of this nice stroll along Guldborgsund Strait.
In the same building as Czarens Hus (The Tsar’s House) and Den Gamle Købmandshandel (The Old Grocer’s Shop) lies the little museum of Nykøbing, at Færgestræde 1A. Here are some pictures of their main exhibit that lasted several years, about all the memories of the town and the island of Falster : remains from old shops, costumes, various objects, furnitures, tools, toys… You can see how people lived in Nykøbing Falster in former times !
