Munkevejen R88, Præstø - Næstved

Oldtidsvejen

The Oldtidsvejen near Broskov is a stone-paved fording place established back in the early Roman Iron Age, 400-500 AD. Additionally, there is a stone-paved road from the Middle Ages.

Præstø Fjord and Bækkeskov

The journey continues north along Præstø Fjord. Here, there is a view over the shallow fjord. The road was the original main road between Copenhagen and Rødby. Rows of willows to the north of Marjatta - out towards the water, show where the road once went.

The landscape near Bækkeskov alternates between forests and fields. In several places, streams run in deep ravines towards the fjord. The estate is not open to the public.

Abel Schrøder land

Here, the tour takes you into Abel Schrøder land. Schrøder's sculptor workshop supplied South Zealand in the 17th century with beautiful woodcarvings that can be seen in Everdrup, Næstelsø, Gunderslev, Mogenstrup, and Sct. Peders churches among others. The most famous woodcarver master is Abel Schrøder the Younger, whose works can primarily be seen in the churches of South Zealand.

The woodcarvings include both altarpieces and pulpits, but also smaller works such as money boards came from the workshop. In Sct. Peders Church in Næstved, there is an epitaph – a memorial plaque stating that he also made a living as an organist and was the father of 9 children, of whom 6 were buried with him. Child mortality was high back then. But Abel Schrøder's works endure and can be admired in the churches along the route.

Bøgesø Ødekirke

After Everdrup Church, you arrive at Bøgesø Ødekirke. Only the grass mounds remain to tell the church's story, which was closed in the mid-1500s. But even though the church is gone, the place has held significance for people, and in 2004 the land was rededicated, and today outdoor services are occasionally held at Ødekirken.

Mogenstrup Helligkilde

After Bøgesø, you cycle towards Mogenstrup, which, in addition to having Abel Schrøder's works in the church, has been a pilgrimage church due to the holy spring. Holy springs are known from the earliest Christian church tradition, where certain springs were attributed sacred properties that could heal the sick and strengthen the healthy. Sct. Mogens church and holy spring attracted pilgrims for centuries, and a market - a so-called spring market, arose on the major pilgrimage days, and there were actually spring markets as late as 1882. The spring can still be visited.

Rønnebæksholm - art museum

The stage continues along village roads with village churches, and before it ends in Næstved, you pass Rønnebæksholm art museum – a beautiful old manor house, where there is access to both buildings and parkland. The stage concludes in Næstved, which, with its location by the Suså River, has been a powerful market town in historical times. The Suså River was both a transport route for the monasteries and a dividing line in the landscape.