Landscapefyn

At Sydlangeland you can experience a quiet countryside of moors, hedges, woods, meadows, hills, beaches and cultural buildings.

A Landscape with many opportunities

Fishing around the area of Sydlangeland and Norene has been efficient and there were natural ports, such as Ågabet and Magleby Nor. Fishing was particularly good in the 1600s, which caused the founding of the two fishing villages: Sand Hagen at the entrance to Magleby Nor and Bagenkop.

In 1806 a bridge was built in Bagenkop and in 1858 it was expanded to a port. Since then and until about 2000 Bagenkop has been an important fishing port and a port for ferries.

Langeland’s southern tip reaches into the Baltic Sea and the cliffs at Gulstav have always been used as a beacon. The highest point in the area is Fakkebjerg (37 meters), which is located a few kilometres to the middle of Sydlangeland. The first lighthouse was built here in 1805. In 1905, the current 34 meter high lighthouse at Keld cords was constructed and has been protected ever since.

Self-Sufficiency

The agriculture of the time was largely self-sufficient. We used all natural resources: The fields were grown, grass and meadows were harvested and cut, peat bogs and forests, which supplied timber for firewood, buildings, tools and fencing. Workers in Bagenkop and farmers in Søndenbro came to Søgård. Søgård was created in 1673 as one of Langeland’s largest farms.

Flint stone

The farmers gained a particular resource by mining the Flint stones at Gulstav and the cliffs. Flint is a fossilized stone. The round flint stones were used as specimens, crushing of cement manufacture and for porcelain manufacture.
The Flint stone was moved from Bagenkop, along with other things to Hamburg and Copenhagen . At its best, around 400 tonnes of flint were exported annually. Trade of Flint balls stopped after the Second World War.

Application of spherical Flint

With low cement they mixed plastic clay and lime. These materials are ground finely, dispersed and burned in a rotary kiln. The heat and the rotation make the formation of small, rounded lumps. These are called cement clinker and cement is composed of minerals. When cement clinker has cooled down, it is poured into the ball mills and ground to fine powder. Flint stone was used to crush it into ball mills. Cement hardening is determined by the fine cement powder has been painted. The Gypsum’s function is to regulate the time taken to dry.

From fishing and agriculture to tourism

Today, fishing in Bagenkop is limited. Agriculture has evolved from several smaller properties to get bigger. Tourism characterizes the area. There is the possibility of camping, going to marina and planned vacations. The Forest and Nature Agency acquired larger areas in order to create exciting natural sights and the Cold War fortress, Langeland Fort, has been turned into a museum.