Sædinge: My favourite little village on Lolland

There’s a certain charm to Sædinge, a small village located just three kilometres from Rødby on Lolland where I lived and worked from November to June.

I’m not sure exactly what draws me to the place, but I think it’s a combination of its many half-timbered cottages, the small town atmosphere and its gorgeous location between farmlands, small forests and the old railway trail which is another favourite walk of mine on Lolland.

Intrigued by the village when I first stumbled upon it during one of my many dog walks, I googled it, hoping to find some information about the history of the village. But the information is as sparse as the village is unknown. But I did learn that Sædinge once had connection to the sea before Rødby Fjord was drained in 1878. The village church from around 1250 was nicknamed ‘the church by the beach’ at the time, and the surrounding graveyard was home to a market with live animals until 1636. Unfortunately, the church has never been open during my visits to the village, but google taught me that it has several murals dating from ca. 1300 to 1480. One day, I hope to see them for myself.

Furthermore, a runic stone from the Early Viking Age was discovered in 1854 and is exhibited at the County Museum in Maribo.

As for the unusual name of the village, there’s a large manor from the 13th century located just outside the village. The name of the manor is Sædingegaard, so I’m guessing the village grew around the manor and took its name from it. However, “Sæthyng” seems to have been the historical name of the manor, as this is mentioned in the landbook of King Valdemar II from the 1230s.

My favourite way to arrive in Sædinge is via the old railway trail and then along a different trail following the stream just beyond a highway tunnel.

This route took me along several abandoned house plots where the remains of the house foundations can still be seen. Further along, I reached a small bridge which I soon dubbed ‘the Bridge to Nowhere’. Sure enough, it did lead me into Sædinge, but exactly where does it go on the other side? I came from the middle of nowhere, from fields and remnants of houses that once existed. I guess the bridge was built back in the days for the people that lived in those houses. Today, the bridge is redundant and merely a tragic reminder of Lolland’s decline.

My preferred way home from Sædinge is via Gammel Maribovej, an old asphalt road that once connected Rødby with Maribo before the new and larger country road was constructed.

The road steers clear of the heavy traffic going towards Rødbyhavn and the ferry to Germany, and goes straight into the heart of Rødby.

It took me a while of living in Rødby before I discovered Sædinge, but I have been there many times since. I’ve brought the dogs along often. I went for a walk there with my parents in the dark, and, on a different occasion, took my best friend Solveig there along with all three dogs, and she also fell for the charm of the village.

And I’m sure Sædinge hasn’t seen the last of me! I’m moving back to Rødby in January, which will give me plenty of opportunities to explore this tiny gem of a village further.