Traversing Lolland: A hike along the old railway from Rødbyhavn to Maribo

Up until the early 1960s, a railway line connected the town of Maribo with Rødbyhavn at the southern coast of Lolland. The first stretch from Maribo to Rødby was inaugurated in 1874 and 38 years later, it was extended five kilometers to Rødbyhavn. But with the opening of a new railway between Nykøbing Falster and Rødbyhavn in 1963, the old railway became redundant and was discontinued shortly after, although it was still used for freight until 1989. Today, the entire stretch of 19 km is used as a foot- and cycle path. All the old station buildings have been preserved, as well as some platform remains and track remains, so the trail is of great historic significance.

Hiking the trail along the abandoned Odder-Horsens railway back in July sparked my interest in exploring more of Denmark’s many abandoned railways. So when I moved to Rødby on Lolland in November and learned that the area also has an old railway trail, I knew I had to do this hike as my first!

I set off on my first Sunday, a windy yet sunny day. The trailhead in Rødbyhavn is five kilometers from the farm I’m staying at, so I had to extend the 19-kilometre route with five kilometres plus an additional two kilometres at the end to get home, making it 26 kilometers in all!

With music in my ears, I walked the first flat stretch to Rødbyhavn and arrived after an hour at 11 AM. After a quick visit to the local supermarket, I headed out on the trail, backtracking the first five kilometers to my starting point near the farm. This was an enjoyable section where I passed by the old station building of Rødbyhavn and walked through flat farmlands complete with idyllic farms and birdhouses placed along the trail. I reached my starting point at 12.10 PM and set off into unknown terrain.

It wasn’t long until I reached Rødby where the old delapidated station building is hidden behind a wall of trees. I passed by a long abandoned building and as quickly as I’d arrived in the town, I was out on the other side, back into the countryside.

I came to a bench shortly after and decided to have my lunch break right there with the sun shining on my back. I was so close to the highway but I only rarely heard a car go by. That will change in a few years when the The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is established, connecting Lolland with north Germany with the world’s longest road and rail tunnel.

After a while, I continued under the highway bridge, built during the Second World War as part of the transport corridor Vogelfluglinie or Fugleflugtslinjen (‘Bird Flight Line’) between Copenhagen and Hamburg.

I crossed the small stream, Rødby Kanal, and headed towards Holeby, a small village of just 1400 inhabitants and an abundance of abandoned houses, something that sadly characterizes this part of Lolland.

As I neared Holeby, a rain cloud surprised me with refreshing drizzles and a faint rainbow appeared in the horizon. Soon after, I spotted some remains of an old platform edge near the old Højbygård station.

A cat greeted me as I entered Holeby. I walked past an abandoned factory and soon after came to the old station building at the edge of the town.

Next up followed a long section of more flat landscapes until I came to the last preserved station building on the route at Bursø.

The sun was getting ready for golden hour, creating the most beautiful light as I walked towards my end destination in Maribo. All of a sudden, the small lake Bursø Grusgrav appeared, and I noticed two shelters hidden behind the trees. It looked like such a cozy place to stay the night. Maybe someday I will!

Further along the trail, I noticed an old train carriage which had been turned into a hut for the local scouts. Such a neat idea!

Shortly before reaching Maribo, I came past a section with track remains and elevations along the sides, seemingly remains of the old platform at Søholt.

Soon after, I came out at the other end of the trail beside yet another abandoned house just as the sun set. I’d completed the hike! Now I just had to walk along the road into the centre of Maribo to find the bus station and catch a bus back home to Rødby.

Info on hiking the old railway trail between Rødbyhavn and Maribo

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: You can either begin the hike in Rødbyhavn at the end of Brovej or in the outskirts of Maribo just past Håred to the right of Rødbyvej. The trail is incredibly easy to follow and it’s flat the entire way!
There are information boards about prominent buildings and the history of the railway along the route. There are also plenty of benches to take a rest and eat lunch. The route is ca. 17 km + 2 km if you start/end at the train station in Maribo. It’s a very easy hike along a paved trail, which takes 5-6 hours to complete. If you think 19 km is too far to walk, you could also bike the route!

SIGHTS ALONG THE ROUTE (STARTING IN RØDBYHAVN):

• Rødbyhavn station building at Havnegade 28E.
• Rødby station building at Stationsvej 12.
• Remains of platform edges just before Højbygårdvej.
• Holeby station building at Jernbanevej 1.
• Bursø station building at Gammel Stationsvej 6.
• Lake and shelters at Bursø Grusgrav 500 meters after Gammel Stationsvej.
• Remains of platform elevations just before reaching Søholtvej.
• Railway track remains 300 meters before the end of the trail in Maribo.

TOILETS ALONG THE ROUTE:

• Rødbyhavn: Outside the petrol station by Dagli’ Brugsen.
• Holeby: Just across the road from Holeby Dieselmotor Fabrik on the righthand side. There’s no sign, but it’s the tiny building with a white door just beside the bus shelter.
• Bursø Grusgrav: By the shelters. There’s also drinking water a bit further along the trail at the old train carriage (only available from April-October).

SUPERMARKETS ALONG THE ROUTE:

• Rødbyhavn: Dagli’ Brugsen is right next to the trail and Rema 1000 is about 500 m from the trail.
• Rødby: Aldi is 200 meters from the trail, and Netto is 200 meters further along the road from Aldi.
• Holeby: Dagli’ Brugsen is 50 meters from trail.
• Maribo: Lots of supermarkets en route to the station.

SLEEPING ON THE TRAIL?: If you fancy a rest during your walk or even want to split it over two days, there are two shelters at Bursø Grusgrav with a fireplace. The price is 40 DKK per person. The shelters can be booked here. A few hundred meters further along the trail is an old train carriage belonging to the local scouts with a shower and drinking water that may be used between April and October.