Skejten Nature Reserve

Ancient meadow on the edge of Guldborgsund

Skejten is a low, windswept stretch of meadow and marshland lying between Fuglsang Park and the shallow waters of Guldborgsund. Flat and open to the sky, it feels like the landscape has hardly changed in centuries, with the coastline, reed beds and rough grasslands blending into one long horizon. Because the area has never been ploughed or drained for agriculture, its natural character has been preserved in a way that is rare on such fertile islands. Walking out into the reserve, you step onto soft, springy ground where water often lies just beneath the turf. In wet periods the track can become muddy and puddled, so every step reminds you that this is first and foremost a living wetland, not a manicured park.

Gnarled oak trees and a wild wetland ecosystem

The most striking feature of Skejten is its scattered oak trees, many of them up to 300 years old. Their twisted trunks and low, spreading crowns rise straight from the marshy soil, creating a scattered grove that looks almost sculptural against the open meadows. These veteran trees provide homes for insects, fungi and birds, and fallen branches are left in place to decay naturally. Beneath and between the oaks, a mix of salt‑tolerant grasses, wildflowers and wetland plants thrives in the changing water levels. Grazing cattle help keep the vegetation open, maintaining the mosaic of short meadow and rougher tussocks that supports a varied fauna. Birds use the area as feeding and resting ground, and the combination of old trees, damp hollows and open views gives the reserve a quietly dramatic feel.

From Viking gatherings to protected landscape

The name “Skejten” is thought to come from Old Norse, referring to a place where people met for horse fights and gambling in Viking times. It is easy to imagine gatherings on this open ground, with lines of horses, shouts carried on the wind and the sea just beyond. Over the centuries, while surrounding farmland was improved and drained, Skejten remained marginal and wet, gradually becoming a sanctuary for wildlife rather than a stage for contests. In modern times the area has been formally protected to conserve its distinctive coastal meadow ecosystem and its impressive stand of old oaks. Environmental researchers and nature guides use it as an outdoor classroom, studying how traditional grazing and untouched soils shape plant and animal communities along this part of the Danish coast.

Walking the muddy track between manor and sound

For visitors, Skejten offers a short but atmospheric walk rather than a long-distance hike. A simple track leads out across the fields towards Guldborgsund, with only basic wayfinding and no hard surfacing. In dry weather it is an easy stroll across open terrain; after rain it can be sticky and waterlogged, rewarding those who come prepared with waterproof footwear. There are no formal picnic lawns or playgrounds here, only rough grass, grazing animals and the ever‑present sound of wind and birds. The lack of development is part of its charm: you experience the place much as locals might have done generations ago when walking from the manor lands down to the shore.

Light, weather and quiet coastal views

Because the landscape is so low and unobstructed, the quality of light is a major part of any visit. On clear days, sunlight glances off the wet hollows and the water of Guldborgsund, while the silhouettes of oaks stand dark against bright skies. In overcast or windy weather the area can feel raw and elemental, with clouds racing overhead and the grass rippling like water. Despite being close to cultural sites such as Fuglsang Manor and its art museum, Skejten itself is quiet and understated. You come here to listen to the rustle of reeds, to watch distant ships move along the sound, and to sense how land, history and sea meet in a single, gently untamed expanse of meadow.