Nakskov is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

on the island of

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the List of islands of Denmark#List of 100 largest Danish islands, fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Kattegat, Belts and Sund area, it is part of Re ...

in south

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. The town has a population of 12,200 (1 January 2025) and is the largest town on the island of Lolland. It is located in Lolland municipality in

Region Sjælland Region Zealand () is an administrative region of Denmark. It is one of the five classified NUTS-2 statistical regions of Denmark. It was established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which abolished the traditional ...

. Nakskov is situated on the western coast of the island of Lolland, one of the agriculturally richest of the Danish islands. It lies adjacent to the inner part of the

Nakskov Fjord Nakskov Fjord is an inlet in the west of the island of Lolland, Denmark. It is about long. There are about 10 small islands located in the fjord. The largest town in the area is Nakskov. The area is a designated bird sanctuary. Geography Naks ...

, an inlet from the

Langeland Belt Langeland (, ) is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km2 (c. 110 square miles) and, as of 1 January 2018, has a population of 12,446.

(''Langelandsbælt'') that runs between the islands of

and

Langeland Langeland (, ) is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km2 (c. 110 square miles) and, as of 1 January 2018, has a population of 12,446.

. Nakskov Fjord is a

wildlife reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologi ...

, known for its bird life. Nakskov is one of the most environmentally conscious and cleanest towns of Denmark. Technological and environmental enterprises have replaced the earlier heavy industries, and in recent years, local government has restored the town.

History

The area of the current town of Nakskov was settled during the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period and has been continuously inhabited since. The town received trade privileges in 1266, during the reign of king Erik V Glipping. Once the export center of western Lolland, Nakskov thrived on trade, commerce and industry. This changed gradually as overland traffic was enabled by a railway to the neighboring island of

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

in 1875. The connection to Sjælland and

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

over the Storstrømsbroen bridge in 1937 shifted goods from the port of Nakskov. Over time, several industries and factories opened in the town, amongst them the sugar factory in 1882, and the shipyard in 1916. Although traditionally a center of manufacturing and industry, when Denmark joined the

EEC The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

in 1973 and the subsidies were dismantled, it caused the industrial boom in shipbuilding to end. Subsequently, Nakskov turned to commerce and trade, and technological and environmental enterprises replaced the earlier heavy industries.

Economy

Denmark's largest sugar factory is located in Nakskov. It processes about 12,000 tons of

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together with ...

per day and belongs to the German group Nordzucker.

Nakskov municipality

Until 1 January 2007, "Nakskov" was also the name of a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') covering an area of 33 km², and with a total population of 14,745 (2006). Nowadays Nakskov is integrated into, and encompassed by, Lolland municipality. The last mayor of Nakskov was Flemming Bonne Hansen, a member of the Socialist People's Party (''Socialistisk Folkeparti'')

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

. Nakskov municipality ceased to exist as the result of ''Kommunalreformen'' ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with

Holeby Holeby is a small town in Lolland Municipality, in Region Zealand, Denmark. It was the seat of Holeby Municipality. Holeby is located 6 kilometers north of the planned Lolland South railway station, set to open in 2028 on the line to Germany vi ...

Højreby Until 1 January 2007 Højreby was a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') on the island of Lolland in Storstrøm County in south Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 128 km², and had a total population of 4,049 (2005). Its last mayor was ...

Maribo Maribo is a town in Lolland Municipality in Region Zealand, Region Sjælland on the island of Lolland in south Denmark. It was the municipal seat of the former Maribo Municipality, until 1 January 2007, and then it became the seat of the cur ...

Ravnsborg Until 1 January 2007 Ravnsborg was a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') on the northwest coast of the island of Lolland in the former Storstrøm County in south Denmark. The municipality, including the islands of Fejø and Femø, covered an area o ...

Rudbjerg Until 1 January 2007 Rudbjerg was a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') on the southwest coast of the island of Lolland in the former Storstrøm County, southern Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 143 km², and had a total populatio ...

and

Rødby Rødby is a town located on the island of Lolland in south Denmark. It has a population of 1,957 (1 January 2024).Lolland municipality. This new municipality consists of an area of 892 km² and a total population of 48,634 (2007).

Transport

Nakskov is served by Nakskov railway station which is connected to and the rest of the Danish rail network by the

Lollandsbanen The Lolland Line () is a long railway line in Denmark which runs mostly on the island of Lolland between the cities of Nykøbing Falster and Nakskov via Maribo. The railway line opened in 1874. It is currently operated by the regional railway c ...

railway line. Busses run within the town and to neighbouring towns, villages and areas. Bike routes follow the levees encompassing the island of Lolland. Boats run from Nakskov to the islands of the Nakskov Fjord ( Slotø, Vejlø, Enehøje, and Albuen). At Tårs, a short distance to the northwest of Nakskov, a car ferry across the Langeland Belt connects Nakskov to Spodsbjerg on the island of

Langeland Langeland (, ) is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km2 (c. 110 square miles) and, as of 1 January 2018, has a population of 12,446.

Danish national road 9 Danish national road 9 ( Danish: Primærrute 9) is part of the Danish national road network. It runs between Odense on Funen and Nykøbing Falster on Falster by way of Svendborg, Tåsinge, Siø and Langeland, and involves a ferry crossing betw ...

between

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

and

Nykøbing Falster Nykøbing Falster (; originally named Nykøbing) is a city on the island of Falster in southern Denmark. It has a population of 16,682 (1 January 2025). Including the satellite town Sundby (Lolland), Sundby on the Lolland side, with a populatio ...

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

passes by Nakskov.

Attractions

Nakskov Church, dating to the early 13th century, has carved works from the

Baroque period The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 17th century until the 1750s. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (in ...

including the pulpit (1630) by Jørgen Ringnis and the altarpiece (1656) by Anders Mortensen.Kirsten Weber-Andersen, Otto Norn, Aage Roussell, Gertrud Købke Knudsen, "Nakskov Kirke"
''Danmarks kirker: Maribo amt, Volume 8'', 1951, Nationalmuseet, pages 89-126. Retrieved 14 July 2013. Large parts of the wetlands around Nakskov were drained in the 19th century. The

levee A levee ( or ), dike (American English), dyke (British English; see American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, spelling differences), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is an elevated ridge, natural ...

along the southern shore of the fjord allows to travel by foot or on a bicycle to

Langø Langø is an island in Denmark. It is situated in the Ulvsund between Sjælland and Møn Møn () is an island in south-eastern Denmark. Until 1 January 2007, it was a municipality in its own right but it is now part of the municipality of V ...

. Another attraction of Nakskov is the Danish sugar museum (sukkermuseum). The town also used to display an ex-Soviet submarine designated S-359 or

U-359 German submarine ''U-359'' was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. She carried out three patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships. She was sunk by an American aircraft in the Caribbean Sea on 26 July ...

Notable people

* Jørgen Ringnis (birth date unknown, died 1652 in Nakskov) a Danish woodcarver of altarpieces and pulpits *

Martin Severin From Martin Severin Janus From (8 April 1828 – 6 May 1895) was a Danish chess master known for creating From's Gambit. From's Gambit is a sharp response to Bird's Opening, requiring precision from both players. Personal life Born in Nakskov, F ...

(1828–1895) soldier, civil servant and Danish chess master * Hans Niels Andersen (1852–1937) a shipping magnate, businessman, founded the

East Asiatic Company The EAC Invest A/S, formerly known as the Santa Fe Group and East Asiatic Company ( or ''ØK'') is a multinational holding and investment company, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally founded by Hans Niels Andersen in 1887. It owned 5 subsid ...

Ludovica Levy Ludovica Magdalena Marie Levy (née Dysten, from 1896 to 1906 Levy-Lavik; 7 September 1856 – 20 October 1922) was a Danish actress, theatre director and theatre critic. She toured with theatres in Denmark and Norway, and worked as instructor ...

(1856–1922) a Danish actress, theatre director and theatre critic * Johan Jensen (1859–1925) a Danish mathematician and engineer * August Enna (1859–1939) a Danish composer, known mainly for his operas * Johannes Wilhjelm (1868–1938) a Danish painter of bright, colourful landscapes *

Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen (30 July 1878 – 12 August 1964) was a Denmark, Danish engineer and industrialist. Life The son of a shipmaster who died when Rasmussen was still a young child, he attended middle school in Nakskov and in 1894 began ...

(1878–1964) a Danish engineer and industrialist * Victor Cornelins (1898–1985) a Danish school teacher, musician, and public speaker. *

Paul Hagen Paul Falck Hagen (19 March 1920 – 19 May 2003) was a Danish film and television actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1952 and 1999. He is most known for playing Mr. Clausen in the television series '' Huset på Christianshavn'', ...

(1920–2003 in Nakskov) a Danish film and television actor IMDb Database
retrieved 11 June 2020 * Per Mollerup (born 1942) a Danish designer, academic, and author *

Ole Kiehn Ole Kiehn (born 1958) is a Danish-Swedish neuroscientist. He is Professor of Integrative Neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and professor of neurophysiology at Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Early ...

(born 1958) a Danish-Swedish neuroscientist and academic *

Stefan Wenzel Peer Stefan Wenzel (born 5 May 1962) is a German agricultural economist and politician for the Alliance 90/The Greens who served as a member of the German Bundestag from 2021 to 2025, representing the Cuxhaven – Stade II district. In addition ...

(born 1962) a German politician for the Alliance '90/The Greens *

Helle Helle Helle Helle (born 14 December 1965 as Helle Olsen but later named Helle Krogh Hansen) is a widely translated Danish short story writer and novelist. Basing her stories on episodes in the lives of ordinary people, she gained fame in 2005 with her ...

(born 1965) a widely translated Danish short story writer and novelist * Lisbeth Zornig Andersen (born 1968) a Danish economist, activist and author * Blak (born 1989) a Danish rapper and songwriter; stage name of ''Henrik Blak''

Sport

Mette Jacobsen Mette Jacobsen (born 24 March 1973 in Nakskov) is a former freestyle and butterfly swimmer from Denmark who competed in five consecutive Summer Olympics for her native country, beginning in 1988. She won a total of 32 individual medals in inte ...

(born 1973) a Danish freestyle and butterfly swimmer, competed in five consecutive Summer Olympics from 1988 * Lee Rochester Sørensen (born 1994) a Danish-Jamaican footballer.

Gallery

File:NakskovCirka1657.JPG, Nakskov and surrounding area (up = south) as depicted by the Swedish king's cartographer during the siege of Nakskov in 165

File:NakskovFjordAlbuenFromLangoeJuly2006.jpg, View from Langø in Nakskov Fjord toward the peninsula of Albuen and the island of Langeland in the west File:Nakskov - U-359 Ubådsmuseum.jpg, The formerly Soviet submarine U-359, Soviet submarine S-174/U-359 in Nakskov harbor.

References

External links

Lolland municipality's official website (Danish only)
*Municipal statistics
NetBorger Kommunefakta
delivered fro
KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)
* Municipal mergers and neighbors
Eniro new municipalities map
{{Authority control Nakskov Former municipalities of Denmark Cities and towns in Region Zealand Viking Age populated places Lolland Lolland Municipality