Sønderby on Femø: Village Culture, Paths and Island Stories

Sønderby on Femø is a place for travellers who want to discover rural village history not only in a museum, but also in paths, squares and landscape features. The village structure is considered very original and homogeneous; the farms were located around the village green. At the same time, the village is green and loosely built up, with abundant vegetation and a few small open fields. This means that the character of the place itself remains an important part of the travel experience. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, Sønderby is an interesting choice for days when culture, peaceful exploration and the island’s special details are the focus.

Arriving and Finding Your Way Around Femø

Most visitors reach Femø by taking the Femøsund ferry from Kragenæs. The ferry crossing from Kragenæs to Femø takes 55 minutes. Take this fixed crossing time into account when planning your trip and choose accommodation that suits your preferred stay on the island. Sønderby itself is somewhat more winding to explore. It is therefore worth planning not only individual sights, but also allowing time for the village structure and the paths between the various impressions.

The historic landscape layout is particularly characteristic: Sønderby is one of the two villages on Femø located at the centre of star-shaped field divisions with living hedges and straight paths radiating out from the villages. Anyone interested in cultural landscapes will discover not only individual buildings here, but also the relationship between the village, fields, hedges and paths. The green, loosely built-up surroundings with small open fields provide space for such observations, without requiring you to fill your day with a fixed sightseeing programme.

Culture in the Village

Sønderby has several points of interest for a culture-focused trip. Femø Præstegård serves as a cultural centre; Femø Bibliotekspunkt is also located there at Kirkehældevej 29. Femø Museum is likewise located in Sønderby. On display are local objects, including old tools from various trades, a large stone collection, kitchen utensils and stuffed animals.

Next to Sønderby Gadekær stands Holger Wederkinch’s limestone sculpture “Los, Ræv og Urhane”, created in 1922. Femø Church is also one of the island’s cultural highlights: its murals are particularly important for understanding the Reformation debate. For a family day, such a discovery can be combined with short, curious stops; the fairy-tale motifs along one of the paths add a completely different accent.

Paths Between Fairy Tales, a Labyrinth and a Willow Garden

Via Damstrædet, you reach Eventyrstrædet in Sønderby. Fairy tales, trolls and witches are hidden among the old poplar trees. Troldestien is located at Madsens Vænge in Sønderby and also explores this imaginative side of the landscape.

“Labyrinten” offers a different kind of path experience. The network of paths is 200 metres long and modelled on the paths and roads of Femø. In Birkemosens Weidenhaven, you can walk from 7 a.m. until sunset. This time window should be taken into account when planning your day. Depending on your preferred pace of travel, you can give different weight to cultural impressions, imaginative paths and a walk in the countryside.

A Suitable Starting Point for Planning Your Trip

A holiday apartment in Sønderby is particularly well suited to travellers who want to get to know the place itself as part of their holiday. You are then choosing not just accommodation, but also structuring your days around village history, the museum, the cultural centre, the sculpture and the paths. If island culture is the main focus, Femø Museum, Præstegård and the murals offer thematic highlights. For more active exploration, Troldestien, Eventyrstrædet and “Labyrinten” provide different options; the willow garden complements this selection with a walk that is limited to the period from morning until sunset.

A recurring cultural event is the Femø Fortællefestival. It takes place every year on the second full weekend in June. The programme of the 2026 Femø Fortællefestival included storytelling events in the garden of Femø Præstegård in Sønderby. If you would like to plan your trip around this period, keep the date in mind when planning and check the current information before booking. For further travel ideas, you can also view the pages on Nakskov, Harpelunde, Torrig, Dannemare, Sakskøbing, Gloslunde, Langø and Hyldtofte.

For the overarching travel overview: Lolland.