Eskilstrup is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

some north of

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 ...

on the Danish island of

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

. As of 2024, it had a population of 1,082.

History

Eskilstrup Church, built in the Romanesque style, dates from the 12th century. In accordance with local tradition, it is painted red. It is best known for its

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

s, said to be Denmark's oldest. The town has grown up around Eskilstrup railway station, which opened together with the

Falster Railway The South Line () is a government-owned railway line in Denmark. Technically, the line connects Ringsted with Nykøbing Falster, from which it branches to Gedser and Rødbyhavn. In practice, Ringsted is not the terminal station, so the line is o ...

in 1872. The earliest buildings included businesses and hotels close to the station on the main street. The railway is now called the South Line, with frequent train stops at Eskilstrup.

The town today

Eskilstrup is conveniently located close to the E47 motorway from

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 ...

to Rødby Havn. It is also served by Eskilstrup railway station, located on the South Line which links

with the islands of

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

and

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 ...

. Facilities include a school, sports hall, day nursery, food store, and hotel. There are beech woods in the surrounding countryside, and it is not far to the coast. Some 300 children attend the local school. Local landmarks include the water tower, windmill, and sports hall. Nearby

Ønslev Ønslev is a village north of Nykøbing on the Danish island of Falster. In January 2025 it had a population of 395. Etymology The name is made up of the man's name "''Øthan''" and "''lef''", hereditary estate. It is first documented in the ...

benefits from the town's activities and services.

Attractions

Eskilstrup is home to Danmarks Traktormuseum (Denmark's Tractor Museum), with some 200 tractors from the beginnings up to 1970. Also in the neighbourhood is the Krokodille Zoo, with Europe's largest collection of living crocodiles. One of the region's oldest churches, Torskilstrup Church, lies northeast of Eskilstrup."Torkildstrup kirke"
, Nordens kirker, Retrieved 27 November 2012.

Notable people

Jens Clausen Jens Christen (Christian) Clausen (March 11, 1891 – November 22, 1969) was a Danish- American botanist, geneticist, and ecologist. He is considered a pioneer in the field of ecological and evolutionary genetics of plants. Biography Clausen w ...

(1891 in Eskilstrup – 1969) a Danish-American botanist, geneticist and ecologist *

Jørgen Hare Jørgen Hare (15 June 1923 – 14 June 2007) was a Danish sports shooter. He competed in the 50 m rifle, prone event at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commo ...

(1923 in Eskilstrup – 2007) a Danish sports shooter, competed at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

Hjalmar Petersen Hjalmar Petersen (January 2, 1890March 29, 1968) was an American journalist and politician who served as the List of Governors of Minnesota, 23rd Governor of Minnesota from 1936 to 1937, succeeding the late Floyd Olson. Background Hjalmar Peter ...

(1890 in Eskilstrup - 1968 in Columbus, Ohio) a Danish-American politician who was the 23rd

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...

References

External links

Eskilstrup from Guldborgsund Municipality
{{Adjacent stations, system1=DSB, line1=R54, left1=Nørre Alslev, right1=Nykøbing F Falster Cities and towns in Guldborgsund Municipality