The Højerup Old Church on Stevns Klint, Denmark

 

As you know, after my last post on the Church of St. Mary in Sæby, I want to keep showing posts on other Denmark churches that really grabbed our attention.

Today's church is the UNESCO Højerup Old Church in Store Heddinge that sits on the Stevns Klint (cliff), 30+ meters above the Baltic Sea on Denmark's southern Zealand island:

We were there on June 18, 3 days before driving back home.

As you see, it sits at the edge of the limestone cliff, which is part of it's story and intrigue!

As churches go, it's very small and cozy.  A real charm!

It's architecture is Romanesque.

But as the story goes, a distressed boater at sea promised that, if saved, he'd build a chapel.

This is that chapel, built in 1250 and consecrated in 1357, but...it was built too close to the cliff!

Every year the sea kept collapsing the cliff, such that by 1910 no more services were held.

18 years later, the choir area of the church collapsed into the sea below.

Upon entering the church, the foyer tells you everything

you want to know about the church's history...

...after which you enter the chapel...

[photo credit:  Astrid]

...through this door!

And then the nave is right there in front of you.

To the left is the back of the church; to the right (at the doorway) is what's left of the choir.

In other words, the entrance door is on the left, the added door to the balcony on the right

was added after the collapse, and everything in between is the cozy chapel...

...with all the incredible frescoes...

...and the pulpit!

Is it from 1605 (bottom-left)?  I assume so.

Sadly, there was no organ to be found anywhere that I could see.

But in the side sacristy, the damaged altarpiece from 1599 is preserved

from after the choir's collapse in 1928.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

After the collapse, the church was stabilized at the cliff's edge against further damage,

with a balcony added for visitors to view the cliffs and Baltic Sea.

The balcony also is the romantic place of choice for weddings, with "witnesses" standing by.

The church also holds baptisms and funerals, as well as occasional music concerts.

I would be remiss not to include the cottage standing nearby the church,

which is now a souvenir shop.  

And the NEW church, on the same property site,

which was consecrated in 1913, after the old church collapsed.

Both churches, I believe, are Lutheran by denomination.

Also, in this Facebook "synopsis" collage, you can see the steps down to the waterfront, with

better views of the cliffs (which, I might add, only Astrid took, while I pampered my "fake" knee).

[photo credit:  Astrid]

Everything we read said the best view of these cliffs was from the Højerup Old Church,

so, lucky for us, we got two for the price of one.

Of all the churches we saw in Denmark, this may be my favorite.

Sometimes "small" is better?!