Stevns Klint UNESCO World Heritage Site
Stevns Klint rises 41 metres above sea level and offers visitors world-class experiences. The cliff is the best place in the world to see traces of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs and more than half of all species on Earth 66 million years ago.
When you visit Stevns Klint, you experience the story of dramatic events up close – from the extinction of the dinosaurs to the nuclear threat during the Cold War. It is a story of how fortunate we are to still be here – because things could easily have turned out differently.
In 2014, Stevns Klint was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, placing it among some of the world’s most significant and unique attractions. In other words, this is an attraction you simply must not miss.
Experience Stevns Klint UNESCO World Heritage
The reason Stevns Klint was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List is primarily the thin layer of fish clay clearly visible in the cliff, documenting the meteor impact that more than 66 million years ago led, among other things, to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The meteor impact had a devastating global effect on Earth, and it is estimated that only around 40% of all animals and plants survived the catastrophe. Scientists can determine all this by studying the fish clay layer in Stevns Klint, which contains large amounts of the rare element iridium originating from the asteroid that collided with Earth.
It was therefore a major catastrophe that struck the Earth back then, but fortunately the yellowish-white chalk layers also visible in Stevns Klint show that life quickly returned to the planet. So even though stories of destruction lie within the layers, we are still here – just like the cliff – fortunately.
If you want to learn more about the history and nature of Stevns Klint, you can book a tour with Klintetours. If you prefer to experience the beautiful cliff from the water, Klintens Boattours offers a 2-hour boat trip.
Do you want to understand the history behind Stevns Klint?
Stevns Klint is not only beautiful to look at. It also holds stories that go back millions of years. At Stevns Klint Experience, you can get closer to the history and put words to what you experience at the cliff.
Explore Stevns Klint ExperienceExperiences along Stevns Klint – what can you see and do?
FORT - A Cold War Experience
Rødvig, South Zealand and the Islands
Stevns Klint Experience - Visitor Centre at UNESCO World Heritage Site
Rødvig, South Zealand and the Islands
Places to eat along Stevns Klint – where should you eat?
Restaurant Gjorslev Boegeskov
Stevns, South Zealand and the Islands
Café Mad & Ro by Stevns Fyr
Stevns, South Zealand and the Islands
3 tips for your visit to Stevns Klint
- Experience Stevns Klint on foot along the 21 km hiking route “Stevns Klint Tramp Path” that winds along the coast
- Get all the way down to the sea at Boesdal Chalk Quarry or Højerup Old Church and experience the cliff from below
- Experience the entire cliff from above at Stevns Lighthouse and enjoy the full view
4 important guidelines for your visit to Stevns Klint
- Leave the drone at home and make room for birdlife along the cliff
- Stevns is ideal for cycling, but stay on the road and save the Tramp Path for walking
- Look for fossils in fallen blocks and never dig directly into the cliff
- Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a leash
3 things you might not know about Stevns Klint
- The cliff consists of four layers: at the bottom soft chalk, above that fish clay, then hard limestone and at the top traces from the last Ice Age.
- Until the 1900s, bryozoan limestone was cut from Stevns Klint and used as building material. Today, this material is known as limestone blocks.
- The cliff is approximately 66 to 71 million years old.
