Golden Days in Præstø, history brought to life.
Visit Præstø the second weekend of September and experience Golden Days in Præstø
Golden Days in Præstø is a festival celebrating the creation of the picturesque market town Præstø. After more than 200 years of destruction and poverty due to wars, fires and the plague, the little town was completely devastated by the start of the 19th century. But new conditions for farming and trade in combination with inventions of modern technology completely changed the circumstances. The farmers became self-employed and constituted a market. At the same time inventive merchants established their trade from Præstø.
During the Golden Days festival, we will bring the town back to the 19th century, when it was created. We will revive the original inhabitants, who will populate streets, harbor and alleys. You will have the chance to meet famous Danes who lived or worked in the city or were frequent visitors. Meet for example the world-famous fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen and the just as famous sculpturer Bertel Thorvaldsen, both frequent visitors to Nysø Manor. Hans Christian Andersen wrote several fairy tales during visits at the manor. The wonderful fairy tale The Nightingale was one of them another was Ole Lukøje (Ole the Sandman).
Artisans “from” the 19th century will invite you into their open workshops at the harbor where you can engage in historic work processes. You will be invited to see the picturesque houses, streets, squares and the beautiful fjord during numerous guided tours, by food, horse-wagon and boat. And you will meet the citizens “living” in the town 150 years ago. You will be invited to concerts with music from the 1800 composers of classical music and you can indulge in folkloristic music and danse from that period. All performed in the original 1800-hundrets warehouses, the old church and the harbor square. Here you will also find a marketplace where you can buy arts and crafts. This and many other things can be experienced during the Golden Days Festival. When hunger strikes, restaurants and pop-up cafes will offer a variety of 19th-century dishes in authentic settings.
The history of Præstø
By the threshold to then 19th century, Præstø was situated on an island. To develop trade, they needed to get easy access to the mainland. Two merchants took the initiative to promote the building of two bridges for this purpose, and furthermore they led a campaign for improving the harbor. This was a battle stretching over nearly 30 years. But in 1828 the harbor was built, and the town was equipped for big trading. New rules for preventing serious fires, securing solid houses and a huge influx of new citizens made it necessary to build a lot of new houses. During the hundred years from 1800 to 1900 Præstø was raised. Basically, it was “golden days” in Præstø, even during very tough times in the rest of Denmark due to a state bankrupt in 1813, the England war, the civil war in the dutchies and the war between Denmark and Prussia, Præstø prospered. Luckily, later generations of citizens have put their effort into maintaining the old town as it was developed during this golden century.
Præstø prospered in more than one respect. During the first part of the 19th century, it became a meeting place for the most famous Danish artists. The world famous sculpturer Bertel Thorvaldsen lived and worked at Nysø Manor close to Præstø from 1839 till his death in 1844. The fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen was a frequent guest at Nysø and Præstø. Also N.S.F. Grundtvig the great church reformer and hymn writer had close bands to Præstø, first as priest in the town, since as a frequent guest at Nysø, and he was elected to the Constituent Assembly for a new democratic constitution in 1848 in Præstø. Many other leading cultural personalities were frequent guests. To mention a few, Heinrich Steffens who inspired to the new artistic golden ages and Adam Oehlenschläger the author of the Danish national anthem.
The Golden Days festival celebrates the town, its architecture and history through music, theater, demonstration of artisanship, sports, reenactment of citizens from the town during the century, a marketplace and food from the time.
Golden Days in Præstø is organized by The Association Golden Days in Præstø and it involves 25 to 30 local associations and more than 250 volunteers. The activities are financed by support from the Municipality of Vordingborg, several private foundations and income from ticket sale.
Find the program on this homepage or as a booklet in restaurants and shops.
Edited March 2025, Susanne Volqvartz
