Bandholm

History

Bandholm has a history going back thousands of years as can be seen from the burial mounds from the Bronze Age in the immediate neighborhood. The port seems to have been used for centuries for ships with supplies for Maribo Abbey. The area then developed with warehouses and storage facilities for goods to be sent to Maribo and Rødby. At that time it was known as Bandholm Toldsted (Bandholm Customs Point). Initially, in view of the shallow depth of the inlet, goods had to be taken out to the sailing ships by barge but in 1834 a small jetty was built to facilitate mooring. In the early 1840s, the channel was deepened to , allowing larger ships to enter the port which was soon equipped with quays. The facilities grew further with the arrival of steamships bringing corn and other foodstuffs to be transported to Maribo. The traffic intensified with the railway from Maribo to Bandholm in 1870. The more recent history of Bandholm is linked to the Knuthenborg estate and the castle, which owned the port and also some of the houses (distinctive in their yellow exteriors) in the town and its extensive surroundings. In recent years the Knuthenborg Safari Park has made the port town a focal point of for over 200,000 tourists a year. The old port has been further improved with a state of the art marina for yachts as well as facilities on the west side of the harbor for use by boaters. Bandholm has developed not only into a prosperous port but has also benefitted from the establishment of an iron foundry, hotels and a commercial life in connection with the railway. Local initiatives have ensured restoration of the heritage status of many of the old structures, especially the granaries (for other uses) and the old railway station.