Stege has and has always had great importance for the trade on Møn. The tendency of making Stege the centre is strengthened even today. There is a draw into the bigger town. Many little village shops and grocers’ have closed during the last couple of years. Too bad also for the bicycle and hiking tourists. You have to plan extra carefully, remember to take in supplies on your way at the few places in the countryside where you still can.

A walk down Storegade in Stege can also become a walk of the merchant’s houses. The big merchant’s houses are situated in a row down through the town, but often enclosed by other houses. Go into the yards and sense the special mood almost like going back hundreds of years in time .

The gound-plan of Stege goes all the way back to the Middle Ages (Stege became a market town in 1268). The plan of the streets, the ground-plan with title numbers and the ramparts with Mølleporten (the Mill Gate) originate in the Middle Ages. Take a walk along Søndersti and along the ramparts and feel the medieval spirit. Many of the plants which grow here are old medical plants which stem all the way back to the Middle Ages. The ramparts were dug in the end of the 15th century - that is more than 500 years ago. Back then the moat was filled with water. There was a tall wall all the way along the moat and three towers with gates and drawbridges. In this way Stege became an island which was very hard to take in times of war. In 1510 the ramparts had their baptism of fire since the people from Lübeck tried to take Stege. They failed. You can hear more about that story at Møn’s Museum which also has a fine, small exhibition which especially shows things from and tells the visitors about Stege Castle, a medieval castle which was placed in the area where you may find the tourist office today. The museum is situated right next to Mølleporten. Read more about the ramparts in the window next to Mølleporten.