Denmark · DK

Sneglehøj ved Keldby

Sneglehøj—'the Snail Mound'—is a Bronze Age burial mound rising in the fields near Keldby on the island of Møn, a few kilometres from Stege. It takes its name from the whimsical feature that makes it stand out among Denmark's thousands of round barrows: a footpath that coils spirally around the slope from base to summit, like a snail's shell. The mound itself is a typical Bronze Age grave, roughly 20 metres across and 4 metres high, built of turf more than 3,000 years ago. The graves it was raised over still lie undisturbed beneath it, while a small find from its sunny south side—the cremation urn with a gilded bronze knife dug up in 1875—hints at the burial rites that once marked this ridge. Today it is a protected ancient monument, easy to reach from the road and well worth a short stop on a tour of Møn.