Faxe


Faxe or Fakse is a town on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. It is located in Faxe Municipality in Region Zealand. The town is most known for the Faxe Brewery, a relatively large brewery producing a range of beer and soft drinks. On the edge of town lies a big limestone quarry, Faxe Quarry, owned by Faxe Kalk.

History

The name Faxe is Old Norse and means "horse mane", probably a reference to its location on a long hill. The town is mentioned in 1280. The first church was built in 1440.
For many years the letter x was considered unnatural in Danish and the Fakse spelling was enforced instead of the Old Norse Faxe. When hyphenated, the x still splits into ks.
A narrow gauge railway line opened between the quarry and Faxe Ladeplads in 1865. The Østbanen railway line opened in 1879.

Landmarks

is from the late 15th century. The half-timbered Rasmus Svendsens Skole from 1633 is Denmark's oldest still existing village school. The Jomfruens Egede estate traces its history to 1346.

Notable people