In times gone by, when travelling south from Copenhagen to Vordingborg, you went by boat to Køge. From there, the journey continued by road through Karise, Faxe and Vindbyholt, and further along Præstø Inlet.
It was a long journey and in 1824, a new, quicker road was opened between Køge and Vordingborg. The new route ran right between the two villages of Rønnede and Kongsted, which merged together over time.

In later times, the southern motorway was built with an exit at Rønnede, and most of today's visitors to both southern Faxe and Næstved use it as an entry point. Kongsted is famous for its church, also known as South Zealand's cathedral, which houses a number of beautiful murals.
A little northeast of the church is Mette's Spring, named after local character Mette Jensdatter from Roholte. Mette was a poor woman who had a child by a local nobleman Tønne Grubbe from Lystrup Castle some 200 years ago. She killed her newborn baby and was sentenced to death by hanging. Her body lies buried at the foot of the execution hill.
After her burial, a spring appeared at the site, leading locals to believe she may not have deserved her fate after all. If you are interested in seeing Kongsted from the air, we recommend gliding from Øst-Sjællands Flyveklub.