World Heritage Photos

Stevns Klint – Silent Witness to the Extinction of the Dinosaurs

Stevns Klint is a coastal area in Denmark, located about 72 kilometres south of Copenhagen. Stevns Klint is a white chalk cliff of 15 kilometres in length and is a place of extreme geological and scientific value. Stevns Klint bears witness to the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite that struck the Earth about 66 million years ago. Researchers are convinced that this meteorite impact has caused the largest mass extinction in the history of Earth; 50 % of all life on earth disappeared, including the dinosaurs. The evidence of this dramatic period in the history of the Earth is hidden in the limestone cliffs and the thin layer of fish clay; this dark grey layer is only five to ten centimetres thick. Stevns Klint is the best place in the world to study this specific clay. 

Traces of the massive ash cloud created by the meteorite impact can still be found throughout the area. While this giant meteorite actually struck the ocean floor off the coast of the Mexican Yucatán peninsula, its catastrophic aftermath is perfectly preserved right here in Denmark. Stevns Klint features an exceptional quantity of fossils. These fossils also show the full recovery of the fauna after the mass extinction.

Stevnsfortet is a Cold War fortress constructed between 1952 and 1954; it is an enormous underground labyrinth of tunnels, dug deep into the cliffs of Stevns Klint. Nowadays, it features the Cold War Museum. Several other World Heritage Sites are located close to Stevns Klint: Jægersborg Dyrehave about 79 kilometres to the north, Roskilde Cathedral about 48 kilometres to the northwest and Kronborg Castle about 105 kilometres to the north. Stevns Klint was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. It is a natural World Heritage Site.

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1. 

   The pebble beach at the foot of the impressive white chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint along the Baltic Sea. A thin layer of greyish fish clay is hidden between the thick layers of white chalk and yellow limestone in the cliffs. The fish clay is a silent witness to the extinction of more than half of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. This catastrophe was the result of the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite, which struck Earth 66 million years ago. Stevns Klint lies on the Island of Zealand in Denmark. It gained the status the as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2014.

2. 

   The white cliffs of Stevns Klint are facing the Baltic Sea. A dramatic period in the history of our planet is hidden within the white rocks of these cliffs. The evidence of this period is visible in a thin layer of greyish fish clay, bearing witness to the impacht of the Chicxulub meteorite that struck the Earth about 66 millions years ago. This cosmic impact wiped out half of all plant and animal species, including the dinosaurs. The thin layer of fish clay lies almost hidden between thick layers of soft white chalk and yellow limestone, just underneath the overhanging section of the rock formation.

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   The Old Church of Højerup stands on the very edge of the 30-metre-high cliff formation known as Stevns Klint. Where the altar once stood, there is now a balcony offering a magnificent view of the Baltic Sea. Religious services were held in the church weekly until 1910, after which the risk of the building collapsing into the sea became too great. That is precisely what happened in 1928: due to erosion, the chancel, along with a large part of the surrounding cemetery, slipped into the sea, but miraculously, the nave remained intact. Today, this historic church is a tourist attraction. The New Church of Højerup was built in 1913, approximately 300 metres back from the cliff edge.

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   Stevns Klint: The Old Church of Højerup, situated on the cliff edge, viewed from the beach. Built around 1250 from local limestone at a safe distance from the sea, the church was dedicated to Saint Clement, the patron saint of fishermen. Over the centuries, erosion gradually damaged the chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint, leaving the church perched on the very edge. Fearing it would collapse into the sea, the building was closed in 1910. On 16 March 1928, the chancel collapsed into the sea, and following this disaster, the remaining nave was stabilised with a concrete structure to prevent further landslides.

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   The lower part of Stevns Klint is composed of soft white chalk, while the upper part is a hard yellow limestone. Between those two layers lies a thin band of greyish fish clay. This layer marks the K-Pg Boundary (formerly the K-T boundary), the transition from the Cretaceous to the Paleogene (formerly the Tertiary)  around 66 million years ago, when a large proportion of life on Earth went extinct following the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite. In addition to fish fossils and other remains, the rare element iridium, which is found in meteorites, was discovered in this fish clay. The green discoloration around it is caused by the growth of algae and mosses on the damp limestone.

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   From the top of the white cliffs of Stevns Klint, a steep staircase leads down to the beach. In the cliffs of this rock formation and the surrounding area, traces are preserved of the enormous ash cloud created by the immense Chicxulub meteorite, whose diametre is estimated at ten to fifteen kilometres. Stevns Klint contains an exceptional quantity of fossils that beautifully show the full recovery of the fauna after the mass extinction caused by the impact of the meteorite.

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   The Stevns Fyr lighthouse near Store Heddinge stands at the highest point of Stevns Klint, about 41 metres above sea level. In spring and autumn, the area is a favourite spot for birdwatching. Every year, millions of migratory birds, including cranes, pass the strikingly situated lighthouse atop the white chalk cliffs of this famous rock formation. The Stevns Klint area stretches along the Baltic coast, from Bøgeskov Harbour in the north to Rødvig Harbor in the south. The current lighthouse was built between 1877 and 1878 using limestone from the cliff itself.

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   The long staircase leading to the underground Stevnsfort, situated within the white chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint. This vast complex consists of an extensive network of tunnels located eighteen metres below ground level. Built between 1952 and 1954, the fortress was part of the secret defence system maintained by Denmark and NATO during the Cold War, a tense period that began shortly after the Second World War and lasted until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Today, the site houses the Stevnsfort Cold War Museum (Koldkrigsmuseum Stevnsfort), an impressive facility that opened in 2008.

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   Stevnsfort consists of a network of underground passages, dug deep into the white chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint. The strategic underground complex contained a complete command centre, sleeping and living quarters for the troops, ammunition depots, a hospital, a chapel and also food supplies for several months. During the Cold War, Stevnsfort played an important role in the defence of Denmark and NATO. At the time, this secret underground fortress was a crucial part of the front line between East and West.

10. 

    One of the secret tunnels in the impressive Koldkrigsmuseum Stevnsfort. Built during the Cold War, this fort is now a unique museum dedicated to the history of that threatening period. The network of tunnels was constructed deep within the white chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint. The walls of the underground tunnels are now covered with a thick layer of moss. The thin, greyish and irregular layer of flint embedded in the chalk and limestone of Stevns Klint stands as a silent witness to the fact that this area was once a seabed millions of years ago.

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    Stevns Klint is also an important historic site. The Koldkrigsmuseum Stevnsfort bears witness to this. This Cold War museum stands near Rødvig, a town on the southern coast of the cliffs. The fort houses the guns from the Gneisenau, a battlecruiser of the Kriegsmarine, the navy of Nazi Germany. This famous battleship was exceptionally fast for its time, but it was taken out of service in 1942 after sustaining damage during a military operation. Its guns were removed and used as coastal batteries on the Danish island of Fanø, off the west coast of Jutland. In 1952, the 15 cm guns were relocated to their current site at Stevnsfort.

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    A beautiful sunset bathes the chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint in a pink glow. A walking trail, the Stevns Klint Trampesti, runs along the coast by this rock formation, stretching from the small harbour town of Rødvig in the south to Bøgeskov Havn in the north. The route is approximately twenty kilometres long and passes almost all the coastal sights. Most of these sites are also accessible by car. The Stevns Klint Trampesti is renowned for its breathtaking views of the Baltic Sea.