Møn

Møn: chalk cliffs

Møn, English Moen, island, Denmark. The island has an area of 84 square miles (218 square km) and lies in the Baltic Sea. It is separated from southern Zealand by the Ulv Strait and from Falster island by the Grøn Strait. It is primarily flat except on the east coast, where white chalk cliffs covered with beech forests rise above 450 feet (137 metres) in places. The island’s fertile clay loam supports grains and dairying. Of ancient settlement (there are several Stone Age burial chambers), Møn has many old churches (the oldest dating from about 1100) with notable frescoes. Stege, the principal town, was the seat of a royal fortress in the 12th century. There are several manors and parks, the most notable being Liselund (1792), a small château, which now serves as a hotel.