Apart from the beautiful nature, charming towns and very unique coastline, Stevns is filled with tales, old legends and folklore.

One of the most famous tales, is the tale of the King of the cliffs (Klintekongen). He is also known as King of the Elves (Elverkongen) from the famous play “Elverhøj” written by  Johan Ludvig Heiberg. Originally the tale of “Elverhøj” was written by H.C. Andersen.
It is told he lives in a cave somewhere in the cliffs, but most likely that cave is gone now. He rules his kingdom from the bridge at Strøby Egede in the north, to Højstrup in the south.

It is also told that the King of the Elves defended Stevns from enemies from the church St. Catharina in Store Heddinge.

He doesn’t tolerate other kings  on his land. As told in the famous play, King Christian the 4th dared to cross the river of Tryggevælde and set foot on the soil of Stevns with the famous words “Certaintly this is not Rubicon and certaintly I am not Ceasar”, but still I say “Jacta est alea”! before he rushed back to his palace to unravel malicious rumors, and to join the young lovers (H.R.H Vilhemine Marie and Prince Frederik Carl Christian – later King Frederik the 7th) with the equal famous words “And now let’s head for Højstrup”!
Near Barup, just east of Hellested and Karise, is a mound from the Stone Age. On Stevns it is known as the Hill of the Elves, and it is believed that here lives the King of the Elves. An old legend says that the white hawthorne on the hill was a gift from a chief on Stevns. The elves obviously protected their gift well, as other legends tell about horses dying from eating the twigs of the hawthorne.

The King of the Cliffs, or the King of the Elves is known to be quite temperamental and he often fights the King of the cliffs on the Isle of Møn and Rügge.