Landscapes in Europe

At the most southern tip of Langeland island lies a wonderful nature reserve great for walks. Here the forest runs right up to the sea, only separated by a narrow beach of pebbles. Part of the coastline rises up to a cliff, which breaks off in a sheer drop. The vertical cliff face is a nesting ground for swallows and the meadow is popular with migratory birds. Wild horses were introduced in 2006 to rewild the area.

Dyrehaven is a natural forest park a bit north of Copenhagen and a lovely daytrip if you fancy a walk in the woods. It was originally laid out by the Danish king Frederik III in the 17th century as a hunting ground and was later extended by other hunt-loving kings, and is now enlisted on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. Dyrehaven means 'deer garden' in Danish and, as the name indicates, it has an abundance of deers (about 2000 in total). The park is kept as a natural forest with some of the biggest trees (oaks) in the country and with an extensive network of trails favoured by runners, mountain bikers, strolling families and dating couples. If you want to enjoy nature in style (and money is no issue), horse carriages are lined up at the main red gates, ready to take you for a ride. The oldest amusement park in the world, Dyrehavsbakken, lies as an extension of the park in the south end. Here, you can enjoy a ride in a wooden roller coaster constructed in 1932, which isn't as dull as it might sound.

Faxe Limestone Quarry (Kalkbrud) is the largest man-made hole in Denmark and is a treasury of fossils. For 63 million years ago it was at the bottom of the prehistoric ocean, so the limestone is filled with fossils of corals, shark teeth, crab shields and mussel shells. The limestone here has been mined for more than 900 years. Today the giant open-pit is larger than 140 soccer fields, and is constantly growing, since the quarry is still active. Even though it’s a workplace, the quarry is open to the public with trails, viewing platforms and even a geological museum (which offers guided fossil hunt). You are welcome to bring a hammer and chisel to dig in the quarry and bring home any fossils you might find.

Funen's Head (Fyns Hoved) is a beautiful natural reserve located on the peninsula at the northeastern tip of the island Funen. From the parking area a gravel path follows the shore around in a loop. The hike is less than 3 km and passes gentle hills with grazing sheep and offers sweeping views over the shallow lagoon, which is a resting place for migrating birds. On clear days you can see both Zealand, Jutland and the island of Samsø.

The most northern point of Denmark (not including Faroe Islands and Greenland) is Grenen at Skagen. Here you can observe the unique natural phenomenon of two seas, namely Kattegat and Skagerrak, meet. The collision of the waves can be quite spectacular. It's a very popular photo op to be standing with a foot in each sea. You can reach Grenen from the parking lot by either catching the tractor bus, Sandormen, or just walk the 1.5 km (one way) along the lovely beach, which will take you past a concrete bunker from WWII.

Denmark is a very flat country, so any high hill stands out as a mountain. The 147 m high Himmelbjerg was believed to be the highest point in Denmark until the mid 19th-century, where proper measurement was carried out, making Yding Skovhøj (172.5 m) the highest point. Himmelbjerget literally means "sky mountain" and is the name of the highest mountain in the Norse mythology, so the name isn’t as crazy as it might sound at first.
Today, Himmelbjerget is a very popular tourist attraction. There are a hotel and several ice cream shops at the summit, along with monuments and a tower. However, the panoramic views over lakes and forest are as splendid as they have always been, because the surrounding landscape, known as Søhøjlandet, is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Denmark.

The National Park is called "Mols Bjerge" in Danish, which literally means Mols Mountains. And though the highest point, Agri Bavnehøj, is merely 137 meters above sea level, the area is among the most hilly in Denmark. The national park covers both moors, forests, and meadows, but also coastal areas and villages. There are several historical sights, like Kalø Castle Ruin and Ørnbjerg Water Mill, and barrows and burial mounds from the Bronze Age can be seen throughout the landscape. More than half of all wild Danish plant species can also be found here. Hiking at Mols Mountains is some of the best in Denmark, with many various trails traversing the hills. The most famous trail is the 60 km long "Mols Bjerge sti", which is enlisted among the "Leading Quality Trails - Best of Europe". The trail has 3 sections of 20 km each; the "Bjerg-etapen" (the mountain section), "Kalø-etapen" and "Ebeltoft-etapen". But there is a trail for everyone.

Though Stevns' Cliff is a UNESCO World Heritage site, Møn's Cliff - which is not enlisted - is actually larger and more dramatic. For about 7 km the chalk cliffs on the island of Møn break off in a sheer drop of more than 125 m into the Baltic Sea. Each year the sea eats a bit of the cliffs. Usually it's just 20-40 cm, but in 2007 a huge chunk fell into the sea and turned into the white peninsula you can see today, where it eventually will be totally absorbed by the sea. While the rest of Møn island is flat, the landscape at Møn's Cliff is surprisingly hilly and covered in typical Danish beech forest. There are trails at both the top and bottom of the cliffs with a few connecting stairways. On a clear day you can see across the Baltic Sea to Sweden and Germany from the many lookouts, but be careful not to fall down.

The name "Nørreskov" lightly translates to Northern Forest, meaning several different forests in Denmark have this common name, including the forest on the north coast of the island of Als. This beautiful and lush forest is mostly made of beech trees along with some old oaks, which were planted in the 1770s. The forest is also rich in historical graves and barrows dating more than 5500 years back. Another unique thing about this Nørreskov is that you can drive along the network of dirt roads to get to one of the many scenic picnic spots. Camping is however not allowed.

Stevns' Cliff is a dramatic stretch of coastline where the land breaks off at vertical cliffs, some as high as 40 metres. It's a natural oddity and a paradise for geology and fossil buffs. Each year, the sea eats away the cliffs some more, making Denmark a bit smaller than it already is. The old church at Højerup is a fine proof of that. It was built inland at the end of the 13th century, but the sea slowly ate away the cliffs. In 1928, the graveyard was swallowed by the sea, leaving the church balancing right on the edge of the cliff. Today, the church has been secured and it's possible to visit the balcony at the back where the chancel once was.
Stevns' Cliff became an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014, due to the exceptional evidence of the meteorite crash in Mexico about 65 million years ago which extinct over 50 per cent of all life on Earth.