Northwest Zealand

Northwest Zealand
The Veddinge Hills date as far back as the latest Ice Age, which ended approximately 10.000 years ago. The great hills were formed by the ice masses, pushing piles of stone, gravel and earth in front of it. When the ice melted, and receded, the big, beautiful Veddinge Hills remained. The name Veddinge originates from ancient times. Nothing else is known. The village of Høve, the highest located village in Denmark, lies beside the hills and is also of that time, having always been there. From beach to beach across the Sejerø bay northwards, there are 7.4 miles. The weather is often clear, revealing a magnificent view. Out in the bay, the waters are very deep in several places because of the glacial rivers running through here during the Ice Age. In 1808 the Danish naval officer Peter Willemoes took refuge in the bay to escape from the British warships. Unfortunately, they found him, and in a magnificent naval battle, Peter Willemoes and his ship succumbed to the superior force of the enemy. He and a number of his men are buried in Odden churchyard.

The entire bay is open to the public, but you very rarely meet other people on the beaches. In the entire area, you will find excellent beaches and bathing waters. Many footpaths and public roads lead down to the beaches. Everywhere you will be greeted by a magnificent view. cYou can go very far in several places. Esterhøj close to Høve consists of three burial mounds from the Bronze Ages. The tallest one is 206 feet. It was erected in memory of the reunification with South Jutland, being pulled from the beach, where it lay by horses and people. It took them 11 days to pull the stone onto the hill. There is a beautiful view from Esterhøj as well, and benches facing every direction to relish it with. In the woods by the water in Høve lies Høve woods pavilion and Bed and Breakfast, which in the weekends offers entertainment, afternoon coffee and dinner. In the weekends during the summer it is with musical events.

If you want to experience something extraordinary, you ought to drive to Havnsø habour and take the ferry to Nekselø island. It takes approximately 20 minutes to sail across. You will arrive at a completely different World. There are very few cars, and the ones you meet, have no license plates. There are only a few farms, a camp school down south and a giant colony of gulls up north. It takes approximately two hours to walk round the island. Here you will experience a very hilly and outstanding nature. Remember to bring food and drinks, because it is not possible to buy any on the island. Please be aware of the time, so that you catch the last ferry back.

On the island of Orø, you will find miles of hiking paths, where you can experience a wide variety of bird species at close quarters. And on the northerly part of the island, you can experience the rich birdlife, or seek out fossils by the coastal cliffs. By the low-lying tidal meadows, you will find excellent locations for fishing. Flatfishes, eels, garfishes and sea trouts are some of the fish species most often caught at Orø. If you are lucky, and have some patience, you may also experience seals and porpoises, enjoying life by the coasts of Orø. On the child-friendly beach at Nørrestænge, you can safely go for a swim. The blue flag tells you, that the quality of the water is OK. Orø is also a small titbit for people interested in history and archaeology. The history of the island stretces from the Stone Age across the Bronze Age, the Time of the Vikings, the Middle Ages up to our days.

In the middle of the peninsula of Asnæs, the big ecological farm Mineslund lies. The farm is always open to visitors, and in the farms beautiful fieldstone buildings, you will find an ecological butcher’s shop. On Asnæs you can walk through the quiet, calming depths of the woods, and at the same time have the sea within reach. Here, you will find an extraordinary view across Kalundborg inlet, the harbour and the roofs of Kalundborg town with the Church of ou Lady’s five towers. The Lammefjord inlet is a furcation of the Isefjord inlet in Odsherred northwest of Holbæk. After a damming and a draining of nearly 6,000 hectares of land at the beginning of the 1900’s, most of it is agricultural land. The famous Lammefjord-carrots come from here. Originally Odsherred was a peninsula, which only had access to the rest of Zealand via the narrow tongue of land Draget close to Dragsholm Castle south of Vejrhøj burial mound. The Lammefjord inlet today appears as a flat piece of land. The most noticeable stretch is the road from the towns of Gislinge to Fårevejle. Long, Straight and flat. It is however not entirely flat, as it crosses a couple of the islands, which lay in the inlet before the reclamation.