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Hiking: Ancient Road from Løgstør - Møldrup

The ancient road follows the 69 km long 'Himmerlandssti' between Løgstør and Aars.

Himmerlandsstien follows the 69 km long trail of Himmerland between Løgstør and Aars.

The areas and towns you pass along the way are something truly special. Here, you can experience culture, history, nature, and a wealth of delightful dining and accommodation options.

Below, you can read a little about the areas you'll encounter when hiking along The Acient Road in Himmerland.

 

Løgstør

The Shellfish Town Løgstør is an old and charming coastal town, approved as a market town in the year 1900. The Shellfish Town boasts an authentic urban environment with a cultural harbor and fine old fishing houses. The nature in and around Løgstør, along with a multitude of different experiences, makes the Shellfish Town one of Denmark's absolute best and most exciting places for the whole family.

Løgstør Harbor has a truly cozy and relaxed atmosphere, and around Kunsttorvet (the Art Square), you can experience plenty of art and live music throughout the summer. On the harbor road, you'll find the distinctive twin lighthouse, Løgstør Grunde Fyr, which safely guides ships through the narrow channel, Løgstør Grunde. The Limfjord Museum offers the cultural history of the Limfjord, and you can also join one of the Limfjordsmusem's Limfjord Narratives, where you'll take a boat trip on Frederik VII's Canal, all while one of the museum's guides tells about the canal. You can also take a leisurely stroll along the canal and enjoy the area's truly unique flora and special natural conditions.

Throughout the year, there are plenty of events, including the famous wooden ship race Limfjorden Rundt (Around the Limfjord) and the Shellfish Festival. You can also try your hand at the culinary arts at the Løgstør Shellfish Cooking School, or simply enjoy the day at Løgstør Beach. In the middle of the town, you'll find Løgstør Church, which was built of red brick in 1893. The church is 32.6 meters long with a 46.5-meter-high spire, which was, for a long time, the first landmark travelers from the south could see. In 1993, the church underwent an extensive renovation, where Arne L. Hansen created a completely new and very exciting church space.

 

The Himmerland Heathlands

The Himmerland Heathlands are a remnant of over 1300 hectares of the enormous heath that covered a large part of the region until the 19th century. They are the West Himmerland heaths Vindblæs, Oudrup, Ajstrup, and Lundby, which are once again growing together into a natural unit without disturbing elements such as houses, masts, and power lines. A walk across the heath reveals an impressive wealth of flowering plants and low bushes, and in the summer, you can experience a fantastic array of flowers, which in late summer give way to the heather, forming a red and purple carpet over the hills.

 

Vindblæs

Vindblæs is one of the station towns that emerged when the railway came to West Himmerland. Vindblæs is home to Vindblæs Mill, a so-called Dutch windmill clad in shingles, built in the years 1875-79. Inside the mill stand grinders, millstones, and sieves exactly as when the mill was in use. Vindblæs reportedly got its current name when a storm knocked down all the houses in the town. The houses were built of clay at the time, which is why the storm could knock them over. The town was subsequently rebuilt around Vindblæs Church, which today is located in what is now called Old Vindblæs.

Vindblæs Church is an old medieval church situated high on a hilltop. The church's nave and choir were constructed in Romanesque style of finely hewn granite blocks on an attic base. The porch and the tower were built in late Gothic style around 1550, and the tower has served as a maritime landmark because it stands so high and can be seen from afar. The church was last restored in 2001.

 

Hornum

In Hornum, you can visit the Himmerland Railway Museum, located in the former station building, and experience the history of the Himmerland railways over well 100 years. The Himmerlands Railway Museum is Denmark's smallest railway museum, but the museum is also one of the best-preserved. Hornum falls under Ulstrup Church, which was originally built in Romanesque style with rare rounded corners. The church now appears as a cross church with a nave from 1936, built across the old church. However, you can still see the original chancel arch in the church.

 

Gatten

In Gatten, you'll find the Himmerlands Golf and Spa Resort, where you can enjoy tranquility in scenic and private surroundings, with a view over Sjørup Lake. When the Himmerlands Golf and Spa Resort expanded the golf courses in 1989, they found the ruins of a church from Romanesque times. The church ruin is situated on a slope down towards little Sjørup Lake, and the stones from the church's demolition were used, among other things, to build Ulstrup Church in Hornum. Around the church ruin, there is a cemetery with about 1,300 graves.

 

Aars

Aars is a trading town centrally located in the heart of Himmerland, where both nature and city life have plenty to offer. The history of Aars is as old as it is exciting. The valiant Cimbri lived in the area about 2000 years ago, which is why the people of Himmerland are also known as Cimbri. You can experience the history of Aars at the Vesthimmerlands Museum, which houses more than 12,000 years of archaeology and cultural history. Here, for example, you can see a copy of the Gundestrup Cauldron, which was found in the Rævemosen near Borremose Fortress. The Danish Contemporary Museum in Aars is run by volunteer enthusiasts and has one of the country's largest collections of objects from everyday life from 1900 onwards.

The squares of the city of Aars are a beautiful sight, and they are adorned with beautiful artworks created by international artists like Per Kirkeby, Kirsten Ortwed, and Poul Gernes. Aars Church was built between 1200 and 1250 as a typical granite church, and inside the church, you can see a gravestone of beautiful blue slate from 1651. Aars also offers an outdoor swimming pool and a planet trail, where you have the opportunity to illustrate the vastness of the solar system.

 

Aalestrup

Aalestrup is actually a young trading town that was established in the 1890s when the railway came to Vesthimmerland. The main street in the middle of the town is partially one-way, and a quiet stroll in the downtown area shows that there is a wide selection of diverse grocery stores. Let the walk take you past Aalestrup Church, where at the entrance to the church, you'll find a cemetery with an interesting sandstone monument from World War II.

Denmark's Bicycle Museum in Aalestrup shows the history of the bicycle from the first pedal-less wooden bikes to one of the very modern racing bikes from the Tour de France in 1954.

Jutland Rose Park, which has more than 200 different species of beautiful, colorful, and fragrant roses, is definitely also worth a visit. Testrup Church is located about 3 kilometers outside Aalestrup and is an exciting and historic place, especially for pilgrims. Until 1748, there was a hospital church here, and the ruins of it can still be seen by the church. Between Aars and Aalestrup, you cross the Lerkenfeld Å, a natural river with shallow gravel and stone banks.

 

Møldrup

Møldrup is like many other station towns, a young town. It emerged in 1893, shortly after the railway between Løgstør and Viborg was established. Today, Møldrup is a typical station town without a station, but with, among other things, an inn, a bakery, a grocery store, a pizzeria, and a gas station. On the former station area, there is a picnic house with table/benches and an outdoor fireplace with benches. The public toilet is accessible at the bus waiting area next to the former station building. In Møldrup, there are bus connections to, among other places, Viborg and Aalestrup.

About 5 km west of Møldrup via Vester Tostrup, you can take a detour to the natural area Borup Hede and C.E. Flensborgs Plantage.

Near the village of Skringstrup, where Skringstrup City Park is located right by the trail of Himmerland, 2 shelters and a compost toilet have been set up, as well as a firehouse. There is the possibility of setting up a tent and access to water. In Skringstrup, there is also a B&B