Hærvejs cycle route: Nørre Snede - Kollemorten
This section of Hærvejen in central Jutland runs from Nørre Snede to Kollomorten. You pass ‘Det store Vandskel’, the place where the rivers Gudenåen and Skjernåen originate and flow in opposite directions. The route also features old oak forests, a medieval pilgrimage church and Margrethediget.
Selected experiences on the route
Rørbæk Lake, Tinnet Krat and Gudenåens Udspring
When you head out into the stunning natural area around Rørbæk Lake, Tinnet Krat and Gudenåens Udspring, you enter a world of beauty and adventure. Park your bike and take a ride along the beautiful hiking trails where you can enjoy the sight of the old bathing facilities and the rich wildlife with roe deer and red deer.
Rørbæk Lake is located close to the Jutland ridge, where the sources of the country's two largest rivers, the Skjernåen and Gudenåen, originate in ponds in valleys a few hundred metres apart. The Hærvejen road crosses the river valley in the centre of the watershed. The lake is surrounded by a unique mix of forests, meadows, plantations and heathland. Tinnet Krat and Kollemorten Krat are some of the country's largest areas of oak scrub and thus Denmark's original forests. You'll clearly see how the poor soil and strong winds have left their mark on the small, crooked, twisted oak trees.
Øster Nykirke and Sankt Peders Kilde
Øster Nykirke, also known as Sct. Peders Kirke, rests majestically on the top of the ridge and is Denmark's highest church, 130 metres above sea level. The church was built in 1150-1200 as a pilgrimage church in honour of Sct. Peders Helligkilde, whose water was once believed to have healing powers.
Sct. Peders Helligkilde can be found just east of the church, where there is a small well surrounded by a replica of a medieval well. At a crossroads south of the church is an old road stone from 1856. The stone is engraved with the place names Colding and Vester Mølle, marking the importance of Hærvejen up to the mid-1800s.
Margrethediget
Just south of Tinnet Krat hides Margrethediget, a 150-metre-long defensive rampart that stands perpendicular to Hærvejen. The origins of the defence rampart are shrouded in mystery, as no one knows when it was built or which Margrethe gave the rampart its name. Remains of weapons and stone hearths have been found, and an iron cannonball has even been found in the dike itself.