Grenen

Denmark and Jutland's northernmost point. Here you can truly feel as if you have reached "the end of the world", when you see the two seas – the Kattegat and the Skagerrak – wash over Grenen (the Branch), which is the name of Jutland's northernmost point. The Kattegat and the Skagerrak make Grenen change shape, direction and size almost from one minute to the other.

Within the past couple of years, Grenen has almost been extended by 1 km – among other things because approx. 800,000 m3 of sand is added to the tongue of land every year.

Råbjerg Mile

Råbjerg Mile is one of the biggest migrating coastal dunes in Europe. The 35-40 meter high sand dune generates a "mini desert" of almost 1 km2. The sand dune consists of about 3.5 million m3 sand and moves with an average speed of 15 meters a year in a north-easterly direction. 

Bulbjerg

Each year, more than 150,000 visitors enjoy the magnificent view from Bulbjerg where you on the border between Jammerbugten and Vigsø Bays in clear weather can see the extent of both bays from Hanstholm to the west to Rubjerg Knude to the north. Here, you will also find Denmark's only bird cliff with a couple of hundred breeding pairs of kittiwakes and a few fulmars. The geology is very obvious here, partly because of the natural degradation, partly due to the fact that for centuries, people have sawn limestone directly from the cliff and used it to build houses inland. Graffiti dating from 1864 to 1870 shows how they have worked their way down through the cliff. Moreover, there are plants near Bulbjerg that are basically non-existent in other parts of the world.

Rudbjerg Knude

Rubjerg Knude (Rubjerg Knot) is the highest and most visible part of the approximately 15 km long coastal cliff, called Lønstrup Klint, between Lønstrup and Løkken. The highest point at Rubjerg Knude is approximately 90 metres above sea level. These 90 metres include approx. 50 metres of regular cliff and approx. 40 metres of shifting sand. Cliff growth has been particularly significant the past 50 years. This is obvious at Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, where the cliff is as high as the lighthouse. In the strata of Lønstrup Klint one can read the principal characteristics of the landscape's history in Vendsyssel. The oldest is Rubjerg Knude consisting of numerous, steep sheets of melt-water deposits - sand and clay respectively which have been pressed up by ice pressure from the north during the last ice age about 28,000 years ago.

Despite its modest area of only 22 km2, the island of Fur offers a wealth of different and distinctive landscapes. The northern part of Fur is dominated by a hill ridge that runs from east to west and which has steep slopes towards Limfjorden.

Fur is famous for its impressive moler (diatomite) which is only seen in this scenic hill country. The moler was formed on a seabed that covered most of Denmark 55 million years ago. The moler is known for its deposits of well-preserved fossil fish, insects, reptiles and plants. It contains approximately 200 volcanic layers of ashes that have been created through repeated volcanic eruptions in connection with the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean between Norway and Greenland.

Rold Skov (Rold Forest) covers an area of approximately 80 km2 or 8.000 hectares. The forest consists of many parts of forest with different names e.g. Hesselholt, Nørreskov, Nørlund skov and Rold Vesterskov. Until recently, Rold Skov was Denmark's biggest forest, but it has now been overtaken by the forests around Silkeborg.

Today, Rold Skov is primarily a coniferous forest. The sandy and gritty moraine soil along with the high level of rainfall means that this is one of the best growing areas for conifers in Denmark. The forest is famous for it large, dense growths of old pine albeit the storm in 1981 was hard on them. During the storm, 550,000 m3 of trees feel over in Rold Skov (approximately half of Denmark's annual conifer felling).

Fortunately, some of the best parts of the original beech forest have been preserved. The largest forest stands of old nature forest with beech trees grow in Rebild Bakker, Bjergeskov, Troldeskoven and Urskoven. Particularly in Rebild Bakker and in Troldeskoven, the trees are multi-trunked, crooked and knotty – locally referred to as "purker". The shape is caused by a combination of frequent cutting, fungal attacks, game and cattle bites and frost and wind.

Lille Vildmose is the biggest preserved and living raised peat bog in Western Europe. Large part of the areas are today used as peat mulch especially for garden use. The excavated areas are re-established for farming, grazing, lakes and low-level bogs.

Lille Vildmose is Denmark's only large raised bog. The bog is created on a low-lying, flat area covered by the sea. The land uplift of the Stone Age prevented the sea from entering and the lakes that were created as a result have over time changed to a bog. During the Iron Age, the bog could not get rid of excess rain water and this is how the raised bog peat was created. A raised bog only gets water and sustenance from the rain and wind and therefore, raised bogs are home to a special kind of flora.

The bog can be seen from the roads and from the area's bird watch towers.

The southern part of Djursland is one of the country's most hilly and varied landscapes with large hills that in Mols Bjerge raise 137 m above sea level. From a network of winding roads, you get the impression of a natural scenic variation that includes moors, forests, bogs, grazing areas and beach meadows.

Mols Bjerge is one of Denmark's outstanding nature areas. The changing landscape provides living areas for many wild plants and animals. Typical for Mols, it is the animals and plants that require light and heat that live on the dry, sandy and sunny hills and cliffs. Flowers like wind flowers, sticky catchfly, and yellow everlasting. Butterflies, many other insects, and the ectothermic animals such as lizards and adders also belong here. Birds and mammals are also well represented, most eye-catching are tits, woodpeckers and birds of prey, but also foxes, hares and deer are often spotted.

The mid-Jutland lake highland is Denmark's highest situated and most lake-rich landscape. The landscape is characterized by extensive forests, lakes surrounded by forest, moors and many small areas of open grazing. A number of the large lakes are connected by the country's largest stream, Gudenåen. Salten Å (Salten Stream) also puts its mark on the landscape.

In this area, you find Denmark's two highest points: Yding Skovhøj, which is 173 meters, and Ejer Bavnehøj, which is 171 meters high. However, you will get the most impressive view from Himmelbjerget (The Sky Mountain) which is 147 meters high.

The view from Himmelbjerget is something special. At the top of the hill's 147 meters, you are elevated almost 130 meters above Julsø Lake below. This provides for an incredible view of lakes and forests that have plenty of bird life; e.g. woodpeckers and many birds of prey.

Today, Skovbjerg Bakkeø (Skovbjerg Hill Island) is one of Denmark's most unspoiled and extensively exploited landscapes. The terrain is calm and flat with plantations and farming soil divided by moors with juniper berry bushes and dunes.

In Stråsø Plantation, you can experience some of Denmark's largest moor areas. There are signposted hiking trips in the plantation. The large moor areas are maintained through burning, cutting the heather, sheep grazing, and removal of self-sowing conifers.

The Wadden Sea, which stretches from Blåvands Huk to the north and 500 km to the south to Germany and Holland, is one of the world's most important habitats for water birds and essential for many of the visiting migrating birds.

The Wadden Sea has more than 30 islands, of which three are inhabited: Fanø, Mandø and Rømø.

It is not least because of the tidal water that the Wadden Sea is a special nature area, which e.g. shows when the large wades dry out during low tide. The Wadden Sea's special value is also due to the fact that small streams and large rivers enter the North Sea through the Wadden Sea. 

Anholt island is situated in the Kattegat approximately 45 km from Djursland and can be reached by ferry from Grenaa. To the west, there are steep hills and at their foot, lies Anholt town. The easternmost 4/5 of the island is made up of low-lying cliff and beach ridge areas, called the "Desert". The reddish sand makes life hard for plants and animals. It requires a special kind of toughness and innovativeness to grow and find food here.

The island is with its just over 150 inhabitants one of the most nature inspired and untouched areas in Denmark.

The area is marked out by the coast from Assens to Svendborg to the north, Ærø island to the south, and the coast of Langeland island to the east. There are many inhabited and uninhabited islands in the area. The inhabited islands are culture landscapes with fields, living fences and pollards along the narrow roads. The uninhabited islands – the islets – are nature areas.

Among the special nature areas worth a visit, we suggest the islands of Lyø and Drejø, Thurø reef, Vejlen and Noret on Tåsinge island, and Skarø island and Voderup cliff on Ærø island.

In the area of Svanninge Hills just to the northeast of Fåborg, you can experience the epitome of the South Funen landscape with its hills, winding roads, living fences and beautiful timber frame houses.

Svanninge Hills were created towards the end of the last ice age 20,000 years ago. During the thousands of years that have passed since the ice melted, melt water and rain has formed the landscape. Today, you can experience steep cliffs and deep clefts in Svanninge Hills. The landscape is very hilly and from the top of the hills, you have a view of south-western Funen and the South Funen Archipelago. Here, you can experience many different types of nature and the plant and animal-life is very varied.

The area comprises the peninsula of Hindsholm with small islands, among others Romsø, and Enebærodde with small islets in the north-western part of Odense Fjord. The area is an old Ice Age landscape formed during three ice ages and it is now connected by hill tops, land tongues and raised sea beds from the Stone Age.

In the middle of the peninsula are the special torpedo shaped hills that were formed during the last ice age. On the northernmost tip of Funen is the beautiful nature area of Fyns Hoved (Funen's Head) which separates the Kattegat and the Great Belt. Fyns Hoved is an attractive place for an excursion.

Røsnæs, Zealand's westernmost point, is characterised by an open and very hilly landscape with many beautiful views of the sea to Sjællands Odde (Zealand's Tip) and Sejerø and Samsø islands. Røsnæs has less rain and more hours of sun than the rest of country on average, and this is reflected in the plant-life. On the cliffs, you can many places see wind-shaped thickets of among other things blackthorn and different hawthorn and rose bushes. These thickets are particularly beautiful around Vindekilde-Grimsdal. 

Jægersborg Deer Park is with approximately 7.5 million annual visitors the most visited nature area in Denmark. The deer park's many, inter-connected paths make the area available to everybody, also for buggies and wheelchairs and there is ample opportunity to plan your own trip.

Jægersborg Deer Park was created in 1669 when Frederik III decided to fence off some forest and deer game was moved to the forest. This became the kings' private hunting area for the following 100 years, but it was also the beginning of a forest which distinctive features all visitors appreciate greatly today. The Deer Park has been open to the public since 1756.

One of the distinctive characteristics of the Deer Park is the 2,000+ deer that make the experience even better for visitors. The population is large enough for visitors to easily see the deer and experience them at their best. 

The landscape surrounding the Tystrup-Bavelse Lakes consists of a manor house landscape with great forest and agricultural areas. The southern and eastern part of the area is traversed by the Suså Stream.

The usual slightly hilly Zealand landscape is replaced in this area by forceful terrain formations around the Tystrup-Bavelse Lakes and the Suså Stream Valley. Two large glaciers met here during the last ice age about 15,000 years ago and they along with the melt water rivers created the landscape and the valley that the Suså Stream now runs through. The area offers rich opportunity for varied and exciting nature experiences. 

The area is made up from the islands Askø, Lillø, Fejø, Femø, Rågø, Skalø and Vejrø as well as the accessible costal areas of Lolland and Falster. The archipelago has low waters with spread-out uncultured islands - the coasts of which changes from flat beaches to low cliffs.

Møns Klint with the high limestone cliffs and the old beech forest with the crooked trees that grow close to the cliffs' edges is one of the most famous and most visited Danish nature areas. As a result of the limestone-rich soil, the composition of plants in the forest is very special. Møn's Klint is one of Denmark's best botanic localities. Of particular interest are the protected orchids and the many blue anemones.

In spring, Møn's Klint is a great place to watch migratory birds. For those interested in geology, the cliff formations are very attractive. The deposit layers of limestone and flint are easily viewed from the beach side. On the beach, which is first and foremost made out of rounded flint stones, you can see several types of fossilization – mainly sea urchins and belemnites.

19. Northern Bornholm
Hammeren (the Hammer) is a steep granite crag, rising above the Baltic Sea (up to 82 m) and separated from the rest of Bornholm by a deep rift valley. The island's largest lake is situated, Hammersøen (The Hammer Lake), is situated at the bottom of the rift valley. The Hammer was previously a place for quarrying granite. In 1970, the crag became protected and the stone quarrying ended – but the evidence is still fresh in many places.

The fauna is, as on the rest of Bornholm, characterized by the eastern location and as a result it varies from the rest of the country. Among the Baltic Sea inspired species are wild camomile, dragon's teeth, scurvy-grass and red cotoneaster. During spring, there is a large migration of birds especially small birds, but also birds of prey, common cranes, geese, ducks, cormorants etc. 

Ertholmene Archipelago consists among other things of the two inhabited cliff islands Christiansø and Frederiksø connected by a bridge and the uninhabited island Græsholmen which is rich in birdlife.

Where Bornholm could be known as a different Denmark and may seem very distinctive, the archipelago of Ertholmene is something very special with distinctive birds and plants. You feel like you have been transferred to a windy Swedish skerries combined with an intimate South European atmosphere on the islands to which there is a ferry connection from Allinge and Gudhjem situated on the eastern part of Bornholm.