Hedvigslyst on Asnæs

In the woods of Asnæs south of Kalundborg Fjord there was once a large farm called Hedvigslyst. Today only the site remains, but it is landmark 15 of Lundbye Landmarks, because the Danish Golden Age painter J.Th. Lundbye both stayed here and drew the view from the peninsula.

A large farm under Lerchenborg

Hedvigslyst was built in 1786 as a four-winged home farm under the Lerchenborg estate. It had around 200 cows as well as young cattle and horses, a dairy and many workers. The farm also owned 13 small cottages along the shore, known as the Strøbyhuse, where farmhands, forest workers and eel fishermen lived. During the 20th century the farm became unprofitable, fell into disrepair and finally stood empty, and in 1953 it burned down.

Lundbye and the view from Asnæs

Lundbye visited Asnæs in late summer 1839, and much suggests that he stayed at Hedvigslyst already then. It is certain that he spent a couple of nights here in July 1847 – the same summer he painted the brickworks in Asnæs Forskov and the slopes at Sortensten. From the 1839 visit comes View from Asnæs, a small drawing in blue ink and watercolour with a farmer at the foot of a hill, a dyke and a haystack. In the background Lundbye wrote the names Reersø and Funen.

What you can see today

The house in the drawing has been demolished, and the hill on the right is probably today’s Rævebakken, which is now covered in forest. From the site you still have a view across the landscape that recalls Lundbye’s, and if you walk a little way up the gravel road from the site you get a sense of the view towards the water. A similar view towards Reersø and Funen can be enjoyed at many places along the coast of Asnæs.

Hedvigslyst lies close to the other landmarks on Asnæs, including the Brickworks, Sortensten and Havnemarken, and the woods and shores of the peninsula invite long walks. Find more inspiration for nature and experiences in the area at destinationsjaelland.dk.