The Dolmens

A Neolithic Passage Grave near Kærby

Between the small villages of Kærby and Jerslev in Kalundborg Municipality lies one of West Zealand's best-preserved passage graves. The Dolmens date back to the Neolithic period — the Funnel Beaker culture — and were built approximately 5,000 years ago as burial chambers for the early farmers who cleared the forests and cultivated the rolling moraine landscape.

A Landscape Steeped in History

The area around Kærby and Jerslev is characterised by an open, gently undulating agricultural landscape with long views across fields and hedgerows. The passage graves rise subtly from the terrain and can be easy to overlook if you don't know what to look for. That's precisely what makes the discovery so fascinating — suddenly you're standing before a construction that has lain here for millennia while the landscape has fundamentally changed around it.

Stone Age Construction Techniques

A passage grave is distinguished by its chamber, typically built from large supporting stones with one or more capstones on top, and a passage leading into the chamber. The construction was originally covered by an earth mound, but on many passage graves — including this one — the soil has eroded away over time, leaving the stones more or less exposed. This provides an opportunity to study the impressive building technique at close quarters and imagine the enormous labour that went into the construction.

Kalundborg Municipality's Stone Age Heritage

Kalundborg Municipality contains a remarkable number of ancient monuments, and the concentration of passage graves and dolmens in the area between Kærby, Rørby and Jerslev is particularly high. This testifies to the fact that this was a densely populated and fertile area as far back as several thousand years ago. The early farmers deliberately placed their burial monuments at prominent points in the landscape, often with good views — a feature you can still sense today.

Visiting the Dolmens

The Dolmens at Kærby-Jerslev are freely accessible year-round. It's advisable to bring wellies, as access may involve field paths that can be muddy at times. The site is most atmospheric in early spring, when the landscape is bare and the structures clearly visible, or during long summer evenings when the light falls softly across the ancient stones.

Experiences Nearby

The area offers several other ancient monuments within a short drive — including Hyldehøj, Nordenhøj and Olshøj, all situated in the same historically rich landscape between Kærby and Rørby. The town of Kalundborg with its famous five-towered church and medieval town centre is just a fifteen-minute drive to the north. For even more experiences in the area — from coastal walks to cultural history — visit destinationsjaelland.dk.