On a cold winter’s day in 1513, on his way from Ribe to Aalborg, King Hans fell into the water as he crossed the River Skjern. He contracted pneumonia, which cost him his life.
In connection with the restoration of the River Skjern in 2003, King Hans’ Bridge was built on the same site. It is Denmark’s longest wooden suspension bridge. The sturdy pylons are made of “naval oaks”, which were planted in 1807 after the loss of the Danish fleet to the English. They were intended for building warships, but when the trees reached mast height 200 years later, the need for wooden warships was very limited.
