3.5 kmAnsager in the 1950s Seen from a Child’s Perspective
Childhood memories show Ansager’s daily life, shops, and family near Kvie Sø
Kvie Sø is one of those places where a family outing can be quite simple: the water is close to the parking area and playground, and a marked Heart Trail of approximately 2,2-3,3 km runs around the lake. The trail is described as easy to navigate, including with a pram, wheelchair or similar.
The northern end is the lake's beach, with a sandy bottom, shallow water and a bathing jetty. This is also where swimming is permitted according to the protection regulations. The rest of the lake is not merely a backdrop for the swimming trip, but a protected and sensitive lobelia lake, where the underwater plants are part of the reason for its protection.
The history of Kvie Sø as a swimming destination began in a very practical way: In the early 1930s, bathers cycled from Grindsted past the Søknude farm and onwards along a country lane. Farmer Niels Peter Larsen saw the opportunity and obtained refreshments from the baker in Ansager. The traffic grew, and in 1932 he had a pavilion built so guests could sit indoors with food and drinks. The somewhat grand name Riviera is therefore rooted in a very Jutland beginning: bicycles, a country lane and a farmer with an eye for thirsty bathers.
In the 1960s, harsh winters could turn Kvie Sø into something quite different from a bathing lake: an ice track. In 1966, ice racing was held on the frozen lake with both sidecar motorcycles and several car classes.
The track is described as 1,000 meters long and marked with hay bales. According to a local history article, there were 7,000 spectators that same year. Today, the story stands in sharp and clear contrast to the lake’s protected status as a rare lobelia lake.
Kvie Sø became a bathing spot in the 1930s, when people from Grindsted cycled here, and farmer Niels Peter Larsen began selling refreshments. In 1932, the pavilion opened, marketed as “KVIE SØ first-class bathing spot”.
In the 1960s, bathing fever peaked: thousands could come on a summer day, and in 1965 UDE OG HJEMME called the place “The Jutland Riviera”. Today, swimming is limited to the northern end, because the lake's rare underwater plants cannot tolerate much wear.
