5 kmLønborg Hede lies south of Vostrup Østerby and is a place for those who prefer wind, heather and low skies to purpose-built attractions. Here you’ll find heath, bog and small lakes in a protected landscape where nature conservation takes precedence over visitor facilities.
The heath alternates between dry areas with ling heather and crowberry, wet heath with cross-leaved heath, and damp hollows where water periodically rises. Bog rosemary also grows in the wet areas, and Styg Bæk runs through Bredkærlavningen, where there is also a small spring with calcium-rich water.
Old peat cuttings have left behind small lakes and pools. In the southern part are two large marl pits, where the banks around the pits provide a rare little rise in the otherwise flat terrain.
The heath seems desolate, but it is not without traces of human activity. In many places, narrow wheel tracks run through the heather, left from the days when peat was cut in the bogs. Raised-bed fields can be found in the eastern part, and at Ib’s Have, trees still mark the remains of a small croft. This is a heath where history often lies low in the landscape.
Red deer are one of the species you may be lucky enough to spot at Lønborg Hede, especially from the viewpoint at Mergelgravene with a view toward the low-lying lake areas west of the rampart. Binoculars are a clear advantage.
Red deer often seek cover during the day and typically emerge at dusk or other quiet times. They can gather in herds, but they are shy; disturbance can quickly make them disappear back into the heath.
Lønborg Heath previously had regular breeding birds such as black-tailed godwit, Montagu's harrier, and short-eared owl. Today the bird fauna is described as more species-poor, but the crane is one of the species you may be lucky enough to encounter here.
This fits the character of the place: open, wet, and undisturbed. Cranes are shy and sensitive to disturbance in breeding areas, so the experience lies in the distance, the calm, and the sudden sight of a large bird over the heath.
