1.3 kmSvanesøen in Ølgod
A peaceful lakeside break close to town, a nice contrast to a forest outing
Ølgod Byskov is so close to town that you can enjoy it without much planning: a short loop after work, a packed-lunch break with the children, or a longer outing where the forest gradually changes character among trails, hills and places to stop.
The History Trail makes the forest more than just trees and exercise. Along the way, stops bring together stories about the forest's origins, nature, burial mounds, local people and activities. The Heart Paths offer a more exercise-focused route through the area, and in several places the terrain recalls the sandy past that the forest was planted to tame.
The forest is used for walking, running, cycling and MTB. The marked routes, packed-lunch shelters, picnic tables and outdoor stage make the area practical for both everyday use and short outings. The MTB trails follow their own routes, so walkers should take care where trails and tracks meet.
What makes Byskov special is that it began as a practical project. The plantation was intended to provide shelter and stop inland dunes from becoming shifting dunes with blowing sand. Today, the original mountain pine plantation has become a more varied forest, where the history is still underfoot in the sandy hills.
The memorial stone’s name reaches beyond the forest path. Niels Hansen Uhd was a farmer at Egknudgaard and a prominent local figure in Ølgod.
In 1882 he was the penman for the bylaws of Hjedding Cooperative Dairy, Denmark’s first cooperative dairy. Among other things, the rules were based on one vote per member, regardless of the number of cows. Uhd was also a co-founder and chairman of Ølgod Aktieplantage, so the stone stands among the trees for a reason.
In the north-eastern part of Ølgod Byskov, Hanssinelund is situated close to the railway line to Tarm and Nørre Allé. The grove was established by the bookseller couple Hans and Sine Nielsen, who planted trees and erected memorial stones to Danish authors from 1909 to 1955.
The stones are not polished monuments, but natural stones bearing a name, quotation or simple decoration. Here, the cause of tree planting meets a love of reading in a small forest grove, where H.C. Andersen, Blicher, Aakjær and Pontoppidan appear among the trees.
