1.2 kmSkjern Meadows
The entire landscape around the pumping station unfolds here, with wetlands, dikes, paths, bridges, and the delta of Skjern Å.
Pumping Station North is a viewpoint with more substance than an ordinary birdwatching tower. Here you stand on a building that is still part of the water management around Skjern Enge, while the landscape lies open in flat layers: canals, dikes, wet meadows, fields and a low horizon.
What makes it special is not only the view, but the contrast. To the north lies the agricultural land that the pumping station still helps keep dry. To the south and west lies the restored natural area, where water has once again been given more space. The concrete building makes the story unsentimental: Skjern Å Valley is not just nature, but a landscape that people have straightened, drained, regretted and reshaped.
Inside the pumping station there is a small exhibition about the pumps and the transformation from wet meadows to fields and on to restored nature. Nearby you will find trails, tow ferries, tables, benches and shelter options, so the place works as a base for both a short break and a longer trip out into the meadows. Here, technology, birdlife and Danish nature policy are so close together that the change can almost be pointed out with a finger.
Immediately west of Pump Station North stands the memorial stone for the drainage of the river valley, erected in 1977 by landowners in the Skjern River Valley. The stone reads: “Drainage of the river valley 1940-1969. Through unity, fertile land was won” followed by four names.
The short text has become more ambiguous over time. The drainage turned wet meadows into farmland, but later large parts of Skjern River Valley were restored to nature, and about 2,200 of the roughly 4,000 drained hectares were returned to nature.
Blishønen is located at Pump Station North and provides access from the north side to Kalvholm, the delta’s largest island. The ferry is self-service: you pull yourself across the stream by the rope along the edge, making the crossing a small physical reminder that Skjern Enge is a water landscape and not just a view.
The ferry can take up to 12 people at a time, bicycles are allowed, and life jackets are on board. The other cable ferry, Rørhønen, can be reached from the south via Gl. Botoftevej.
At Pumpestation Nord there is a simple overnight site with two large shelters, a barbecue area and a compost toilet. The site lies open in the landscape close to Skjern Å, the ferry crossings and the pumping station, so wind, water and flat meadows are close to the sleeping bag here.
There is no water at the site itself, and the Danish Nature Agency’s site cannot be booked. A toilet can also be found in the pumping station about 100 metres away – a practical detail when the night in the marshes becomes more raw than romantic.
North of the dike lies the other half of the story. Here, Pump Station North still drains large field areas out toward Skjern River, and the landscape is flat, regulated, and cultivated.
The fields were not restored as wetland in the same way as the central parts of Skjern Enge. Therefore, the dike stands almost like a line in the landscape: controlled farmland on one side, restored wetland on the other.
From Pumpestation Nord, the trail goes approximately 3 km west toward Ringkøbing Fjord, where the Skjern River flows out. The route follows a farm track and footpath along the river through marshes, willow scrub, and alder woodland.
Here, the river’s work becomes visible: the river splits into several branches and deposits material in Denmark’s only river delta. At the end is a viewing tower with views over the delta, the fjord, and the dunes on the horizon.
The parking area at Pumpestation Nord has space for approximately 15 cars and serves as a practical starting point for trips in Skjern Enge. Here you will find information boards about the Skjern Å project as well as a pavilion with a lean-to roof and a firm surface.
From the area, it is a short walk to the pump station viewpoint, the paths towards the delta, the cable ferries, and the rest facilities by the river. In the open meadow landscape, the weather can quickly make the trip harsher, especially when wind, rain, and dampness set in.