Guide to the Haervejen Trail in Denmark -- Viborg to Padborg

[ebrandt]

Hi All, last summer we walked the Haervejen trail in Denmark from Viborg to the German border at Padborg. I made a guide for our walk which I finally have updated and I blogged while we were walking. If you are interested in this lovely walk, check out our blog and guide: the Haervejen on Footloose & Tuition Free. Liz

 

[Kitsambler]

the Haervejen trail in Denmark from Viborg to the German border at Padborg.

Can we get a quick-and-dirty summary? Flat/hilly? Rural/road? Well-supplied with accommodation or long stages between stops?

 

[mla1]

Excellent! Thanks for this!

 

[ebrandt]

Just for you Kitsambler —the 50 cent tour!

The Danish government has provided incentives to establish hostels along the Hærvejen. They are pretty evenly spaced and are dedicated to walkers and bikers. The route is organized into 14 stages around these hostels. There is one longish stage of 32km, the rest are between 18 km and 27 km. We really like to be under 25 per day and had no problems. There are other accommodation options in places, but they can be off the route by a fair amount so if you use them you might want to bus or cab or see if the proprietor would give you a lift. I worried that with “everyone” heading to the same hostels, we might not get accommodation, particularly because we are slow. But it was never an issue. We never stayed with more than 3 others.

The walk is pretty flat. There are hills but nothing sustained. The trail is quite rural. It goes through the uplands of Jutland through sandy and peaty areas so it’s pretty “soft”. It has been purposefully routed to skirt the towns and to go through “nature” as the Danes constantly explained. This made the it beautiful and buecolic, but also, in our view, a bit lonely. It also made it difficult to access services. Especially on the first half of the walk, you had to plan ahead for the ATM and food.

The trail is well marked but not frequently marked. So If there are no turns or twists, you can go a long way without seeing a trail marker. We never got lost. But we didn’t have GPS, and there were definitely times we thought we were lost. The trail signs are of a graphic walking man. We took to calling him Einar after my husband’s grandfather. We were always relieved when we came across Einar confirming that were were still on the Hærvejen.

We only met two other walkers going our direction. One was a veteran 70 year old peregrino who was delightful. He was with his daughter and was trying to convince her to walk a Camino with him. The Haervej was her tryout. He was as happy to meet us as we were to meet him and to some share meals and fellowship. We met about 6 walkers going north from Padborg to Viborg. And we met a few bikers going in both directions. It turns out some of the Danish walkers like to end their journey at Viborg Cathedral. Also lots of Danes Do weekend walking trips and day hikes on the Hærvejen.

All and all we loved the Hærvejen. My husband is Danish and we loved this foray into Danish history and culture. Jelling, at about the midpoint of the walk, is the seat of the Danish monarchy and a World Heritage Site. It is not to be missed. But we did crave some additional company some of the evenings.

Liz

 

[lovingkindness]

Hi there Liz,
...so, you had a good time! The art work on the cover of the guide is nice....

Cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[bobotron801]

I just booked my flights the other day!! I will be walking the Hærvejen starting late August from Hirtshals to Padborg. I'm going with my danish friend I met in 2017 on the Camino. Thanks for your posts, it was nice to finally read something about the hærvejen written in english!

Cheers!

 

[bobotron801]

The patches I custom ordered came today, I’m putting one on my pack before I go on the Camino April 1st in hopes of meeting some Danes that have walked it!

 

[Turga]

I will be walking the Hærvejen starting late August from Hirtshals to Padborg.

Maybe you already know this -and then maybe not: The albergues on Hærvejen are only open during the months June, July and August. Check here http://haervejsherberger.dk/the-danish-pilrims-route/

 

[bobotron801]

Maybe you already know this -and then maybe not: The albergues on Hærvejen are only open during the months June, July and August. Check here http://haervejsherberger.dk/the-danish-pilrims-route/

Good to know. Do you know will the shelters still be able for use? Or will we only be able to camp? Starting at the end of August in Hjørring so we won’t even be to viborg or south of until September.

 

[Turga]

I am afraid I don't know about shelters, I will assume they are accessible all year. Maybe you can get some info from the Danish Nature Agency: https://naturstyrelsen.dk/naturoplevelser/overnatning/#{%22x%22:671157,%22y%22:6240022,%22zoom%22:2}

Also be prepared that in September there can be some quite chilly nights

 

[bobotron801]

I am afraid I don't know about shelters, I will assume they are accessible all year. Maybe you can get some info from the Danish Nature Agency: https://naturstyrelsen.dk/naturoplevelser/overnatning/#{%22x%22:671157,%22y%22:6240022,%22zoom%22:2}

Also be prepared that in September there can be some quite chilly nights

Thank you!

 

[Turga]

Just one more thing. I came to remember that there is an app for Hærvejen which you can download for free for IPhone (App Store) and Android (Google Play). I think the app contains all albergues, shelters and campsites along the trail. That may be handy to have.

Buen Camino

 

[jeannick]

Thanks a bunch for the info , I intend to walk the Haervej next spring then onward to St Michael Mount
this should be good

 

[bobotron801]

The Hærvejen app has useful parts but is horrible at distances. I believe they’re actively working on it. I just walked end of August till end of September and the app gives distance as the crow flies. We’d be heading somewhere 22km way but actual distance on the trail was 36km. Horrible.
Also I suggest downloading the shelter app. If you plan to stay in shelters it is hands down the best info for places to stay.

 

[jeannick]

Well , fate is a bitch but an interesting one
had to rush to Europe to bury my mother
it was a typical country affairs . cousins , grand cousins , catching up with siblings
checking on all the little ones who now had kids of their own
it was no so much the mourning of an end as the celebration of a well filled life
in a way it was somewhat fortunate , three days later the covirus business closed public funerals
since I was in Europe my project to walk in Danemark was modified by events
I would walk from Belgium to Copenhagen
.... the fool and his folly are forever joined !
Bruxelles was closed ...fully , is there anything sadder than Belgium with no beer ?
still being this common kind of fool I persisted , the weather was exactly what one could expect at this time of the year , cold and windy , very windy .. there were serious problems with accommodation ,
setting up the tent made the night very cold , all the camping site were closed , so were hotel B&B ..
made it through Loewen and Flanders to Antwerp a mere couple of hundreds Km

it was getting quite a strain , no cafe or place to eat , no accommodation
most grievous , people usually quite friendly to walking fools , were keeping their distances
Germany was in total lock-down so was Denmark , time to call it off

It felt like walking in a land ravaged by the plague , which in a way it was
Paris Bruxelles and Amsterdam were deserted , all activities slowed to a mere minimum
very few souls hurrying across emptied street
it was surrealist , like being in a word which had lost 19 out of 20 of it's people

In Amsterdam , took the last plane going to Doha then the last plane going to Sydney
back home the custom officers informed me I was good for 14 days isolation
which was no drama , I was being supplied by my daughter for all I requested
except that she "forgot" to bring the bottle of whisky
the betrayal which hurt the most is the one from those we love

 

[ranthr]

I went Hærvejen from Fredrikshavn to Viborg in 2014. More hills than expected.