Herning Municipality: Discover Art, Heathland and Nature

Herning Municipality offers the chance to combine art and industrial history with time in nature. Museums tell the story of the textile industry and lignite mining; outdoors, trails lead through forests, heathland and a landscape shaped by the Ice Age. The excursions you choose to focus on can shape the character of your stay.

Art, Textile History and Lignite

At HEART – Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, contemporary art meets Steven Holl’s distinctive architecture. The museum presents three to four exhibitions a year featuring prominent Danish and international contemporary artists; the specific exhibition themes change. Elia offers a different scale: the hemispherical sculpture is 60 metres in diameter, with an 11-metre-high spherical dome rising above it.

Herningsholm Museum is housed in Herning’s oldest building, dating from 1579. At Tekstilmuseet, discover how the textile industry shaped Midtjylland and its development. At Børnefabrikken, children can play at working in a textile factory: they sew clothes and then transport them by train.

Søby Brunkulsmuseum focuses on the working and everyday lives of the families and workers in the Søby lignite-mining area. Films, machinery, tools, furnishings and 1,500 photographs offer insights into this part of industrial history; there is also a large playground. Guided tours include a drive through the surrounding landscape. If you plan to join a tour, it is best to confirm that it is available before your visit.

For a culinary break, try the speciality beers brewed on site, including Herning IPA, at the restaurant at Bryggeriet Herning.

Forests, Heathland and Trails by the Water

Løvbakke Nature Centre is part of the peaceful Løvbakkerne nature and forest area. The centre includes a nature school, an exhibition, Løvbakkehuset and a wildlife park. The approximately 17-kilometre Løvbakkerne cycling route passes the nature centre, among other places, offering a way to include cycling as you explore the area.

A little north of Herning lies the 28-hectare Fuglsang Sø. There are two bathing beaches on its eastern shore; check bathing conditions separately before swimming. Signposted trails and a disc golf course add to the activities around the lake. The Blå Rum there provides a setting for activities on, in and by the water.

At Præstbjerg Nature Centre, the landscape features rolling heathland, oak scrub, viewpoints, small forests and lakes. A 1.3-kilometre, accessible circular trail with viewpoints and benches runs around Præstbjerg Sø. Præstbjerg Plantage also has a 5.6-kilometre riding trail.

At Deep Forest Art Land, artworks are integrated into the forest. The marked trail is five kilometres long and follows a figure-eight route. It can be used on foot and with a pushchair, wheelchair or walking stick; conditions may vary on the hillier section. The route passes through a landscape with a stream, meadow and traces of the Ice Age. By comparison, the circular trail around Præstbjerg Sø is shorter and follows its own route around the lake.

Practical Information

Herning Station has train connections to Copenhagen, Aarhus and Skjern; the bus station is in the same station square. Timetables may change, so check them before travelling. Public short-stay and long-stay parking is free in Herning city centre. Parking regulations may change, so it is advisable to check locally.

Discover More Destinations:

Ikast, Herning, Troldhede, Sunds, Skarrild, Kibæk, Kølkær, Skærbæk, Ørnhøj, Vildbjerg, Sønder Felding, Sørvad, Avlum, Stakroge

For the main travel overview: Central Jutland.