Hovedgård: Railway Station History and Historic Streetscapes

Hovedgård combines a history as a railway town with preserved streets and buildings. At the same time, Tornbjerg is a woodland area on a hill in the centre, while the town stretches into the surrounding landscape between the woodland and the railway. These aspects may influence your choice of hotel: Would you mainly like to trace the town’s development, or explore its links with the surrounding landscape?

Railway station history in the streetscape

The railway station was built in 1868; Hovedgård developed as a railway town around it and the East Jutland longitudinal railway from Padborg to Frederikshavn. This history can be seen in several parts of the townscape. One striking example is the preserved triangular merchant’s courtyard on the corner of Horsensvej and Stationspladsen. Its shape makes it a distinctive architectural feature in the town’s history.

Østergade and Nørregade also preserve elements of Hovedgård’s earliest development as a railway town. These include some residential houses in the Bedre Byggeskik style. Vestergade reveals another part of the historic townscape: a low street-front building line and workshop buildings in the rear courtyards have been preserved there. The workshops are connected with the small businesses that once served the railway town. The street and courtyard thus offer different glimpses of the town’s traditional built environment.

Another point in time is represented by Hovedgård Hallen. It was founded in 1970 by community-minded residents and associations. Its distinctive architecture includes a sloping roof, which is particularly well suited to music. A building with a local founding story and a distinctive architectural feature thus add to the picture conveyed by the older streets and courtyards.

Tornbjerg and the surrounding area

Tornbjerg is a woodland area on a hill in the centre of Hovedgård. The town stretches into the surrounding landscape between this woodland and the railway. This creates a townscape in which woodland, the hill and railway station history sit side by side. This is a different focus from looking at individual historic buildings.

Near Hovedgård, Ørridslev Church stands among fields. It was built in the first half of the 12th century. Its well-preserved frescoes are among the oldest in Denmark. This nearby destination offers a much older historical connection than Hovedgård’s development around the railway station in the 19th century.

Getting your bearings and specific places to visit

Shelter Hovedgård is at the end of Skolebakken and can be reached via the path from the town’s green space. Near the car park on Stationsvej, there is also a small area with play equipment, a shelter and a hut with a fire pit. This area is run by the Hovedgård Residents’ Association. Both locations offer practical guidance for planning a stay in the town, without suggesting a particular route.

Hovedgård Friluftsbad is an outdoor swimming pool at Fruenshave 7 in Hovedgård. If you would like to include it in your plans, check the latest opening information in advance. This way, you can consider this specific place alongside the historic streets, Tornbjerg and destinations in the surrounding area.

The different points of interest are easy to weigh up: the railway town’s history is visible in its streets, courtyards and buildings; Tornbjerg shapes the landscape in the centre; and the nearby church adds an older heritage to the picture. You can tailor your stay in Hovedgård to the topics that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Østbirk, Horsens, Assendrup, Brædstrup, Slagballe

Return to the main travel overview: Horsens.