Give – Sculptures, heath history and nature

Give combines a landscape of sculptures spread throughout the town with insights into heath history and contrasting landscapes in the surrounding area. When planning a stay, there are several themes to choose from: outdoor art, cultural history, and trails through forests and hilly terrain. If you are looking for a hotel in Give, you can consider which of these aspects of the town you would like to shape your stay.

Sculptures, festivals and guided cycling tours

Skulpturby Give presents 90 sculptures arranged around the town as an open-air gallery. The number may change as works are added or removed. The sculptures spread around Give make them a distinctive focus of a visit to the town, rather than grouping them at a single exhibition site.

The annual program includes two festivals jointly organized by Skulpturby Give, Give Handel & Erhverv, and Give Udviklingsråd: the Art & Sculpture Festival in June and the Ice Sculpture Festival in December. They offer different seasonal highlights. If you plan to time your trip to coincide with one of the festivals, check the exact dates in advance.

A guided cycling tour visits sculptures on the outskirts of town and ends at Solhjul. There, the story of the 11-meter-high wheel is told. The tour therefore combines the theme of sculpture with an explanation at the site; check availability and dates before your trip.

Heath history at the museum and church

Give Museum focuses on the cultural history of the heath and the defining interactions in the border region between the West Jutland heath and the East Jutland farmland. This perspective on a transitional region offers a thematic framework that extends beyond the history of a single place. The museum’s extensive outdoor grounds include an allotment garden, the kilns of a Jutland potter, and a forest playground in Museumsskoven. As details of the outdoor grounds may change, it is a good idea to check them before your visit.

Another historical landmark is Give Church. It was built in the 12th century at a sacred spring. Give therefore offers different forms of cultural heritage: the history of the heath and its regional interactions at the museum, and the medieval history of the church. You can consider these themes as separate focuses when planning your trip.

Forests, trails and landscapes in the surrounding area

Hastrup Plantage, a forest area with hiking trails, lies north of Give. The terrain changes noticeably from west to east: the large western section is almost flat, while to the east it slopes down steeply toward Skjern Å and Hastrup Sø. East of the river valley, the terrain becomes hillier. If you are interested in the landscape, you will find a variety of terrain within the same forest area. The description also makes clear that “Hastrup Plantage” does not refer to a uniformly flat woodland.

In the wider area around Give lies Rørbæk Sø, a distinct ice-age tunnel valley lake. Forests and steep slopes line the lake along its entire length, with heath and juniper bushes growing on the slopes. Together with Hastrup Plantage, it offers a picture of the regional landscape that encompasses both the transition from flat to hilly terrain and the combination of forests, water and heath.

Cycling route and seasonal outdoor swimming pool

Give-Thyregod Rundt is a 55-kilometer loop with 450 meters of elevation gain. These two figures help you fit the ride into your day’s plans, without in themselves indicating how difficult it is or how long it will take. If cycling is part of your travel plans, the route offers a clearly quantified option alongside the guided ride to the sculptures.

Give Friluftsbad has a heated 25-meter pool with diving boards, as well as two children’s pools with slides. As it is a seasonal facility, check opening details before visiting. The outdoor pool is associated with Give Camping, which includes, among other things, a cafeteria. Services available on site may change. Give thus offers cultural and natural attractions as well as seasonal recreational activities to choose from, although these may not all be available at every time of year.

Discover more destinations: Skærup, Børkop, Bredsten, Høl, Brejning, Randbøl, Vesterlund, Båstlund.

For the main travel overview: Vejle Municipality.