Odsherred: Coast, Ice Age and Culture

Odsherred combines 160 kilometres of coastline along Sejerø Bay, the Kattegat and the Isefjord with a unique landscape shaped by the Ice Age and under international protection. Geopark Odsherred was certified as Denmark’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. History, art and food production are also part of the region’s character.

Coast, protected areas and nature

You can enjoy Odsherred’s beaches all year round. Overby Lyng is protected for its distinctive, well-preserved flora; from there, views stretch across Sejerø Bay to Ordrup Næs. Hov Vig offers a different kind of diversity: the area consists of wetlands, meadows, dry grasslands and forests, and can be explored on foot or by bike. A path along Hovvigvej leads through the bird sanctuary.

Walking trails through the Ice Age landscape

Odsherred has around 300 kilometres of walking trails through a varied landscape shaped by the Ice Age. The Culture Trail is a 5.8-kilometre walking route connecting Nykøbing Sjælland, Nykøbing Harbour and the cultural environment of Anneberg. Along the route, you can listen to eight podcasts that add a cultural perspective to the walk.

The Højderygstien passes Bronze Age burial mounds and viewpoints in the heart of UNESCO Global Geopark Odsherred. It follows the three distinctive geological formations known as Odsherredbuerne, which formed during the last Ice Age around 17,000 years ago. A seven-kilometre section follows Vejrhøjbuen and offers views across Sejerø Bay and the Lammefjord. The Ice Age Route takes a different scale: it is a 390-kilometre combined experience and cycling route, divided into five stages through Odsherred and West Zealand. Along the way, it explains how the Ice Age shaped the landscape around 20,000 years ago.

Culture and history in different places

Solvognens Fundsted in Trundholm Mose tells the story of changing ways of life and landscapes, as well as Bronze Age sun worship and offerings from around 3,500 years ago. Malergården preserves the well-kept artist’s home of the Swane family in the form it took from the mid-1930s, when Sigurd Swane and his family made it their home. A collection of rare herbs, once used in medicine and witchcraft, grows in the schoolyard of the Odsherred Museum. The museum is about a ten-minute walk from Nykøbing Sjælland station.

The Odsherred Traffic Museum is housed in the warehouse at Hørve station and tells the story of the development of public transport, especially in West Zealand. The focus is on the private railway lines Odsherredsbanen and Høng-Tølløse Banen, which opened in 1899 and 1901 respectively. The region’s history thus spans everything from Bronze Age themes to the development of transport and a 20th-century artist’s home.

Dragsholm Castle: history, hotel and cuisine

Dragsholm Castle has a long history involving, among others, kings and nobles. Visitors can experience 800 years of Danish history in its atmospheric halls and corridors. Historical tours take visitors through the castle’s architecture and the events that have shaped the place. They are offered several times a year and tickets are sold through the events page; if you plan to join a tour, check the dates there. Dragsholm Castle has served as a hotel and restaurant open to the public since 1937.

The cuisine is also part of the castle experience: Dragsholm Castle offers a Michelin experience shaped by seasonal ingredients and the unique terroir of the Lammefjord. Details of individual menus may change. Another option for a day out is Sommerland Sjælland amusement park, with more than 60 rides and activities, as well as the outdoor water park Den Blå Lagune. Individual rides may change.

Getting there and finding your way

Odsherredsbanen line 510R runs between Nykøbing Sjælland and Holbæk; trains pass through each station twice an hour. Check the timetable for your specific journey. The Rørvig–Hundested ferry serves Odsherred. If you plan to take the ferry, check the crossing times for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Fårevejle Stationsby, Stenstrup, Abildøre, Hørve, Skæreby, Lestrup, Yderby, Hønsinge, Vig, Tengslemark, Veddinge, Starreklinte, Rørvig, Plejerup, Nyrup, Nykøbing Sjælland, Lumsås, Høve Strand, Højby, Havnebyen, Grevinge, Gudmindrup, Føllenslev, Ebbeløkke, Bøsserup, Asnæs, Sjællands Odde, Ordrup, Klint, Nørre Asmindrup, Strandhuse, Holte and Fårevejle Kirkeby.

For the main travel overview: Zealand.