Dalmose - Hyllinge

The southwestern Zealand landscape is, like most of Denmark, shaped by the last ice age, when massive glaciers gradually melted away 15,000 years ago, leaving a landscape with large elongated moraine hills and meltwater valleys.

Today, you can see the valleys as depressions and streams, e.g., Saltø River and Suså Valley. The morainic land is the surrounding hilly area with elevations such as around Hashøj and Flakkebjerg.

Along the former railway line, there is a very varied plant growth. Typical hedgerow trees are birch, European hornbeam, rowan, maple, bird cherry, but also oak and beech grow on the former railway embankments. In addition, many flowering shrubs grow, e.g., blackthorn, lilac, hawthorn, elder, and hazel.

The plants along the Footpath are typically hardy species that grow in places marked by human activity. Such areas are called ruderal (from Latin rudera = 'rubble'), as the soil is often stony, compacted, and rich in nitrogen.

This biotope is characterized by a series of extreme conditions: full sun, lack of shelter, poor drainage, but also rapid drying out. This places great demands on the plants. They must be hardy with a large seed dispersal, and the seeds must be able to lie in the ground for a long time waiting for optimal conditions.

Typical plants in this biotope are shepherd's purse, pigweed, plantain, willow herb, speedwell, and various species of fireweed and dandelion. In autumn, you can find large quantities of blackberries along the path.

There is a rich bird life in the vegetation along the path. Warblers, thrushes, and smaller sparrows find both shelter and protection. In autumn, there are plenty of berries and fruits on trees and shrubs. Over the fields, you can see the kestrel hunting. With quick wingbeats, it almost hovers in the air, looking for mice and insects. The buzzard and the marsh harrier can also be seen gliding over the fields.

Roe deer and hares are frequently seen along the stretch. In winter, the roe deer gather in larger family groups called 'spring'. Roe deer are good at adapting to human activity, so as long as you stay on the path, you have good chances of experiencing these elegant animals up close.

Hyllested Church

The church is in many ways the epitome of a typical Danish village church: whitewashed inside and out, at once intimate and cozy. The tower clock has an exciting old clock face.../read more at friluftsguiden.dk.