Dyrby Krat

Turf suggestion starting from Dyrby

Walk down the country road past the Dyrby wastewater treatment plant.

The valley is a meltwater valley from the Ice Age. It follows down through the hazel thicket to an open space that was previously used for outings by Sunday schools in Randers and the surrounding area and was called the festival site. To the right of the space is a high hill, known in local lore as Himmelbjerget. To the left in the open space stands an apple tree. Here are the remains of a residence that once housed a miller's apprentice and his family.

Turn left down towards Kærby Mill and the mill pond. Walk quietly along the woodland path and you may encounter a doe on your way to Kastbjerg Ådal.

From Kærby Mill, the route goes along the oak forest towards the west.

Between Dyrby Thicket and Kastbjerg Stream, Denmark's longest rich fen reveals itself, living up to its name by being a plant community on a moist or wet base with many different species. The fen is also rich in cuckoo flowers.

The rich fen is fed by the natural spring water that flows out from under the hills in Dyrby Thicket. The springs are rich in the building blocks of nature, lime, but otherwise nutrient-poor.

A look at a couple of the springs puts the issue into perspective: While the nutrient-rich spring with too much nitrogen is almost overgrown with tall nettles, creeping bentgrass, and high docks, the nutrient-poor spring just a few meters away is rich in species and has low and varied vegetation.

In Kastbjerg Ådal, you can see the remnants of the old fort "Ulvholm," which dates back to the 1100s-1200s.

Afterwards, there is a steep ascent out of Dyrby Thicket. Above, you will meet Kolshøjene, which among the many Bronze Age burial mounds in the area are among the largest.