Nørrestrand

Mossø
Here stood an ice ribbon
during the Ice Age
Gudenådalen
Østbirk
Nørrestrand
St. Hansted Ådal
Nørrestrand
Stensballe
Horsens
Horsens Fjord
Th
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m
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or
wa
y
Lund
The landscape of Nørrestrand
Nørrestrand is a 132 hectare large freshwater
lake, 3 km long and 400-500 m wide. The lake
is located 1 km from the centre of Horsens.
Nørrestrand is a part of Horsens Fjord and is
connected to it through the narrow Stensballe
Sound. Up until 1915, Nørrestrand was a saltwater area, but then sluice-gates were built
into Sundbroen. This prevents salt-water from
entering the meadows and thereby ruining them.
Since then, Nørrestrand has been a freshwater
lake. When the tide is high in the inlet the fresh
water cannot get out, causing flooding of the
area behind Nørrestrand.
Nørrestrand forms the outermost part of the
immense sub glacial tunnel valley called Store
Hansted Ådal. It is 1.5-2 km wide and 10 km
long. St. Hansted Å, rich on water, flows through
it, draining 150 km2.
The stream forms a great delta in the western
part of Nørrestrand where a brook has been
dug; the stream used to branch out. It is dangerous to venture into the delta, as the plants form
a mat on the water’s surface. You never know
how thin it is or when you might step through it.
During the Stone Age, about 4,000 BC, the sea
rose 30 m, flooding large areas of land all the
way to Lund, 7 km further inland. This far inland,
you may actually find deep sea mussels in the
soil. The sea level was 2 m above present day
level, and whenever a gale blew, waves would
go high. The waves attacked the coasts and
caused cliffs to form on the valley sides and on
the islands. Later, the land rose and the cliffs fell
in and became overgrown. The cliffs surround
the entire Nørrestrand and can also bee seen
on the former island of Lindskov Knude.
After the Stone Age, the land rose 2 m and
became so shallow that vegetation covered the
area. Open water first turned into marsh land
and then into willow scrub. The land conquered
the water.
The banks of Nørrestrand have many deep
clefts. These are late glacial rainwater clefts,
formed during the late Ice Age, when all the ice
was melting. Many a spring has its source at
the foot of the slope.
Youth hostel
Bus-stop
Forum Horsens
Upper
path
TEKNIK OG MILJØ
Lower
path
The cliffs west of the youth hostel.
Livestock grass in the cleft of Djævlekløften, which has steppe vegetation.
The function of Nørrestrand
Nørrestrand is a game- and nature reserve.
Preservation prevents hunting and other activities that might endanger the area’s wildlife.
In particular the rich bird life needs protection.
230 bird species have been spotted in Nørrestrand, which is more than half of Denmark’s
bird species.
Many birds breed at Nørrestrand and send their
offspring into the air. This benefits hunting on
the waters of the fjord.
The delta of Store Hansted Å, where it flows into Nørrestrand
Nørrestrand’s latest development
Nørrestrand’s water level is very low; about 75
cm. St. Hansted Å has carried a great amount
of sand and plant parts to Nørrestrand, which
has provided reed and other marsh plants with
excellent conditions to grow.
Reed and other marsh plants make way for the
bushes and trees that grow in the marsh. These
are willow, alder, birch and ash. If the trees and
bushes were allowed to grow unhampered, the
marsh would turn into a scrubland. The view
would disappear and most birds would keep
away, and that would deteriorate the great natural values of Nørrestrand.
The trees and bushes growing on the slopes
have a tendency to conquer them. That is why
nature maintenance is necessary.
The preservation of Nørrestrand
Nature maintenance of Nørrestrand is necessary if the open water, the richness of animal life
and the views are to be preserved. If a nature
reserve is left to its own devices, the nature we
wish to preserve disappears.
Since 1999 the meadows along St. Hansted Å
have been restored by partial remeandering the
stream and removing the dykes along it. This
project has mainly been launched to decrease
the nitrogen flux to Horsens Fjord, but it also
contributes to the improving conditions of Nørrestrand. In addition to this, a sedimentation basin
has been constructed at the outlet of St. Hansted Å. The amount of sand, that is moved by
the stream, is however large enough to cause
a slow silting of Nørrestrand. The bog is slowly
spreading along the lakeshore. Until 2006 reed
was harvested in the bogs around Nørrestrand,
but inexpensive import makes local harvesting
unprofitable. Where the ground is firm, grazing
cattle help preventing overgrowing by trees and
shrubs. In other areas willow and alder are cleared by hand. Several associations of property
owners are involved in the nature conservation,
which is conducted in close collaboration with
the Municipality of Horsens.
Nørrestrand serves as a reservoir, holding in the
water from St. Hansted Å, when the sluices are
closed. But the reservoir is reduced whenever
the bottom of the lake is overgrown and full of
sediment.
Nørrestrand is an important recreational area
for Horsens, as many people go there to walk,
jog, watch the birds or to enjoy nature.
Populated since the Stone Age
When the Stone Age sea stood at its highest,
strong tide was a reality at Nørrestrand. Vast
amounts of oysters, mussels and cockles paved
the sea floor. Fish life and bird life was plentiful.
Seals and whales sometimes strayed into Nørrestrand. The Stone Age hunters lived in the
area, as numerous settlements testify to. Particularly near the water, lots of kitchen middens
with shell heaps have been found. Occasionally,
flint tools serve as testimony of a settlement.
At Lindskov Knude, there was a small settlement
during the agricultural Stone Age. Remnants of
buildings with mud-built walls have been found.
These contained imprints of corn, which suggests that farmers grew different types of wheat.
Denmark’s oldest known domestic horse was
found here. At the time, Lindskov Knude was
an island and therefore easy to defend.
From around 1720, miners dug for white sand in
the galleries that used to run from the Sound and
under the Engineering College. Mining stopped
around 1920, when white sand was no longer
used to whitewash floors. The galleries have
since collapsed.
Nørrestrand used to be a sea branch of Horsens Fjord. It was closed with sluices in 1915 and thereby
turned into a freshwater lake. Today, the area is preserved and constitutes a varied landscape, where
plant and bird life are plentiful and the history of civilisation is quite interesting.
Walking tours and access to the area
The slopes to the south of Nørrestrand and Lindskov Knude are valuable, dry grasslands, where
cattle keep the trees in check.
Favourable parking facilities and paths on the
south side of Nørrestrand provide opportunities
to experience the nature reserve. A set of paths
follow the slope 20-25 m above water level,
while another set of paths go through the reed
forest itself. The gazebo at Lindskov provides a
view to the reed forest. In the area, the Nature
Protection Law applies to rules of traffic:
- It is allowed to walk in public areas, on roads
and paths and in uncultivated areas, if they
are not enclosed.
- It is allowed to ride your bicycle on consolidated paths and roads.
- Access is allowed to publicly owned areas 24
hrs a day.
- Access is allowed to private areas from 6 am
until sundown. Exceptions are enclosures and
cultivated areas.
- Dogs must be kept leashed at all times.
The regional bicycle route no. 31 runs straight
through the area, and bus line 9 goes to the
youth hostel at Nørrestrand. The paths go
through both private and public nature areas
and they are not all marked. Please respect
nature and leave it as you would like to find it.
Published by the Municipality of Horsens in
collaboration with Nature Centre Skovgård and
Nørrestrandsgruppen 1999, revised 2015.
Bird- and plant illustrations: Jens Gregersen
The rest of the illustrations, photos and text:
Eigil Holm, and Technology and Enviroment.
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Slope forest
Tread path
Meadow
Lower path
Reed marsh
DRE
NOR
Højbo
Dalgård
Vantage point
Circular tour
opportunity/car road
Bench
21
RE
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NO
Youth hostel
N
RA
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NEBEL
J
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VÆ
VÆ
RV
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VÆRHOLM
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Vær sø
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RV
Nebelgård
V
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JB
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NORDRE STRANDVEJ
Strandholt
Marianelund
22
HAMMERSHOLM
Hyllekrog
Hansted Strandgård
EJ
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© The National Survey and Cadastre and the Municipality of Horsens
GALGEHØJ
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Bækbo
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Bredmade
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Delta
Meadow
Lower path
Reed marsh
Foot path
Parking
Upper path
Vantage point
VOLDGADE
GSVE
J
FUSS
IN
Tread path
9
Loddentot
Slope forest
8
8
STENSBALLE
Lindeskov knude
17
16
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7
11
ASKEVEJ
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15
G
IEVÆN
14
Youth hostel
BYGADEN
KOLLEG
FORUM HORSENS
ET
10
BØGHSGAD
E
LV
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KNUDSGADE
and the area’s birds. In the Stone Age,
Lindskov Knude was an island and the sea
level was 2 m higher than today. At the top
VEJ
ND
of Lindskov Knude was a small
SU settlement
during the early Stone Age.
HU
called bog iron ore. It was used for iron
melting during the Iron Age.
BYVANGEN
SUNDET
10Footbridge, good spot for winter birds,
such as the Smew. Many web-footed birds
can be seen from the bridge all year long.
9 Lindskov Knude’s gazebo and bird plate
ZVEJ
6Ochre in the ditch. This is natural iron ore,
TUNET
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ROW
OVERG
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NORDLYSTV
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HASS
HORSENS
Reed Buntingcan be seen
throughout
the year
7Alder marsh and a ditch
with tadpoles and
aquatic plants.
GL NÆSSEVEJ
Bearded Tit- breeds
here as one of
the few places in
eastern Jutland
2The sand trap is a depression in the
Fish hawk - can be seen
during their migration
11Ash forest with orchids, such as Common
Twayblade.
ET
Cormorant
Common Shellduckbreeds in the area
and can be seen
throughout the year
Tufted Duck and
Pochard- often halt in
large flocks
Western Marsh
Harrier- several
pairs are currently
breeding at
Nørrestrand
Tufted Grebe
- can be seen
throughout the year
Ash with seed stand
12Djævlekløften with steppe
vegetation. A path goes up into
a melt-water cleft. The area is
grazed by livestock, which
keeps down the
tree growth.
Upper path (green)
13Thick bush vegetation
consisting of Cherry Plum,
Sloe and Hawthorn with
many small birds
14The allotment gardens.
3The stream Store Hansted Å and the
Western Marsh
Orchid blooms
May-July
buildings alongside it.
4Bridge and dam. From here, there is a
Yellow Iris-blooms in JuneAugust
18The view to the north: Livestock grazing
to the vantage point of
”Hyllekrog”. Unsuitable for
baby carriages and wheel
chairs.
20Vær Kirke was built in the
12th century. Denmark’s
Great Chancellor Griffenfeldt is buried in the
church in a grand chapel.
He died in 1699 after
rocketing to fame. But his
career ended abruptly in
1676 when he was sentenced and imprisoned for
life.
21The village of Nebel with
its beautiful half-timbered
houses and its cemetery
where the tombstones
have sour faces depicted
on them. The church was
demolished in 1879.
22The bridge over Fiskebæk stream is a very
beautifully crafted stone cist.
5This path takes you through the
reed forest, rich on characteristic reed
forest plants such as reed, Bulrush,
Reed Sweet Grass, Yellow Iris, Marsh
Marigold, Tufted Sedge, etc. Trees:
common alder, grey alder, birch, common
osier, grey sallow, goat willow, ash.
grazing and a profusion of flowers.
17 is a spring.
19Tread path leading up
stream where the sand is deposited.
When full, it is dug up.
Lower path (red)
16and 17 Melt water clefts with livestock
and cliffs formed by the Stone Age sea.
Reed forest and an abundance of birds.
Numerous hatching-places. The Greylag
geese stay there because of the short
grass, which is kept down by livestock
grazing.
SS
NÆ
Heron- can be
seen throughout
the year
8Nature main tenance by live stock to keep
down trees and
bushes.
view of the delta, thus an opportunity to get
close to plants and birds.
STENSBALLE
ND
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LLU
SSE
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KO
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IM
GL
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© The National Survey and Cadastre and the Municipality of Horsens
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18
Gazebo
the delta, the sand trap and the bridge.
Varied flora on the meadow. Nature
maintenance with livestock. There are map
information boards. Stone Age sea cliffs as
seen along Nørrestrand.
ER
VE
5 8
Bench
1The view from Hammersholm. You can see
AG
J
PILEGADE
Fredningsområde
UPS
NØRRESTRAND
HOTEL
OPUS
Circular tour
opportunity/car road
NER
8
4
List of signs:
KOR
2
3
8
Store Hanstedbro
N
EGEBJERGVEJ
23
1
EJ
PV
Gazebo
Fredningsområde
20
RU
Upper path
VEJ
LD
ME
Parking
Nebel Østergård
Bakkegård
HØJBO
Foot path
EJ
NDV
STRA
AGER
TOFT
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List of signs:
Shoot of a Sloe
carrying fruits
Common Osier and Common Alder
Goat Willow with
with male catkins
catkins
and cones
23Monument in honour of a soldier who fell
during the war of 1864. Right next to it is
a road stone, dating from the 18th century
with an ancient Danish road inscription.
15 The youth hostel.
Large flocks of Greylag geese can be seen from late summer.
Common Alder