Vejlskoven & Rathlousdal Forest in Odder
For nature lovers, one of the great strengths of the town of Odder is the many forests that surround it. In the southern outskirts of the town, both Vejlskoven and Rathlousdal Skov can be easily combined for an excursion in the green.
A trip to the forest near the center of Odder
It only takes a few minutes to walk from the cozy shopping center of Odder to the green wall that meets you just 500 meters in the southern direction. Here are two old manor forests belonging to Rathlousdal Estate. There is easy access to the forests, good parking options, and plenty of trails that make it easy to get around.
Vejlskoven
Vejlskoven Forest is located just south of the city center in the area between Sønderbakken, Horsensvej, and Kongshusvej. Near the entrance on Sønderbakken (opposite Holsteinsgade), there is equipment for forest fitness. Close by is also the Odder Museum. The forest goes about 1.5 kilometers south along Horsensvej. From the forest's southernmost edge, you may consider crossing Horsensvej and taking a walk through Randlev Mose. If so, follow the signs for Banestien Horsens-Odder along Brødkjærvej. The forest has a good network of forest trails, making it possible to get some exercise, and a walk around the forest can easily be 7 kilometers if you explore it all.
From the northwest corner of the forest, you can walk along a path that follows Kongshusvej southwest. Here you hit Rathlousdalvej, quite close to the manor house and the entrance to Rathlousdal Skov forest.
Rathlousdal Skov
Rathlousdal Skov forest embraces the beautiful historic manor of the same name. The forest is also called Dyrehaven, as a former landowner here chose to open a zoo, which had the status of a publicly accessible park for the city's citizens. Today, the only remaining trace of the zoo is an extremely well-preserved bear cave - or grotto, which is quite popular among children. Here, the children can stand behind the bars and roar while mom or dad take the perfect picture.
You can park on the side of the road at Kongshusvej, close to where Kongshusvej meets Lundhoffvej. From here, just follow the path through the forest in a northwesterly direction. After a few hundred meters, the bear grotto is on your right hand. If you follow the path, you will get a round trip of just over 3 kilometers. This can be combined with another round trip of about 2 kilometers immediately east of the other.
Follow our routes around the forests
On the digital map of Kystlandet, you can follow routes around the forests via your smartphone. Here you can also see entrances, parking, and attractions in the forests. On the map, you can also see a trip around Ulvskov, which is quite close to Dyrehaven.
Do you feel like more forest walks?
On this page, you can find our suggestions for more hikes in beautiful forests in East Jutland.