Haervejen

The Haervejen, the army road or ox road, is the historic route down the watershed ridge of Jutland, used for centuries because the high ground avoided the river crossings and marshes of the lower land, and it carried pilgrims, cattle drovers taking herds south to German markets, armies and traders. It is now waymarked as a long-distance walking and cycling route running roughly 450 kilometres from Viborg to the border at Padborg, in some places following the original sunken tracks and in others on modern paths, passing runestones, medieval churches, bridges, burial mounds and the inns that served the traffic. Sections can be walked in a day with rail access at several points, or the whole route in two to three weeks.

What you actually see

• Sunken original tracks - worn hollows where the old road survives.
• Runestones and burial mounds - prehistoric and Viking-Age markers along the route.
• Medieval churches and bridges - the infrastructure of the old road.
• The Jutland watershed - the ridge the whole route follows.

When to go

May to September for the walking and cycling season; huts and camping are open then. A day for a section, two to three weeks for the whole route. Spring and autumn are quieter but wetter.

Honest expectations

Much of the route is on modern surfaced paths and roads rather than historic track, which disappoints some walkers. Accommodation along the way needs booking in season. Waymarking is generally good but has gaps. It is flat and can feel repetitive over long distances.

Nearby

Viborg is the northern end; Jelling and Hald Lake lie on the route.