The Art Route

Discover the art. Enjoy the countryside. Start at the church and finish at the inn – and experience art and nature all along the way. The route takes you into a church with roots dating back to the 13th century, where you can still sense the original building. Continue to Galleri Sam, where the art captures the essence of the Nordic landscape. See art come to life at Randbøldal Hede. Discover sculptures that may challenge your worldview and witness great art in every sense at Tørskind Grusgrav.

Vorbasse has stood on its present site since the year 1100. The first part of the church was built in the 13th century – the chancel and part of the nave, which can still be recognised by the white walls on the entrance side. 

In the early 16th century, the church was rebuilt and extended. The small, low-ceilinged Romanesque building was given a higher ceiling and was extended with a transept and a tower to the west, so that it could accommodate twice as many worshippers. This was necessary, as people made pilgrimages here – not only for Mass, but also to seek out the holy spring that bubbled up in the churchyard and was said to have cured ailments both minor and major.

The spring was first used on Corpus Christi, but later on Walpurgis Night on 1 May – a night when, according to popular belief, the spring’s powers are particularly strong. The day developed into a market that attracted the sick, the devout, traders and entertainers from near and far. Much like today, where Vorbasse Market is a tradition attracting over 250,000 visitors every year. In other words, there is a direct link between the 17th-century spring market and today’s street performers’ market.

Get some fresh air at Randbøldal Heath

If you’re still feeling the atmosphere from Galleri Sam, do stop off at Randbøldal Heath. Come when it’s just starting to get light, or during the blue hour as day turns to night. Then you can see the scenes you’ve seen in Svend Aage Madsen’s work come to life in light, shadow, mist, haze, earth and sky.

You’ll be walking through Denmark’s largest inland heathland area. The ground is sandy, and in many places you’ll see drifting sand and inland dunes, where the sand lies exposed, ready to let the wind play the strong man on fine days.

Follow the walking route around and you will pass Frederikshåb Plantation – one of the earliest plantations, established as part of the fight against the heathland. The first planting took place in 1804, with Scots pine and birch sown in dug-out holes. Using only their hands, farm labourers and day labourers built dykes to demarcate the forest and provide shelter. But poor soil, drifting sand, frost, drought and pests made life difficult for the fledgling trees. In some places, after 100 years of growth, the trees had reached a height of just 60 cm.

The yellow walking route (4 km) takes you up to Stoltenbjerg near Staldbakkerne, where you’ll be treated to a fantastic view of the area. You’ll also pass the so-called Syvårssøer, which are only lakes at certain times of the year – at other times they aren’t.

In the plantation, you can also find almost 200 cairns, stones that farmers gathered from the fields over 2,000 years ago. They bear witness to the fact that people were cultivating the land here even before the birth of Christ.

Tørskind Gravel Pit – Great art under the open sky

The final stop on the route is Tørskind Gravel Pit, where two of Denmark’s most prominent sculptors, Robert Jacobsen and Jean Clareboudt, have transformed the former gravel pit into a work of art on a monumental scale.

Here, art and nature are intertwined. The works are made of steel, granite, wood and earth, and are designed to follow the sun’s path across the sky throughout the year. Shadows, light and the changing seasons are part of the works, and the experience changes depending on when you visit the site.

Tørskind Gravel Pit is freely accessible all year round. Take the time to walk the entire route around the area and let the artworks, the views and the tranquillity sink in.