43 kmKongens Kær near Vejle
An urban wetland with bird towers and paths, like Gyldensteen Strand, a low, open natural landscape.
Gyldensteen Strand is a place where the landscape does not stand still. From paths, birdwatching towers and viewpoints, you can look out over the coastal lagoon, Engsø, reed beds and salt marshes, where water has once again been given space. This creates open expanses, long views and birdlife that quickly captures your attention, even if you do not have binoculars with you.
What makes this place special is the contrast: for many years the area was diked and cultivated, but it has once again become a wetland on the coast of North Funen. The salty coastal lagoon and the freshwater Engsø lie side by side, so you can sense two different water environments on the same trip.
Nature development is closely monitored, partly because the area is used to generate knowledge about water quality, species establishment and nature restoration in coastal landscapes. This makes the place more than just a pretty view; it is a living experiment on a large scale.
There is access from several parking areas by Gyldensteenvej and Langøvej, including Dæmningsminde, Egense Plantage and Eriksholm on Langø. At Eriksholm you will find Naturrum Gyldensteen with an exhibition and visitor facilities, while the former technical installations in several places have been turned into viewpoints over the restored wetland.
Tærskeladen is the more niche part of the facilities at Gyldensteen Strand: a place for interpretation, nature studies, and stones from the coast.
Here you will find Holger Garnak’s stone collection from Æbelø north of the area, with finds ranging from small fossils to larger erratics. Volunteers give talks in the barn every Sunday from 13:00-15:00 from mid-May to late August.
The old pumping station on Langø has been turned into a viewpoint with a platform on the roof, binoculars, and interpretation. It stands as a turning point on a short route from Naturrummet at Eriksholm, about 1.9 km along a gravel road.
From up here, the landscape is easy to read: to the south and west the re-created coastal lagoon, to the north the Kattegat and Æbelø. The view also shows the point of the nature restoration, where the sea once again gained access after the removal of dikes between Langø, Lindholm, and Store Stegø.
Naturrum Gyldensteen is located at Eriksholm and serves as the visitor center for Gyldensteen Strand. There is an exhibition about nature restoration, where reclaimed agricultural land has been transformed into a coastal lagoon, meadow lake and wetlands.
The site is also the practical base: a covered picnic area with tables and benches, toilets close to the parking area, and the opportunity to borrow equipment to study insects and life in the water. A dry break with wet nature right outside.
