The Railway Path Horsens-Odder

Hiking through nature and cultural history

Until 1967, Horsens and Odder were connected by a railway line with trains that stopped at the many small villages characterising the area between the two towns. Many of the station buildings are still standing and you will see them as you walk along the 36.3-kilometre route. Along most of the hike you walk through nature on paths and gravel roads with short trips through villages. The trail is very varied and has towns, villages, forests, cosy paths through agricultural areas and bogs. Information boards put up along the way tell stories of nature and the historic buildings that are/have been found along the route.

Horsens: Walk along one of Denmark’s most beautiful fjords

Horsens used to be a large, industrial town and with the industrialisation came a great need for railways that could transport goods and people to and from the area. One of these went north of Horsens Fjord and east to Odder.

From the start of the route at the Railway Station, you pass through the lively city centre and on, past the old harbour, which recently has undergone a major transformation from industrial area to attractive residential area. Further east, you pass several places and stretches of the city with beautiful views of Horsens Fjord. When you leave the city, the path follows the fjord through the beautiful forests at Stensballe.

The villages: Agricultural Denmark at its most beautiful

When you leave the forests at Stensballe, the landscape changes and you now enter an area that has been characterised by agriculture for centuries. Here, you are taken along paths, gravel roads and footpaths between the coy old villages that used to be stops on the journey to Odder. The journey through Haldrup, Søvind, Hundslund and Ørting takes you through rolling countryside in an area full of manors that have helped shape the area.

After Ørting, the landscape changes again and you continue through the wetlands and bogs of Ørting and Randlev. The rest of the way, you follow Vejlskoven towards the destination of the journey.

Odder: Denmark’s largest village

On arrival in Odder you can take a walk in the cosy town centre with its many shops and exciting restaurants.

To this day, Odder is still a station town with train departures to Aarhus. It is right here, at the railway station, that the route ends.

The bus has replaced the railway line

From the Odder Railway Station, you can catch bus 306 back to Horsens. The route of bus 306 starts and ends at the same place as the Trail along the Old Railway Line and takes you through the same villages along the return journey. If 36.3 kilometres is a little too far, then you have the option of splitting up the hike and catching the bus back to Horsens. This adds a great deal of flexibility to the hike.

Do you feel up to more hikes?

The trail along the old railway line is located in an area that is traversed by many beautiful walking routes. Follow these links for inspiration for other walks in the Horsens and Odder area.