Skodborg-Jels

Selected experiences on the route

Dresvold
In Dresvold near Skodborg, you stand at one of Southern Jutland's many anonymous mounds, hiding a past that even history has forgotten.

In the fertile regions of Southern Jutland, these quiet testimonies of the past are found: small, anonymous mounds built by the many noblemen who once shaped the landscape. Most of these places are nameless because the noblemen did not leave behind enough evidence for their names to be preserved today.

In the early centuries of the Middle Ages, most noblemen lived inside the villages. But the 14th century brought unrest and wars, and several noblemen moved out and built castles in inaccessible places, like here at Skodborg. In 1949, when road workers were expanding the road between Skodborg and Gejlager, they found masonry underground that constituted the foundation of a stone house. It must have been the main house of an unknown nobleman's estate that once stood here. South of the estate, the nobleman erected a tower mound to protect against attacks. Trampled into the cellar, archaeologists found a coin from Christopher II, minted in Ribe in the 1320s. The coin and the pottery in the cellar suggest that the stone house must have been built around 1330.

Gejlager, 6630 Rødding

Haraldsholm Forest
Haraldsholm Forest, just 2 km north of Jels, is a 154-hectare forest area owned by the Danish Nature Agency. Here you will encounter a varied vegetation with beech, conifers, oak, larch, Douglas fir, and lime trees. The forest's moist subsoil, with a thick layer of humus just 30-40 cm down, requires ditches for drainage, which has also shaped the choice of trees. The northern part of the forest rests on moraine clay covered by a sandbank, which bears witness to the glacial landscape and the ice margin's location near the Jels Lakes a few kilometers away.

The ancient road 'Hærvejen' winds through the forest, following the natural paths and roads. Here you can enjoy a walk through the forest cathedral with sky-reaching trunks, flickering light, and a rich birdlife. The forest also shows signs of past storm falls, especially the hurricane in 1999, which resulted in replanting with a focus on deciduous trees.

Historically, Haraldsholm was part of the feared Farrisskov, which stretched from Ribe to the Little Belt and was sparsely populated. The forest contains a grass-covered long barrow, offering a glimpse into the past. Previously, a narrow-gauge railway between Haderslev and Skodborg passed through the area, built before the Reunification to ensure transport in the German empire.

Haraldsholm, north of Jels, 6630 Rødding

Jels Mill
As you travel from Skodborg towards Jels, you'll see Jels Mill, an impressive Dutch gallery mill built in 1859. Over the years, the mill has ground grain for feed, flour, and cereals, and it has been an iconic sight on the town's hilltop. With its distinctive onion-shaped mill cap and a wingspan of 21 meters, the whitewashed mill has harnessed the power of the wind, been visible in the landscape, and provided the miller with a great view

The 12-sided wooden terrace surrounding the mill is called the Gallery, where the miller would set sails on the blades. Inside the mill, you will find that the original atmosphere has been preserved with intact grinders, hoisting gear, and grain chutes. The beautiful onion-shaped mill cap is covered with black shingles, which were renovated in 2009. In 1959, the mill was protected as a historical monument, and in 2014, this protection was renewed. Today, Jels Mill is one of the few protected mills in Denmark.

Although the mill is not open daily, you might be lucky to see the mill society exercising the mill's wings once a week.

Settle down on the benches, and take the time to enjoy the protected mill and the historical ambiance at the top of Jels.

Jels Mill Street 5, 6630 Rødding