Jels-Vojens

Selected experiences on the stage

Jels Lakes
In Jels, you will find three beautiful lakes in a row: Jels Nedersø, Jels Midtsø, and Jels Oversø. Together, the lakes form a small tunnel valley, which was shaped during the last ice age about 12,000 years ago.

Today, the Jels Lakes are a wonderful recreational area for both hikers and nature lovers. There are well-maintained paths around Nedersø and Midtsø, and the Danish Nature Agency offers marked routes through the forest areas. The area is part of the ancient Farris Forest, which once covered the region from the Little Belt to Ribe.

At Jels Lake Bath, you can enjoy a refreshing swim in the lake, but be aware that Jels Oversø is a protected nature conservation area, and boating is therefore not allowed.

If you want to explore the lakes from the water, you are allowed to put your own canoe or kayak in the water, or you can rent boats and canoes at several places in Jels.

Søvej 5B, Jels, 6630 Rødding

Stursbøl Plantation
Stursbøl Plantation is a 500-acre area. The plantation is located on the Jutland ridge and the main continental divide, and today a section of the Hærvejen also passes through here. When you arrive as a Hærvejen tourist, the forest opens the door to its history.

During the heyday of Hærvejen, the area was part of a large piece of heath, Oksenvad Heath or Stursbøl Heath, and thus an open and flat landscape where visible power demonstrations could be mounted in the form of burial mounds. The original Hærvejen had various courses across the heath, and therefore the plantation contains up to 70 burial mounds. Whether you come from the south or the north, you quickly encounter burial mounds as you enter the shelter and shade of the forest.

In the southern part of the plantation, there is a party area in an open space right next to the Hærvejen route. Here, remains of a walled well have been found, and the flora indicates an old garden.

Stursbøl Plantation was one of the first heath plantings, and the battle to cultivate trees and forest from the poor heathland began as early as the beginning of the 19th century. Today, the forest's vegetation is very varied, as the hurricane in 1999 left 80% of the forest as fallen tree trunks. Subsequently, the vegetation was changed from primarily Norway spruce to a solid mixed forest. Individual trees have been left standing and provide habitats for insects and birds.

At the entrance to the Hærvejen route, you will find a large rest area with tables and benches under old deciduous trees, which offer you a good setting for a break in the shade.

Klovtoftvej, Jels, 6630 Rødding