Hiking trail: SPOR Kongshøj Ådal (3,6 km)
The valley is a tunnel valley from the Ice Age, and you can feel that there is a very special experience here in the valley itself. The babbling brook, the grazing cows. The footpath, which you can spot, if you look closely, leads you past deer crossings and to a beautiful view of the area from the hills around the valley.
Between the villages of Frørup and Tårup - just a stone's throw from the main road, the landscape truly winds its way through hills and valleys. Here, about 10 km south of Nyborg, the Kongshøj Å (Kongshøj Stream) meanders through the landscape on its way to the coast. Here are several small gems of experiences that you can easily reach together by bike or car. If you're feeling adventurous, you can of course also connect the experiences on foot.
This hiking trail is part of the national SPOR network and takes place on private property. Therefore, take good care of nature and follow the rules on the trail.
Experiences on the Kongshøj Ådal Trail
The route is sparsely marked with yellow direction arrows. However, we recommend that you follow an online map on your smartphone to ensure you are on the intended route, out of respect for plants, animals, and the landowners.
2: Kongshøj Å
The valley is a tunnel valley. At the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, a river carried meltwater away from the ice. The river dug deep into the area and created the valley. Kongshøj Å (Kongshøj Stream) is the "remnant" of this river. The meadows along the river are grazed by heifers and horses. No spraying or fertilizing is done here anymore. The water in Kongshøj Å is completely clean. Next to the bridge stands a gray stand where Fyns Amt (County of Funen) measures the water quality every 14 days. The stream is home to brown trout and mussels, among other things. After the county has established fish passages, sea trout swim up and spawn.
3: Meander Bends
When a river gets old, it gets bigger and bigger bends. These are called meanders. Over time, the water can dig through the last separation, creating a small island. The vegetation here is Nobilis, which is used for Christmas trees. The trail continues along the farmer's tracks. Every time the farmer drives in the field, he makes sure that the wheel sets run in the same tracks. They therefore appear as "trails" in the cultivated field.
4: Udsigtspunkt (Viewpoint)
In clear weather, you can see far out over the Funen landscape. Kongshøj Mølledam can be seen to the east. All around you can see the churches in Øksendrup, Tårup, Frørup, and Svindinge, among others.
5: Deer Crossing
At this point, a deer crossing (deer trail) goes up over the slope. It is used frequently by the many roe deer in the area.
6: Wet Meadows
Previously, the drainage water was led directly into the stream, but now the drains have been stopped up for the meadows. The water runs through the meadow, where the original plant and animal life slowly return. The roots of the plants absorb excess fertilizer from the fields and clean the water on its way through the meadow.
7: Water Hole
After a long ascent of the old tunnel valley slopes, the trail leads to a dug water hole. It was made with permission from Fyns Amt (County of Funen) to provide toads and other amphibians with more breeding grounds and drinking water for wildlife.
Practical Information
You are a guest on the landowner's private property, and the trail is only intended for pedestrians. The trail is almost exclusively a footpath, and therefore the season and plant growth can affect the passage. Please take care of nature, keep your dog on a leash, and take your litter with you. The trail is not open to cyclists. The trail may be temporarily closed due to hunting.
You can start at several places on the route and thus adjust its length. In its full length, this trail is about 3.5 km for a round trip.
You can park by the roadside on Kirke Allé, Åvej, or Tangåvej, where the trail has its potential starting points. However, as the roads here are very narrow for roadside parking, we strongly recommend that you park at the school/sports club on Skolevej/Frørupvej.
SPOR was established in collaboration with, among others, landowners, the Nordea Foundation, and the Ministry of Environment and has existed since 1997.