An Old Forest in Denmark

Posted on by Hanna

Gribskov is the fourth biggest forest in Denmark, located 46 kilometres north of Copenhagen. The name, Gribskov means a thing which gripped, belongs to everybody. It’s a state forest!
The forest has roots that are over 10,000 years old and the forest consist of a system of moraines with parallel ridges and valleys.
In these years, forest workers are in the process of restoring the lakes to give new life to birds and animals.

On my journey towards my destination there is a little child sitting in her baby carriage in the train. When the train drives into the forest her eyes get bigger and she drops the jaw while a small drop of drool threatening to run down over the ignored brightly coloured toys.

The child’s attention to nature makes me think of archetypal memory. A few years from now I can meet the child with a small backpack containing a packed lunch and an extra sweater. It is as though a lot of people have become conscious about nature and what it means to them.

I get off the train at Kagerup Station, and head for “The Horse Lake”, a suitable nickname but not today. When I arrive at the lake, I’m all alone. Even the horses are seeking shelter inside the dense forest.
I have almost walked past the lake, when I hear birds cry high above my head, and I know what it is. Cranes migrating southward.

There is a fine mist over the forest and the weather is much different from last Sunday where drifting clouds graced a beautiful blue sky. Not many days have past since then and I already have an urge to see this beautiful forest once again dressed in autumn colour.

Gribskov er den fjerde største skov i Danmark, og ligger 46 kilometer nord for København. Navnet, Gribskov betyder en ting, som grebet, tilhører alle, en statsskov.
Skoven har rødder, der er over 10.000 år gamle, og skoven består af et system af moræner med parallelle højdedrag og dale.
I disse år er skovarbejdere i færd med at genoprette søerne for at give nyt liv til fugle og dyr.

På min rejse mod Kagerup station sidder et lille barn i hendes barnevogn. Da toget kører ind i skoven bliver hendes øjne større, og hun taber kæben, mens en lille dråbe savl truer med at løbe ned over det ignorerede farvestrålende legetøj.

Barnets opmærksomhed på natur får mig til at tænke på, om der eksisterer arketypisk hukommelse. Om et par år fra nu, kan jeg møde barnet med en lille rygsæk, der indeholder en madpakke og en ekstra trøje. Det er, som om en masse mennesker er blevet bevidste om naturen, og hvad den betyder for dem.

Jeg står ud af toget ved Kagerup Station, og sætter kursen mod “Hestesøen”, et passende øgenavn, men ikke i dag.
Da jeg ankommer til søen, er jeg helt alene. Selv hestene søger ly inde i tæt skov.
Jeg er næsten gået forbi søen, da jeg hører fugle skrige højt over mit hoved, og jeg ved, hvad det er. Traner, der migrerer sydover.

Der er en fin tåge over skoven, og vejret er meget forskelligt fra i søndags, hvor drivende skyer prydede en smuk blå himmel. Ikke mange dage er gået siden da, og jeg har allerede en trang til at se denne smukke skov igen klædt i efterårets farver.
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Gribskov med kort til print, og mange flere oplysninger om seværdigheder.

26 thoughts on “An Old Forest in Denmark”

    • Moving around in nature really inspire in so many ways. But it isn’t new to you, I know that 🙂 Thanks a lot for your nice comment, Marina!!
      All the best,
      Hanna

  4. Oh my, Hanna, this is a stunning collection of shots of a beautiful place. I love the rich, vibrant colours! The small details and the larger landscapes make it a wonderful mix. Thank you also for the delightful description of the child’s awe at going into the tunnel and your own feelings/memories. Your posts are always a heartwarming celebration of nature. Thank you. 🙂

    • Thank you so much Jane. Exploring new places always gives me a thrill. The forest is changing with the creation of new lakes. It creates not only new live but also an amazing light and new proportions in nature.
      Watching children watching nature is a joyful experience 🙂
      All the best,
      Hanna

    • Hola, Isabel. Yo no hablo español, pero Google lo hace por mí 🙂 Es la tercera vez que veo a los pájaros de la grúa. Yo siempre les escucho antes de que yo los veo. Es tan fascinante. Sabemos que se comunican entre sí. ¿De que ellos hablando? Pedimos a Google translate 🙂
      Les deseo un domingo alegre y les mando un abrazo a ir con su día,
      Hanna

  7. Another post with beautiful pictures of Denmark, Hanna. I love the pictures of the geese, because this is the time of year when they migrate, and that always fills me with a yearning to pull on my boots and follow them.
    Tell me, are there wolves in Denmark? And do they live in the forests?
    All the best, Alen

    • Hi Alen. There are wolves in Denmark and until now they are only tracked in Jutland but that’s just a matter of time. Jutland is the peninsula closest to your old homeland 🙂
      I remember one of your old posts where you are sitting in front of a fire in England – in the autumn – giving thoughts to the birds migration.
      I do hope your boots are still alive or has the leather cracked in the heat?
      All the best,
      Hanna

      • We use beeswax to our leather boots great product by the way.
        I’m looking forward till you are going to use the boots too together with your camera with self-timer and perhaps an unruly folding chair –
        Go easy ‘on’ the boots they might not recognise you 🙂

    • Alen, the birds are Cranes. They were very high and I could only see them properly after I had zoomed maximum and enlarged the picture.
      Happy day today – it is Sunday now good night!!! 🙂

  11. It’s always so inspiring to see little ones take interest on nature, Hoping the little one will nurture that interest and join in on the efforts to maintain and preserve the forest for future generations 🙂

    • You put it beautifully, Andy. Preserving the forest is important for mankind and being able to be present in nature, is completely invaluable, with the flow of information we receive every day.
      Thank you for visiting 🙂 🙂

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