Hiking in the heights
Samsø is the most beautiful hiking island. Especially to the north, the landscape is hilly and dramatic with magnificent views to the sea. Travel blogger Sarah Green has tested the hiking trails and recommends the best of them here.
Text and photos by Sarah Green
The Ballebjerg Path (ca. 5 km)
After driving through the flatter parts in the south and through quaint Nordby, the road suddenly and steeply rises until we are at the top of Ballebjerg – Samsø’s highest point at 64 meters. We ascend even higher up by climbing up the small white tower with a view to the sea and Tunø in the distance.
The hilly landscape in front of us is tempting, so this is of course the path we choose. Down the stairs and all the way down to the beach. With a view of cliffs and the rushing sea, the path extends for a while along the beach and then up the hills again.
We pick large handfuls of sun-ripened blackberries and walk through fields with cows until we reach the most beautiful stretch of the trail – an expansive rolling landscape with golden grass, a kaleidoscope of butterflies and views of the deep blue sea.
The last stretch we walk on trails but still high above the sea, until we are finally back at the Ballebjerg tower again.
Møgelskår (ca. 2 km)
The trip around Møgelskår is so short that it can hardly be called anything other than a walk but what the trip lacks in terms of distance, it makes up for in beauty. From the small car park we walk through a gate and out onto the small path at the bottom of the “skår” [scar or valley] that meanders through the steep hills to either side. I am really excited, because it is an absolutely fantastic experience to be in hilly terrain in Denmark.
Out by the sea we stand on the beach observing how the hills culminate in high cliffs. And then the walk takes you to the top! Although it requires a little effort, we can not help it and the view from up there is nothing short of formidable. We walk along the top of the outer hills and turn inland again in a small loop back to the car park.
Around Issehoved (ca. 5 km)
To the north, Samsø ends in a point almost similar to that of Skagen (the northernmost point of Jutland), and here we find one of Samsø’s most beautiful natural areas.
The path skirting Issehoved starts at the car park and right from the off we have formidable views over the point and the rolling hills. Later, we almost balance on the edge of Samsø’s east coast, high, high up on a steep slope with an almost sheer drop. A view to take your breath away. Then the path winds down from the heights and we walk along narrow paths through bushes and past small farms, until the path finally returns us to the parking lot.
About Sarah Green:
- Sarah Green works as a photographer, content creator and blogger.
- Sarah writes about her travels on www.sarahinthegreen.dk and on Instagram @sarahinthegreen
Last updated: 18/11/2024 05:19
