Ørritslev Skov, Nordfyn. 11 km.

Ørritslev Skov, Nordfyn. 11 km.

March, 2023 Off By admin

Sometimes you are so focused on getting out and experiencing new places that you completely forget the glories that lie in the immediate area, or right outside your door.

In the eastern part of North Funen Municipality, Klintebjerg is located right next to Odense Fjord, and nearby is Ørritslev Forest, which is an approx. 1 km2 large forest area. Set your GPS to Skovløkkeskolen, Skovgyden, Otterup and park at the school's parking lot. From here we walk to the right and past the two playing fields and follow the road through the small village of Ørritslev Skov, where open fields, idyllic thatched half-timbered houses and forest replace each other. After just 600 meters we turn right and into the forest. If you get up early, there is the possibility of a nice sunrise.

The forest is privately owned and hunting may occur where access to the forest is prohibited. The forest is a mixture of beechwood, conifers and wild trees. There are clear traces of the forestry that also characterizes such a forest, and there are large piles of newly forested wood, just as the undergrowth is clearly marked by the fact that it has recently been cleared.

When we come up at the end of the long forest road, where the road turns 90 degrees to the right, we go left along the somewhat narrower path. The path leads us out onto Agerlandsvej, which we follow out to Lillegyden, where we turn right onto Vekslund. We now have Ørritslev Forest on our right. Vekslund strikes a blow to the left and continues into a dirt road and is now again inside Ørritslev Forest. The forest road continues past an idyllic house located in the forest, and we keep to the right and continue until we come out to the paved road, where we again keep to the right.

After approx. 200 meters, the road turns a blow to the right, but here we turn left onto a long gravel road, where we have open fields on both sides, and behind the field on the right can see another piece of Ørritslev Forest. The gravel road leads us past 2 deserted properties and crosses into a small path that the local community has created to connect Skovløkkeskole with Klintebjerg. The path winds along field boundaries through a beautiful and varied area, where we see hares, deer and buzzards.

At the end of the path we go right onto Klingeskov, but after just 100 meters we turn left down the grass path that runs along the drainage canal. At the end of the path we go up on the dike, and now have the most amazing view of a large part of Odense Fjord, with Lindø Shipyard on the horizon. We choose to go left on the dike, because just 100 meters away, a bench is sheltered under a fence. The perfect place for a coffee break with the most beautiful view over the water. Here we can sit and ponder that about 200 years ago, the area we have just walked on the seabed and completely flooded.

After our coffee break with historical philosophing, we walk back along the dike, which we follow for the next 1.5 kilometers. It is interesting to walk the route, where there is ample opportunity to observe the great variation in water level in this part of the fjord, where there is so little water at times that we can see the seabed, and other times completely filled with water. This is of course due to the flow and ebb, but also strong winds in the days before have a major impact on how much water is pushed in or out of the fjord. Blue skies, sea and clouds provide some beautiful and powerful images.

We now come out to Klintebjerg, where we round the decoration with the fine shelters and walk past Skalleværket, which is an association house and a number of fjord houses built after extensive preparatory work by local enthusiasts. We continue past the small fjord houses, and come to Klintebjerg Harbour, which until approx. 1950 was the shipping port for Odense. This was before the canal was dug all the way into Odense. Today, the harbour is a focal point for sailors, SUP board and kayaking, and in the summer it is possible to sail over to Vigelsø.

We continue along the water, and go through the hatch gate into Klintebjerg Efterskole. When we get to the half boat up for grabs, we turn right and immediately left onto the small path. The path leads us out to a small cove in Odense Fjord, and we follow the fjord around.

This area of the fjord is usually a good place to watch swans and other wading birds. After about 7 kilometers of walking, we come to a small bridge that goes over Lunde Å, which just here has an outlet in Odense Fjord. We turn right and follow the stream until we can go right again along the wide dirt road. We now walk with the fjord on our right, but since the gravel road is high, we have a fantastic view of both the fjord and Vigelsø.

At the end of the gravel road, we turn right onto Grusgyden, which we follow until it hits Klintebjergvej. Here we turn left and follow Klintebjergvej for almost 1 kilometre. The road is flanked by fields, and in one of the fields we meet a sight, which for North Funen residents is normal, but for many is a special sight. A field filled with swans. It is a beautiful sight, and if you are lucky, you can experience the sound of a flock of swans flying over you. Swans migrate from the fields and onto the fjord – It's an experience that you never get tired of!

After about 9 kilometers of walking, we turn right onto a forest road. We are again in Ørritslev Forest, and we follow the forest road, which winds through the varied forest for the next kilometer. At the end of the forest road, we turn left onto Skovgyden and follow the edge of the forest back to Skovløkkeskolen and the car park.

The walk is about 11 kilometers long.

If you want to read more about what North Funen has to offer, visit Visit Nordfyn.

Click on the map below and it will open in Google Maps. From here, you can follow the route as you are hiking.