Rebild Bakker - Rebild Nationalpark

Rebild Bakker, also known as Rebild National Park, is a striking, hilly heathland landscape near Rold Forest. Here you will find steep hills, open views, heather-covered slopes, springs and an extensive network of paths and walking routes. In spring, the landscape turns fresh green, in late summer the heather blooms in shades of purple, and in autumn the hills glow in red, brown and yellow. In winter, nature slows down – dark and simple or covered in snow.

The area is ideal for walking, with many paths and marked routes to explore. One of them is the Rebild Bakker Trail, which takes you through the characteristic landscape and past several of the area’s special places.

Nature in Rebild Bakker

Rebild Bakker is known for its steep slopes, open views, springs and streams. From the top of the hills, it can feel as though you are standing high above the surrounding landscape. Geologically, however, these are what are known as “false hills”. The landscape was formed as deep meltwater channels eroded into a moraine plateau.

At the end of the Ice Age, a shift in the chalk bedrock in the Lindenborg River Valley probably created a channel for the meltwater and helped form the tunnel valley. The ice melted in stages, and in several places you can still see terraces that are remnants of former ice-dammed lake beds.

The undulating terrain consists of moraine shaped over time by meltwater, Arctic soil movement and drifting sand, among other processes. Later, the Stone Age sea reached into the valley as far as the road between Rold StorKro and Lars Kjær’s House.

The view from Sønderkol

Sønderkol is the highest point in Rebild Bakker, 102 metres above sea level. The walk to the top is rewarded with wide views across Gryden, where the Rebild Festival takes place, as well as across the Lindenborg River Valley.

From here, you can also see the distinctive hill formations, the paths crossing the landscape and the grazing sheep that help maintain the open heathland.

Plants, wildlife and nature conservation

The open hills are home to a varied range of plants, including heather, crowberry, lingonberry, bilberry, bunchberry, clubmoss, arnica and juniper. The scrubland includes aspen and beech as well as scattered oak trees.

Without active conservation, aspen and later beech would gradually spread across much of the area. Trees and scrub are therefore cleared from some of the most distinctive gullies and valleys, while sheep and cattle graze the landscape and help preserve the heather, crowberry and other dwarf shrubs.

The springs

There are several springs and lakes in and around Rebild Bakker, including Ravnkilden and Kovadsbæk.

The springs are fed by groundwater emerging through the chalk layers in the ground. The water remains at a stable temperature of around 7.5°C throughout the year, creating special conditions for both plants and insects.

The vegetation in the spring areas themselves is rare and vulnerable, so visitors are not permitted to walk in them. Beautiful orchids also grow in the meadows near the calcium-rich water and must not be picked.

The Rebild Festival – a tradition since 1912

The Rebild Festival has been a tradition since 1912, when Danish-Americans donated part of Rebild Bakker to the Danish state and helped create the area that became known as Rebild National Park.

Every year on 4 July, American Independence Day, Danish-Americans, local residents, visitors and invited guests gather in the hills.

The celebrations take place in Gryden, where thousands of people have gathered over the years to celebrate and strengthen the ties between Denmark and the United States. The Rebild National Park Society organises the traditional event.

Attractions and experiences nearby

Rebild Bakker lies in the heart of the large nature area surrounding Rold Forest, with several local attractions close by.

You can visit Museum Rebild, Lars Kjær’s House, Top Karens Hus and Rebildcentret with Thingbæk Limestone Mines.

Each year, Rebild Bakker also provides the setting for Opera in Rebild, held on the second Sunday in August. Here, audiences can enjoy excerpts from well-known operas and operettas performed in the open air.

During the Christmas season, Rebild also hosts Christmas markets, including Rebild Christmas Market with stalls, horse-drawn carriage rides, hot drinks and seasonal treats.