A very special hiking experience
For Bo Nielsen, who regularly services houses and gardens in Southeast Funen, hiking is a lifestyle that started many years ago. He really started hiking when he and a few others took up a challenge and planned a 300 km trip from Schleswig to Viborg.
- Since we were going to walk 300 km, we had better train. Then we saw the Hærvejsmarchen, where the routes were 45 km on both Saturday and Sunday, and thought it was a suitable warm-up, says Bo Nielsen about his debut at the Hærvejsmarchen back in 1977. Since then, he has made the trip to Viborg and participated in the Hærvejsmarchen every single year with very few exceptions.
- Some years I stick to the 2 x 45 km, which is the original distance of the Hærvejsmarchen. Other years I settle for 30 or 40 km, he says.
Largest international march in Northern Europe
So what is the reason that Bo so faithfully leaves Funen to hike near Jutland's old capital? It is largely because the Haervejsmarch is an international event with hikers from all over the world and a social meeting place for both new and old hiking companions.
- At the Haervejsmarch there are always people to talk to. The atmosphere is good, we greet each other and at the rest stops you just sit at a table and take part in the conversation with people from near and far. It is a very special experience because so many different people meet and have the same thing to hike, explains Bo.
Every year, approximately 8,000 hikers participate in the Hærvejsmarch, which is the largest international IML march in Northern Europe.
Special nature attracts people to Viborg
In addition to the festive atmosphere and meeting other hikers, it is also nature that draws people to Viborg.
- The routes of the Haervejsmarch pass through very beautiful and unique nature. Here you can experience the special Danish moorland landscape, including in Dollerup Bakker and at Hald Sø. The routes on Saturday and Sunday are located respectively west and south of Viborg, so you really get to experience very different nature if you take the long routes both days.
