Nystrup Plantation

Grave mounds of prehistoric Denmark

Before the sand drift, the landscape looked very different, and people have lived here since ancient times. The grave mounds in the plantation are clear evidence of this. Svalhøje, east of Nystrupvej makes up a group of listed grave mounds from the Bronze Age (about 1800-500 B.C.). Some of the mounds are well kept and beautifully domed, others have been levelled by ploughing. However, studies show that stone works, stone cists (coffins) and tombs have been conserved under the turf. The majority of building took place in the late Bronze Age, from about 1800 to 1100 B.C., when thousands of grave mounds were built. The dead have been laid in coffins with their jewellery and weapons in the grave mounds. There are mostly men in the graves, but also women and children were buried in a barrow. The mounds are now listed, and digging is not allowed in them and ploughing is not allowed too close to them.

Many grave mounds have been levelled over time, but at Svalhøje you can see how people have been buried in groups on prominent sites in many places in the landscape.

Nystrupgård hit by sand drift

In a clearing at Ministervej in Nystrup Plantation, you will find the site of Nystrupgård farm. The history of this farm dates back to medieval times when it was owned by an aristocratic family. In the 1700s and 1800s, the farm became gradually smaller. The reason for this was the sand drift that ruined the soil, and for the same reason Nystrupgård farm had to move several times. The site marks the location of the farm from about 1600 to 1910. Back then it was a large farm built round a quadrangle with a smithy. The contours of the houses mark the terrain. In 1888 and in 1910, the Danish state bought a total of 1500 acres of the land from Nystrupgård in order to plant what is known today as Nystrup Plantation.

Swing your golf club between dunes and trees

The well groomed dune landscape and the undulating terrain of the plantation are also perfect for golfers. The North West Jutland Golf Club was established with nine holes in 1971. In 1992, the golf course was expanded to 18 holes. The golf course is fitted beautifully into the plantation, and the west wind, the terrain and the surrounding trees make the golf course challenging. Guest passes can be purchased at the club house on Nystrupvej.

The bathing spot at the end of Søvej is a lovely picnic place with bonfire and barbecue areas, tables and benches, a child-friendly beach, and not least shelter from the strong west wind.