Røjle Klint (Cliff)

Where the Ice Age still shapes the coast

You stand at the edge of a cliff where the ground is in constant motion. At Røjle Klint, northeast of Middelfart, clay falls in large slabs toward the beach. Trees hang upside down, their crowns facing the ground, and some stretch their roots out into the air where the cliff has slid away beneath them.

The cliff rises up to 40 metres above the Lillebælt. At the bottom lies plastic clay with thin layers of black volcanic ash, deposited 45 to 55 million years ago. Above it, layer upon layer of moraine clay and meltwater sand tells the story of several Ice Ages, when ice from the north and east alternately covered and retreated from the area. This very geology makes Røjle Klint one of the best places in the country to see traces of the Ice Ages, and it is why parts of the cliff were protected by law as early as 1941. This protection means the meeting of sea and cliff can continue to develop without intervention.

Trails lead you along the coast, offering hikes with views across the Lillebælt. If you’re a fossil hunter, with some luck you might find shark teeth or whale bones in the bare earth.

Want to learn more about the geology along the way? Follow the guided podwalk. Maps and information are available at udinaturen.dk.

Tip: Stay on the trails. The clay becomes slippery and unstable after rain, especially near the cliff edge.