The castle mound still guarding the Little Belt

You walk down through Hindsgavl Castle Park, and suddenly the landscape opens towards the water. Before you lies an oval earth mound, around 15 metres high, with a flat top measuring roughly 85 by 70 metres. These are the remains of Hindsgavl Voldsted, a now-vanished medieval castle from which ships on the Little Belt were once watched.

The name Hindsgavl is first mentioned in Kong Valdemars Jordebog (King Valdemar's Land Register) of 1231. In 1295 the site was truly put on the map when King Erik Menved concluded a truce here with the Norwegian king Erik Magnusson “the Priest-hater”. Together with Hønborg on the Jutland side, the castle controlled the entrance to the Little Belt.

You can walk all the way around the mound. The west side is partly eroded by the sea, while the other sides are ringed by a five- to eight-metre-wide moat, still filled with water. The surrounding meadow was once marshy, giving the castle natural protection against attacks from land. From the east, a causeway led to the bailey south of the mound, from where a drawbridge and a steep path climbed to the top.

From the top you have views over the Little Belt, towards Fænø and on to Kolding Fjord. The site lies close to Middelfart and makes a natural stop if you are hiking in the area around Hindsgavl Castle.

Tip: Combine your visit with a walk through Hindsgavl Castle Park, where paths lead directly to the site.