From untouched forest to the water’s edge at Lillebælt

Staurby Skov shifts character as you walk: dense untouched forest, an activity playground, a mountain bike track and a dog forest. The forest covers 124 hectares and was acquired by the municipality in 2016 as a community forest. A collaboration between residents, politicians and stakeholders has created facilities that support outdoor life while preserving nature. The forest offers plenty of room for everyone and is open around the clock.

The untouched forest

In the northwestern part of Staurby Skov lies a 19-hectare untouched forest area. No forestry is carried out here, giving the forest room to develop naturally. Trees grow old, die and fall, creating clearings where new plants grow. The dead trees also become habitat for insects, bats and fungi.

Cattle in the forest

In the eastern part of Staurby Skov, Galloway cattle graze. The cattle keep the meadows open, and in the forest they nibble on trees and bushes and root around in the soil. Their dung is good for dung insects, which in turn are eaten by birds and bats.

Watch out for the electric fences keeping the cattle inside the forest meadow. If there’s a problem with the animals, or one has escaped, call the cattle owner, Hans Graversen, tel. +45 20 66 10 79.

The activity forest

The forest’s gathering point, with a nature playground, exercise trail, campfire huts and a covered dining and learning space. The pavilion can be booked for events, classes, birthdays, team building, cultural events and more.

The family area was built in 2023 as a large nature playground, where children and adults can climb, swing, scale the lookout tower, glide above the ground, train on the exercise equipment, or complete obstacle courses.

You can also play disc golf on a 12-hole course. Borrow a disc at the large welcome sign, and remember to return it to the box when you’re done.

The MTB track is 5.6 km long and graded blue (easy), meaning no steep hills or sharp bends. Read more about the track here.

Walking trails

Four marked walking trails make it easy to choose based on time and energy: red at 1.2 km, yellow at 3 km, blue at 4 km and purple at 7 km. The yellow nature and culture route passes Bronze Age burial mounds, old forest dikes and the Banestien, a former railway line dating from 1911. The purple route passes the New Lillebælt Bridge and continues down to the water, where with luck you might spot a harbour porpoise.

The dog forest

The dog forest lies in the eastern part and covers around 5.7 hectares, with an agility course and a puppy area. Here dogs may run off the lead; elsewhere in the forest they must be kept on a lead. The dog forest may be closed when local clubs are training. Read more about the dog forest here.

Park in the designated car parks.