Brenderup: Forest Landscape and Iron Age Traces

Landscape and Nature in Brenderup Vænge

Brenderup combines a wooded landscape with historical traces in the surrounding area. Brenderup Vænge belongs to the wooded western side of the Gudbjerg-Gudme-Hesselager area. Around Gudme and Broholm, evidence from the Iron Age and Stone Age can also be found. When planning a trip, Vænge can be treated as a separate natural area alongside the historical destinations around Gudme and Broholm.

Brenderup Vænge covers 156 hectares of flat to slightly hilly terrain. The area gives the natural setting a clear scale, while the relief ranges from level ground to gentle elevations. For a stay surrounded by greenery, both the area’s extent and the terrain should therefore be taken into account. The terrain can be considered as a separate planning factor when organizing a day in nature. In Brenderup Vænge, a protection designation serves to protect an oak tree. Nature enthusiasts can include this individual tree as a specific detail within the wooded area in their plans.

Between Valley and Agricultural Landscape

The Svendborg–Broholm–Lundeborg section of the Øhavsstien is 35 kilometres long. It passes through Vejstrup Ådal and then through the agricultural landscape to Broholm. For active travellers, the distance is a central planning consideration when incorporating the trail into a day of hiking or dividing it into several daily sections. Vejstrup Ådal, the agricultural landscape and Broholm can serve as successive stages in the trip planning. This sequence provides a concrete guide for planning the timing of active days.

Local History and Regional Traces

Brenderup was established as a settlement founded by people from Ellerup. Those interested in local history can include this origin separately from the prehistoric sites in their trip planning. In Gudme, Gudmekongens Hal contains traces of two large Iron Age halls, interpreted as Gudme Prinsens Sal and its Gudesal. For those interested in culture, the settlement’s origins in Ellerup stand alongside the Iron Age halls at Gudmekongens Hal.

Today, the two halls at Gudmekongens Hal are marked by concrete columns. The dimensions of the concrete columns convey an impression of the halls’ former size. The two halls can be included together with Gudmekongens Hal in a cultural-history day itinerary.

The Oldsagssamlingen ved Broholm Slot contains approximately 70,000 flint finds and other Stone Age finds from the area around Broholm. Gudbjerg mindelund also contains a complex of four long barrows measuring 106, 41, 19 and 117 metres in length. The four different measurements stand alongside one another within a single complex. Those interested in culture can include Gudbjerg mindelund in the same trip planning as Gudme and Broholm.

Slude Strand is a beach in the vicinity of Brenderup. Valdemarsslot is a castle in the wider regional area around Brenderup. When planning by theme, the beach and castle can be considered separately from Brenderup Vænge, the Øhavsstien and the prehistoric sites.

For the overarching travel overview: Gudbjerg South Funen.