The Danish Pilgrimage Route stretches 985 km across Denmark – and of course also across Funen. The route passes through beautiful and slightly challenging terrain in North Funen, where the local section forms part of two stages.

On a pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a journey into unfamiliar surroundings, where you can learn something new about yourself and the world around you. Would you like to come along?

On a pilgrimage, the journey is more important than the destination. In North Funen, you can enjoy a beautiful and peaceful trip through a wonderful landscape that rises and falls through hills and valleys. You will work up a sweat, while also enjoying the lovely nature around you.

Practical information

The route across North Funen runs from Odense Cathedral to Langesø in North Funen, around 15 km, and from Langesø onwards to Padesø Church
and Sletterød Skov, around 8 km. You decide how far you want to walk, and there are several places where you can start and stop.
There is good parking in Odense and by Langesø, and between Odense and Morud by Langesø you can take bus route 23.
You can check where to catch the bus on rejseplanen.dk.
Dogs must be kept on a lead.

From Odense Cathedral to Langesø

If you want to start from Odense Cathedral, Skt. Knuds Kirke, you can first see the beautiful church with its 63-metre-high tower at Klosterbakken 2 in the centre of Odense, and walk from there to Rugårdsvej. At Rugårdsvej 64, you turn off and follow the path to Langesø.

Langesøstien is a lovely route. You walk through a beautiful area, and gradually you see more and more woodland and increasingly large trees. This is Langesøskoven, a 900-hectare forest with many different trees, including impressively tall grand firs and Californian giant sequoias. There is a calm and peaceful atmosphere in the woods, making it a good place to clear your mind.

By Langesø, you will find Langesø Skovkapel at Dyrehavelund 3, 5462 Morud. The woodland chapel has a beautiful view over the lake. It was built in 1870 from red brick with a copper spire, and there is a churchyard by the chapel connected by a path.

The Pilgrimage Route follows the long lake that gave the woodland its name. Langesø is about 1,300 metres long, and along the route you can enjoy the beautiful view and the trees reflected in the water. Along the lake, you will also see Langesø Castle, a manor house from 1775 built in classical style. Here you will find a café, a waffle house and a large car park, if you would like to shorten the trip here. There is also a bus between Morud and Odense if you want to take the bus back.

From Langesø to Sletterød Skov

From Langesø, the route leads past the idyllic Traun Skov, through the small cosy village of Væde and past many old and beautiful farms. In Ravnebanke Skov, there is a shelter if you would like to spend a night here.

You come to the fascinating Paddesø, and then you reach the beautiful Padesø Church. Padesø Church is located on a hilltop, and the tower is more than 26 metres high. The church was consecrated in 1881. Click here to see when services are held.

Along the route, you pass Skovmøllen, where you can see Stavis Å, which winds its way all the way towards Odense.

From here, the route continues to Sletterød Skov. If you want to continue along the Danish Pilgrimage Route, follow national cycle route 6 up to Båring and the impressive view of Båring Vig, before the route continues along the coast and through cosy old villages to Middelfart.

The Danish Pilgrimage Route

The Danish Pilgrimage Route is part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, where, according to legend, Jesus’ disciple James is buried. The route is marked with scallop shells. The scallop, which is common on the Spanish coast, is called Pecten jacobaeus in Latin, and the disciple James is most often shown with a walking staff, bag, hat and scallop shell sewn onto his clothing.

The Danish Pilgrimage Route stretches 985 km across Zealand, Funen and Jutland. It is divided into several stages and is not one continuous route, but it is connected to other European pilgrimage routes.

If you follow the route all the way down to Rinkenæs and out into Europe to Wassersleben, you can continue all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. You can also walk north through Jutland, take the ferry and continue along the pilgrimage route to Nidaros in Norway.