The Prehistoric Trail at Moesgaard

The Prehistoric Trail at Moesgaard is a 4 km (2.5 mi) hiking trail near Aarhus, Denmark that runs from the Moesgård Manor to the Moesgaard Beach and back. Along the route are several reconstructed prehistoric buildings and burial mounds.

The Prehistoric Trail cross through garden-park, forest, meadow, and beach, all part of the 100 hectare landscape owned by the Moesgaard Museum. Along the route are several reconstructed prehistoric buildings and burial mounds. The trail also passes through the Prehistoric Forest, a woodland with sections representing successive forest types of Denmark since the first trees colonized the barren landscape after the last ice age about 14,000 years ago. The idea for the trail was conceived in the 1950s by renowned Danish archaeologist P.V. Glob. Points of interests - both historical and natural - are explained on information boards along the trail.

The landscape is part of the nationwide Marguerite Route, presenting the most beautiful and interesting sights in the country. A pamphlet published by the museum in 1973, describes the trail this way: "The Prehistoric Trail leads you through a piece of the most beautiful nature in Denmark" and it still holds true.

For the most part, the trail is marked by large white stones adorned with a red dot. It is an easy walk, although parts of the trail is not suited for strollers or people with mobility difficulties. Public toilets can be found at Moesgaard Museum (free) and at the beach.

This walk assumes a start at the Moesgård Manor near the Moesgaard Museum an archaeological museum about 10 km south of Aarhus city, easy to reach by bus, car, or bicycle. Yellow buses from the city centre stops at 56.0863410.222491 Moesgaard Museum (line 18) and 56.0886210.247522 Moesgård Beach (line 31, April - September).

• The first section of the Prehistoric Trail leads you from the 56.0870410.226341 Moesgård Manor through its baroque-styled Manor Park, laid out around the same time the present manor buildings were constructed in the 1770s. Many of the trees are more than 200 years old, but also includes a newly established orchard.

• As the trail leaves the park, it leads on to "Jens Michelsens toft", a sloping grassland with free-range grazers and 56.0855810.230412 The Burial Chamber Collection. It is a collection of ancient stone barrows, illustrating how burial traditions changed over time during the Stone and Bronze Ages. The mounds were gathered from various parts of Denmark and carefully reconstructed here, while their original sites were lost to development. The grassland is grazed by Gotland sheep in the summer to suppress vegetation around the relics.

• Leaving the grassfields and crossing the road, you enter a beech-tree woodland. Here it is possible (but not easy) to spot well-preserved remains of 56.0853910.233943 ridge-and-furrow field systems from the Middle Age. It is an old type of cultivation using wheel ploughs that was practised up until the late 18th century.

• The next point of interest is a Medieval 56.0844810.235074 water mill by the Giber Å stream. There has been a water mill here since at least the 16th century, although the present buildings are from the 18th and 19th century, all restored in 2024. The mill used to power a lumberyard back in the days, but is now home to Restaurant Skovmøllen. On occassion, the millhouse itself is open for visits, when local enthusiasts are here to mill grains. Check the website to see their schedule.

• Not far from the water mill, you'll reach a 56.0830510.235955 long barrow from the Funnel Beaker Culture about 5,000 years ago, before the route leads back in to the woodlands.

• As you reenter the forest, you steps in to a 56.0834410.238586 forest swamp. The swamp is filled with Red Alder trees, adapted to the waterlocked conditions, and tussocks rich in herbs such as Marsh Marigold and Lady's Smock in between. The swamp is easily crossed on a boardwalk.

• 56.085810.240267 The Prehistoric Forest was planted by the museum in 1964 to illustrate the ecological succession of forests in Denmark from the Stone Age era up until present times. The sections covers the Birch and Pine period (9550-8250 BC), Hazel and Pine (8250-7500 BC), Early Lime (7000-3800 BC), Late Lime (3800-700 BC), and Beech (700 BC - today). The trail exits the Beech period close to the beach.

• At the beach, you will pass 56.085210.24858 Fiskerhuset, an old fishing house, at the mouth of the Giber Å stream. From here, the trail leads back west, following the Giber Å upstream along the forest edge. If you need refreshments at this point, or are interested in a small detour, cross the small bridge and walk north along the 56.0885110.248729 Moesgaard Beach. Here you will find a kiosk selling ice cream, drinks, and fast food, and a public toilet. The beach is popular in the summer and you can have a picnic here in the surrounding meadows if you like.

• Tracing back inland along Giber Å, you will pass a large meadow, and not far from the trail you can see 56.0854110.2456910 Tustruphuset, a reconstructed Stone Age cult house.

• Exciting the woodlands, you enter another grassland ("Gill's Ager"), and uphill you will pass 56.0876710.2328611 Jernalderhuset, a reconstructed Iron Age house from around 200 AD.

• The Prehistoric Trail ends back at the Manor, which nowadays houses the museum administration, Aarhus University offices, and student facilities. There is no public access to these buildings. However, just across the road is the last point of interest on The Prehistoric Trail, a Viking Age 56.0880710.2255812 stave church reconstructed from an original found in a village about 35 km north of here.

The trail finishes just below the Moesgaard Museum, which is well worth a visit. You could spend a whole day in the engaging museum itself, or combine a visit with the prehistoric walk if you have time. Whatever you do, a climb onto the museum roof is highly recommended, as it provides a great view across the landscape and the sea. The museum has a café should you need refreshments. You can also dine at the excellent restaurant Skovmøllen along the pre-historic trail.

The pre-historic hike takes about 2 hours (back and forth), or more, if you want to sidetrack, eat at Skovmøllen, explore more of the forest, or spend some time at the Moesgaard Beach.

Waymarked Trails: Trail map with download option for GPS.