Beder Malling: Trails, Beach and Local History

Beder Malling combines nature experiences, trails through varied landscapes and traces of history. At Mariendal Beach, you can swim, skim stones and fish; at the same time, several routes start in or pass through the area around Beder and Malling. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment can therefore decide on their preferred style of travel in advance: Should the stay focus primarily on water and hiking, or are local history, churches and historic paths the main priorities?

Water, Trails and Nature around Mariendal

At Mariendal Beach, there are parking spaces, a dry toilet, fire pits, waste bins and picnic tables. There is also a water point approximately 500 m away at Mariendalgården, Ørnevænget 37–41, 8330 Beder. There are fire pits in the area around the beach. Mariendal Beach is a good starting point for hikes north towards Fløjstrup and Moesgaard.

Several clearly named options are available for planning your routes. The red Vilhelmsborg Route is 11.3 km long. Beder-Malling also has four hiking trails starting in Egelund; they are 3.8 km, 5.8 km, 7 km and 11.3 km long. The white “Beder-Mallingstien” route is 7 km long and runs from Egelund Idrætscenter via Kirkebakken and back along Hovedbækken. This stream drains the marsh between Malling and Beder.

The area can also be explored by bicycle: National Cycle Route N5 passes by Mariendal Beach. The Vilhelmsborg Route runs along the Giber Å through Vilhelmsborg Skov. It also passes Rokballe Mølle, a 17th-century mill that was one of several mills along the Giber Å. Vilhelmsborg serves as a national equestrian centre. On the route described, Bymosen is reached after Byagerparken; in spring, a rich bird population and the croaking of many frogs can be heard there.

Churches, Mills and Historic Paths

Beder Malling is also suitable for travellers who would like to combine their walks with local history. Beder Church can be seen from the Beder-Mallingstien route. It was built by the residents of the parish in 1150. Beder also has numerous buildings that illustrate the development of the town from a collection of farms into a railway town.

In Malling, the cemetery of Malling Church tells of an earlier function: in the Early Middle Ages, it was a fortified cemetery, also known as a Folkeborg. The baptismal font in Malling Church dates from around the 12th century and is the church’s oldest inventory. Kirkestien provides another historical connection. It is considered part of the original trade and transport route connected to the loading port in Norsminde.

For local-history discoveries, the “Børnenes Lokalhistorie” town walking routes in Beder-Malling were offered in 2021 through the free-to-download OpdagAarhus app. The information refers to the year 2021 and should therefore be understood as a historical reference.

Which Base Suits Your Trip?

If water, nature and longer trails are the main priorities, you can consider proximity to your preferred starting point as a separate selection criterion when searching for a holiday apartment. For orientation in the area, it is also relevant that the Aarhus Light Rail serves both Beder and Malling.

You can find more destinations for your planning at Beder, Gammel Løgten, Viby J, Tilst, Holme-Højbjerg-Skåde, Solbjerg, Tranbjerg and Skæring.

For the overarching travel overview: Aarhus Municipality.