Starup: Haderslev Næs Camino, Church and Heath

Starup is a destination for travellers who want to combine hiking with impressions of church history and the landscape. The Haderslev Næs Camino passes through the village and offers various options for planning your day: from a short stage to a longer hike between several churches. There is also Starup Heath, a historic rune stone and a church whose history dates back to the late 11th century.

Hiking the Haderslev Næs Camino

The Haderslev Næs Camino is a 106-kilometre hiking route between nine churches. If you are looking for a manageable distance, you can consider the second stage: it runs from Hertug Hans Church to Starup Church and is 3 kilometres long. This specific distance helps you adapt your hiking plans to your own daily rhythm without having to plan the entire route.

The route leads through fields and forests as well as along gravel paths, country roads and cycle paths. Along the way, there are views of hills and water. For orientation, the Haderslev Næs Camino is marked with wooden posts bearing the route logo, as well as small signs with the logo and arrows. This means the route remains interesting as an experience in its own right if you want to choose individual sections.

Starup Heath: walks and traces of the Middle Ages

The hiking route passes through Starup Heath. The heath is used for walking, including walks with dogs, and offers views over the Haderslev Fjord. If you would like to plan a walk alongside the longer hiking route, you will find another documented landscape experience around Starup here.

Starup Heath is also associated with archaeological finds. Five excavations uncovered traces of houses and craft activities from the Early Middle Ages, dating approximately from the years 1000 to 1300. The evidence includes blacksmithing, bronze casting and bone working. The heath thus adds a historical perspective to the hiking experience, without requiring you to limit yourself to a purely church-focused route.

Starup Church and the rune stone

In front of Starup Church stands a rune stone bearing the inscription “airiks kubl”, which is read as “Erik’s memorial”. Starup Church dates from the late 11th century. During its restoration from 1908 to 1918, the side aisles were rebuilt and the original arcades were reopened. The church is a three-aisled structure built of travertine on the Haderslev Fjord.

Starup Heath is also home to the vicarage at the end of an avenue and a boating club on the fjord. These different points of interest make Starup an appealing place to stay if you want to combine nature, exercise and historical details. The rune stone, the church and the archaeological traces each offer their own approach to the history of the area.

Hiking or mountain biking

Starup can also be included in your travel plans by bicycle. The 56.5-kilometre Hejsager–Sønderballe–Haderslev–Starup–Hejsager mountain bike loop passes through Starup. This provides different options for planning your holiday: a 3-kilometre Camino stage, longer sections of the 106-kilometre hiking route or a designated mountain bike loop. The option you choose may reasonably influence your decision to book a holiday apartment or holiday house in Starup.

If Starup Church, Starup Heath and the Camino are to be the focus, you can search for accommodation directly in Starup. For other destinations in the same selection, you can also discover Råde, Halk, Gram, Diernæs, Mølby, Sommersted, Haderslev and Flovt Strand.

For the higher-level travel overview: Haderslev Municipality.