Kirke Hvalsø: The Church, Culture and the Bidstrup Forests

Kirke Hvalsø combines local history, culture and varied nature experiences. Those looking for a mix of historical impressions, events and trails through forest and cultural landscapes for their holiday will find various starting points for planning their trip here. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can consider whether you would like to place greater emphasis on the character of the town or on the nature experiences around Hvalsø.

Church, cultural centre and film festival

A prominent landmark is Hvalsø Church. It is located in the middle of Kirke Hvalsø, at the highest point in the town. The building was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century. Its original wooden ceiling was replaced by a ribbed vault in the 14th century. This gives the church a tangible connection to the town’s long architectural history. Hvalsø and Særløse Churches hold services, concerts and lectures every year, thereby contributing to cultural life in Hvalsø and Særløse.

Hvalsø Kulturhus also broadens the cultural offering. The cultural hall is suitable for concerts, theatre performances, lectures and exhibitions. The library belonging to the cultural centre has a lounge area where you can read while looking out over the town. A special event in the annual calendar is the Filmfestihvalsø film festival: Hvalsø Bio has held it every March since 2004. If you would like to experience culture not only through sightseeing but also as an event, these offerings are among the defining aspects of Kirke Hvalsø.

Bidstrup Forests: Trails, water and special habitats

The Bidstrup Forests are located near Hvalsø between Roskilde and Ringsted. The area includes forest, heathland, forest meadows, marshes and lakes. Springs rise in the hills, while clear streams and rivers run through the landscape. A route through the forests offers views of the Ice Age-shaped landscape of Elverdamsdalen and passes old forest meadows. There is a rich diversity of flowers, insects, butterflies and fallow deer there.

Several specific trails are available for different day plans. The 5 km Hjertestien trail in the northern part of the Bidstrup Forests towards Hvalsø is marked in red. Those looking for a technically challenging bike ride will find the 9.5 km mountain bike route “Det hvide spor” in the forests. Two Natureventyr trails round out the offering: “Yrsa i den gyldne skov” is located in Storskoven near Hvalsø, while “Skovlingesaga: Tordenfødderne kommer!” is in Bidstrup Skov near Hvalsø.

In Kildeengen, a habitat for rare butterfly and plant species, you can find, among others, the narrow-bordered pearl-bordered fritillary, which is listed on the Red List, and the broad-leaved marsh orchid, which is also listed on the Red List. The annual Le-Festival welcomes visitors who would like to try mowing with a scythe. At Avnsø, the Bidstrup Forests have a bathing jetty as well as tables and benches where you can eat food you have brought with you. If you are travelling with a dog, the marked dog forest at the northern end of the Bidstrup Forests towards Hvalsø is also one of the area’s distinctive features; dogs may run free there under supervision.

Between local life and longer excursions

The older part of Kirke Hvalsø also offers impressions of its own. The buildings of Søtorvet, dating from 2018, are centrally located in the older part of Kirke Hvalsø. Their distinctive rendered and colourful façades define the square, which contains both shops and homes. Hvalsø also has a regional railway station with connections to, among other places, Copenhagen, Høje-Taastrup, Roskilde, Holbæk and Kalundborg. This gives you the option of arriving and taking excursions by train if you do not want to travel exclusively by car.

For longer hikes, the approximately 35 km Skjoldungestien trail runs between Roskilde, Lejre and Hvalsø. Another route leads from the vanished village of Lerbjerg to Hvalsø along the old school and church path and offers views of Elverdamsdalen. You can experience the work in the Bidstrup Forests on a signposted 4.5 km circular route; the trail begins at the Storskoven car park.

When looking for accommodation, Kirke Hvalsø can therefore be viewed according to the pace of holiday you want: the town offers churches, a library, a cultural centre and shops, while the Bidstrup Forests contribute trails, landscapes and nature experiences. This allows you to choose a holiday apartment based on which of these aspects you want to shape your days.

More destinations for your search

If you would also like to include other places in your travel plans, you can find more destinations here: Kyndeløse, Kirke Såby, Kisserup, Ordrup, Gershøj, Kirke Hyllinge and Lejre.

To the higher-level travel overview: Lejre.