About the Shield March
Denmark's most beautiful march
Skjoldungernes Land National Park
The national park is named after the legendary Danish kings “Skjoldungerne”. According to legends and chronicles, they were descendants of the mythical King Skjold, who made Lejre the first royal seat of the Danish kingdom.
Fjordland, hills and large forests
Skjoldungernes Land National Park is located in Central Zealand – just a 30 km drive from Copenhagen. The national park’s 170 square kilometers contain unique nature, cultural history and some of the most beautiful landscapes we have. For example, visit Roskilde Fjord with salt marshes, coastal cliffs, islands, islets and a unique birdlife – or disappear into the large deciduous forests of Central Zealand with hiking trails and campsites.
Feel the time
Since the Stone Age, people have lived in the area and left their mark. Experience the protected manor landscapes with fields, meadows, burial mounds, shipwrecks, watermills and other cultural traces – or the medieval town of Roskilde with Roskilde Cathedral as the crowning glory.
The national park encompasses local communities, food, businesses, art and culture, which are an important part of a visit.
The National Park's mission
The national park was inaugurated in 2015 and is tasked with protecting, strengthening and developing the area's nature, landscape, cultural history, outdoor life, dissemination, education, research, local communities, businesses and tourism in a sustainable manner.
A brief overview of the national park
- 30.000-60.000 birds roost on the fjord in the autumn
- 5 world-famous Viking ships
- 6 important habitat types:
- Shallow fjord with islands and islets
- Beach meadows and coastal cliffs
- Forests
- Lakes and streams
- Fresh meadows and marshes
- Exaggerate
- 171 protected ancient monuments
- 99 km of coastline and 66 km of protected waterways
- 40 km Skjoldungesti
- Area distribution:
- 10 percent meadows, bogs, pastures and lakes
- 18 percent forest
- 36 percent fjord
- 24 percent cultivated fields
- 12 percent other
- 170 square kilometers area; 1/3 fjord and 2/3 land
- 527 lakes
- 338 bogs
- 143 fresh meadows
- The Horse Hole in Roskilde Fjord is 31 m deep.
The Creation of the Skjoldunge March
The Skjoldunge March is a march focusing on nature experiences in the Skjoldungernes Land National Park, which is Zealand's first national park and was inaugurated in 2015. The march's routes are laid out with a focus on nature, the hilly landscape, the area's beauty and attractions.
The national park covers an area of 170 square kilometers, and its landscape was primarily created during the last ice age. It is filled with hills and valleys, forests and lakes, streams and bogs, and Roskilde Fjord with its salt marshes, islands and islets. Since the Stone Age, people have lived in the area and left their mark.
The hope/vision of the Skjoldunge March is to support the growing interest in hiking. Maybe the corona brought something good with it after all? When we were not allowed to be together in training clubs and associations, many laced up their hiking boots and went on hikes into the blue. A trend started, and it has been growing strongly since.
During a march, the speed is reduced, so that you have the opportunity to enjoy the sensory impressions and nature, and above all, you can make new acquaintances. There is plenty of time to chat along the way, and that really does something. Hearing about other people's experiences, stories and ideas provides inspiration for your own thoughts and reflection.
Challenge yourself and complete the march. Feel what nature can give you.
The team behind the Skjoldunge March
The team currently consists of only one person, but more partners are on the way.
My name is Brian Damsgaard, 43 years old, trained police officer, personal trainer and coach. During the period of Covid-19, I was opened to what hiking can do. Not only in relation to the body and the physical aspect, but also for the mental. The mindset.
Good constructive thoughts and ideas suddenly found their way because I was in a situation where I gave my thoughts free rein. There was no noise or disturbances, but rather peace and space for reflection. For several years I have been toying with the idea of organizing a march event with a strong focus on nature experiences.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Here are a number of the typical questions we get. You can read much more about the trip and the preparations on the page worth knowing . Should you have any other questions, you are always welcome to contact us at kontakt@fremadmarch.dk.
The route
The routes go through the scenic surroundings of Skjoldungernes Land National Park. The routes are planned with beauty, experiences, challenges and attractions in mind. If you haven't already fallen in love with the national park, you will surely become one on your route.
The routes will be marked with wire flags, so you can safely enjoy your route without having to look down at a phone all the time to find your way.
However, as an extra precaution, we recommend that you have downloaded the selected route to the Komoot app. Before starting, you will receive the route in GPS form, after which the app will show you the way with your phone, just like you know it from car navigation. Your mobile phone or GPS device will guide you through even the darkest forests without any problems.
Which distance should I choose?
With the right training, anything is possible. Longer trips are a lot about mindset and belief in your own abilities. Prepare yourself, spend time on training trips, get out into nature and feel what it can give you. Because it can give you a lot.
The training rides also help you gain experience in choosing shoes, socks, and what food your body works best with. As the difficulty and length of your training rides increase, your body also adapts to the distances and increased endurance demands.
Take note and choose a distance that suits you and your level of ambition.
Depots along the way
We have placed the depots so that there will be opportunities to use the toilet and refill water at all of them. In addition, there will be soda, coffee, fruit, energy and chocolate bars, mini salami, sweets, rye bread, toast with Nutella and much more.
Equipment – what should I bring?
Required equipment: backpack, mobile phone, power bank, headlamp, water bottle/camel bag, overshirt.
In addition, it may be a good idea to bring an extra pair of socks as well as food and snacks.
Food – what should I bring?
It may be wise to bring some rye bread snacks or buns. Although there are depots along the way, you should be aware that the march is a self-catering event. Test what works for you on your training trips and make a meal plan for yourself. It may help you to eat a rye bread snack every 2 hours. On the long marches you will feel hungry, and so it is important to force yourself to eat to give your body some energy to work with. Otherwise, your body may go cold.
What do I do if I get injured along the way or can't continue?
If you are forced to abandon the hike, there are several places where you can shorten your trip and return to the start/finish line or head towards the nearest depot.
When will I receive information about the event?
Shortly after your registration, you will receive an order confirmation with a QR code. This code must be presented before starting in the starting area.
You will receive ongoing emails about the event, and in the weeks leading up to the event you will receive a link to the route you have registered for.
What if I can't participate anyway?
The starting point is that if you become injured or ill, the buyer (participant) has no right of withdrawal, cf. the Consumer Agreement Act on Internet Commerce, as recreational leisure activities are not included in the agreement. Transfer of starting number can be done by sending an email to kontakt@fremadmarch.dk.