Twice the Giants – Double the Wall

Welcome to my first summer hike of 2026. Times are busy  for me, so I needed to find a short’ish hike within easy reach of Copenhagen.

As it turned out, the answer was all around me. Vestvolden (The Western Rampart or maybe just The West Wall) is an 1800’s defensive works which has been turned into a long, arching stretch of nature park.

Cutting right through several Copenhagen suburbs, I still hoped Vestvolden would allow me to find solitude amongst chirping birds and dense trees while resting my eyes on the lazy ex-moat-now-quiet-stream. And of course, exploring the forts and trenches would provide a bit of adventure to go with the otherwise laid-back experience.

0 km. –  I have TRAINed for this!

I got the closest train out of downtown CPH and soon after jumped off at Avedøre Station landing almost directly on Vestvolden. It was morning, and I seemed to be alone out here. The trail was located between the rampart (a large dirt wall) and the moat (a slow stream).

Fortunately for me, the vegetation was quite dense, so I didn’t feel the fact that houses and traffic was less than 100 meters away. Also, the trees provided shade on a day that was looking to become hot and sunny.

3 km. – Where Giants Roam

Except for some angry woodpeckers chirping like crazy, I had a very quiet morning hike. I followed the bubbling moat/stream for a few kilometres and felt that well known meditative state set in. This is exactly why I choose to walk – it soothes the mind. Flowers and blooming trees were everywhere. I felt lucky and grateful to be here.

However, all was not to remain tranquil. My research had pointed me towards adventure, because apparently the wooden giants of artist Thomas Dambo roam these lands. And I had to see them after my run-in with another giant on the Armamino hiking trail.

I first veered off track after 3 km. and with a bit of effort found the chill character of Hilltop Trine. I was impressed. Hilltop Trine was quite a sight and a little scary. You should check out my YouTube video for a live action clip of what took place there 😊.

A few kilometres further down the Vestvold, I came across another giant. His name was Sleeping Louis, which made sense as he was taking a nap under some shady trees. After watching him sleep for a short while, I went on my way.

10 km. – Lunchbreak in a warzone

With two thirds of the whole of Vestvolden behind me, it was time for a break. I had crisscrossed the moat and climbed up and down the ramparts a number of times. I just couldn’t decide if I wanted a view from up high or the shady path by the moat. Instead, I got it all, but paid with extra hiking and even some climbing.

Hot and sweaty, I found a bench and sat down for ten minutes enjoying my pre-packed sandwich and coffee. Ahh. Much refreshed, I climbed the rampart once more.

For the duration of the walk, I had passed a number of old fortresses, trenches, gun nests and other defensive works. Old, but mostly intact. Some of the constructions were quite large and had enticing dark doorways, that I was finding progressively more difficult to stay away from…

13 km. – Into the dark

…And then I could resist no more. I passed a weird artificial peninsula jutting out into the moat. It had a rather large concrete bunker, and I decided to crawl trough a window to explore. Inside was mostly grafitti and debris, but it was almost like a maze. And a little scary. Who else was in here?

Satisfied with having braved the dark, I went on my way. The sun was burning my arms, but I found shade under the trees and enjoyed the company of sheep, ducks, geese and buzzing insects. It was a lovely spring day indeed.

15 km. – Pushing beyond the wall

At last, after almost 4 hours of hiking and exploring, I reached the end of Vestvolden. Saying good bye to the rampart and moat, I chose to continue another 5 kilometres around the bog known as Utterslev Mose.

This was a more public area, but it provided amazing views over a bird-filled wetland. I took my sweet time to circle the lakes on a gravel path while enjoying the weather and once again my head kind of drifted in that most relaxing way. Ahhh…

All too soon though, I hit Copenhagen proper, and had to find a train home. But I had been a truly beautiful hike with a few exciting surprises along the way.

Thank you for reading. Now feel free to plan your own trip with the aid of my Info page for Vestvolden. Or watch my video recording for further inspiration.