The best walks and hikes in Hesede Skov

This route takes you through a quiet forest and along an idyllic lake. If you like bird watching, you will especially enjoy this route - it is a little paradise for nature lovers. The route is suitable for everyone, whether you are walking, cycling, or want to enjoy the route with a stroller, wheelchair or limited mobility. The path was created in collaboration with Gisselfeld Monastery and Faxe Municipality. Important: The forest is private, so access is only permitted between sunrise and sunset. Sometimes access can be completely closed. If the entire route becomes too long for you, you can easily shorten it in Paradishaven

Villa Gallina was built as a “place of convenience and tractor place” in 1852. At that time, it served the area's residents and travelers on the old country road from Copenhagen to Næstved. Villa Gallina is today both an a la carte restaurant, a banquet restaurant and a very popular excursion destination. In the cozy half-timbered house, we serve quality food with inspiration from both traditional Danish, Italian and French cuisine. From the large terrace our guests can enjoy the view of the beautiful lake and forest. Regular opening hours: March - September: Wednesday - Friday 12.00 - 16.00 Saturday 12.00-17.00 Sunday 12.00-17-00 Open all holidays, Pentecost & 2nd Pentecost: Opening during the autumn holidays from 14 October to 18

Svenskekløften is also called Djævlekløften. It is located in the middle of Hesede Forest, and is a 25 meter deep meltwater gorge from the last ice age. Legend has it that during the war in 1660, the Swedes hid from Gøngehøvdingen Svend Poulsen and his men in the gorge. Hence the nickname Svenskekløften. The Swedish gorge is one of the dramatic creations of the ice age. The meltwater of the ice has cut a deep scar in Hesede Forest. At the same time, more death holes were created, now lakes. Svend Poulsen was probably born in Sweden, which was Danish at the time, in Gønge county. He lived from 1610 to 1679. As a Danish sniper captain, he lived here in the South Zealand region, as leader of the Snaphans in the Danish-Swedish wars in the 17th century. We first hear of Svend Poulsen in 1625, when he was recruited for the Danish army's participation in the Thirty Years' War. Later, during the new Danish-Swedish war in 1657-1658, he participated as a captain. He waged guerrilla warfare against the Swedes in northern Scania and southern Halland. In the following war 1658-1660, Svend Poulsen organized a resistance movement against the Swedes in South Zealand.

The Paradise Garden at Gisselfeld Monastery is Denmark's first botanical garden. The Garden of Paradise was laid out in 1813. In 1837, Hesede Nursery School was expanded with perennials, deciduous plants and ornamental shrubs. The mammoth tree is a giant spruce that was planted in 1890 and with its 50 meters is the tallest tree in the garden. All of Europe received rare plants from the nursery up to approx. 1900. It closed in 1925 and lay for many years as a wilderness with quite a few paths, though still with the markings of many of the rare plants. In 2009, it was all renovated and Paradise Garden was reopened in the fall. At its closure in 1925, the garden was able to showcase the country's largest collection of alien and exotic plants with about 250 different species and about 600 trees in total.

On the night between 4 and 5 May 1945, all the resistance fighters from Haslev gathered in the Hesede forest. They met at sunrise on the forest road near forester Hoffmeyer's house. From there they rode by bicycle and in a single car into Haslev. At the site of the memorial stone, weapons were stored for the resistance during the war. The reason for this was that the Germans were not so happy to get into the dark forest. The memorial stone has been erected in memory of the resistance fighters in Haslev. The inscription on the stone reads: “Freedom fighters from Haslev gathered here on the night between 4 and 5 May. Against will and patriotism drove them. ” The stone was erected at the instigation of the then forester at Gisselfeld Svend Kindt, who also incurred the expenses thereby.