Ruten ved Frihedsbroen

On the Route at the Freedom Bridge, which is part of the Ancient Road Pearls, you walk both close to the Kongeå and up on the river valley slope. 

The route at the Freedom Bridge is a lovely Ancient Road gem of 5.7 kilometers. The route is certified by the Deutsches Wanderinstitut as a Premium Easy hiking route, which guarantees a quality experience, good signage of the route and benches along the way for a rest. 

You walk on a footpath - on the south side of the Kongeå you are close to the river, and this can mean a wet stretch when there is good rain. The footpath can also be a little uneven and is rated as moderately strenuous. 

On the north side of the Kongeå, you come up on the slope and get a nice view of the Kongeå valley. You cross the river on one of the beautiful Kongeåsti bridges halfway through the trip. 

You walk inside the cattle, so the dog has to stay at home. 

When travellers on the Ancient Road met the Kongeå, they had to pass the river at fords. There have been several of them in the area. The Malt stone with runic inscriptions was found on this route - the place on the north side is marked with an information sign. 

The Kongeå has also been both a customs border and a land border - after the defeat in 1864, when Denmark lost the duchies, the border came to be at Kongeåen in most of the present Vejen Municipality. Therefore, you can see the house Frihed on the north side of the river close to the Freedom Bridge.

It was built by the large farmer H.D. Kloppenborg from Københoved as a sanctuary on the Danish side of the border. Many South Jutland men also crossed the river to escape German war service - especially during the First World War. 

There's plenty of history you can delve further into. Today, it is first and foremost a fantastic recreational area that exists in the production landscape. The Ancient Road's hiking and cycling route crosses the Freedom Bridge, where this route connects to the Ancient Road as one of the Ancient Road's Pearls.