North of Copenhagen the Danish landscape turns into a mixture of beech woods, lakes and open meadows, a fragment of what the whole country looked like before the farmers took over. Grønholt Vang belongs to that world, a patch of countryside near Hillerød and Fredensborg in north Zealand, where woodland and open ground sit side by side. The word vang is old Danish for a field or open ground, and it hints at the pattern.
This is royal country. Fredensborg Palace, a few kilometres away, has been a summer residence of the Danish royal family since the eighteenth century, and the hunting forests nearby were once reserved for the king's sport. The great Frederiksborg Castle at Hillerød, a Renaissance palace on three islands in a lake, is close, and the whole area has a feeling of old estates and managed woodland. Lake Esrum, the second largest in Denmark, lies to the north and is worth a detour.
The roads in north Zealand are among the most civilised in Denmark. They wind through beech forests, along lake shores and between fields, with gentle bends and a good surface, and they are quiet outside the commuting hours. Speed limits are low and enforced, with cameras on the main roads, so take it easy and enjoy the scenery. The country is flat to gently rolling, and in autumn the beech leaves turn a golden copper that is hard to beat.
This particular spot is on the ride that links the area with the Viking ring fortress at Trelleborg, on the other side of Zealand. Nødebo is a small village with a few shops, while Fredensborg, with about eight thousand people, and Hillerød, with over thirty thousand, offer fuel, supermarkets and restaurants. Danish bakeries are a pleasure, and a pastry and a coffee are a good way to start the day.
Come in spring, when the beech leaves are fresh and the woodland floor is carpeted with wood anemones, or in October for the colour. Midsummer evenings are long and light.