Kovirke is the name of one of the oldest sections of the Danevirke, the great earthwork that guarded the southern border of Denmark for the better part of a thousand years. From the early eighth century, the Danes built ramparts, ditches and later brick walls across the narrow neck of land between the Baltic and the North Sea, and the system grew in stages. Neighbouring sections have names of their own, the Crooked Wall among them, and the Kovirke is among the earliest. The line runs through fields and woodland, a long bank that you can see best in the low light of morning or evening.
Not far away lies Hedeby, or Haithabu in German, the great Viking trading town on the shore of the Schlei inlet. For about three centuries, from the ninth century, it was one of the largest trading centres in northern Europe, with ships from Scandinavia, the Baltic, the Rhine and beyond bringing furs, amber, silver and slaves, and it was destroyed in the eleventh century. UNESCO listed Hedeby and the Danevirke in 2018. A museum has a reconstructed set of Viking houses, and the finds, including a preserved longship, are remarkable.
The landscape of Schleswig is flat and open, with the long finger of the Schlei winding between reedy shores, and the sky is huge. Fields of rape, barley and maize stretch to the horizon, and the air smells of salt and cut grass in summer. The area has been the site of border disputes between Denmark and Germany, and the two cultures still overlap, with Danish minority schools and churches in the area.
Riding here is easy, with quiet roads, long straights, and some pleasing curves along the water. Wind is the main challenge, as there is almost nothing to stop it. Fahrdorf, a village about three kilometres away, has a baker and a few services, and the town of Schleswig, a short ride beyond, has fuel, supermarkets and restaurants. Smoked herring is a local favourite. Late spring and early autumn are the best times, and winter is cold and grey.