Titel: Sensory Hiking for adults at Lildstrand

The aim is for families to find peace in nature, focus on the senses, getting new experiences and impressions of what is already known - get a mindful experience and find peace by just being, and enjoy the experience totally naturally.

The sensory hike for families is based on a short walk from the parking lot at the beach landing site, around Strandkærvej, past the church and out along the coastal rescue road towards the outer parking lot, where you can walk over the dunes, down onto the beach, and back towards the beach landing site. 

This walk can be done in approx. 40 min, depending on how many stops you take and how many stones you stop to collect. There are benches on the way by the church, by the car park, and at the beach landing site. If you want a longer walk, you can easily find another route, or extend your walk out along the coastal rescue road towards Glæde, or take the trip to Bulbjerg and return along the beach (approx. a 2 hr hike).

To get the full sensory hiking experience, it is recommended that you take the time to stop and pause along the way, and therefore the trip may well take longer.

Bring a bucket or a bag for collecting stones and things in, and feel free to take a packed lunch and refreshments with you, that can make even a short walk into something more special.

If you are at Lildstrand for several days, we can recommend that you go on the same walk several times, and preferably at different times of the day - each hike is completely unique and presents different experiences. Try it at sunrise, at dusk, in the midday heat, in the dark, in wind, and rain. The sounds and scents are completely different.

It is a great experience for children to go for walks in the dark, their senses are sharpened, it is exciting to listen to the sounds of the night, spot shooting stars, and maybe even see some of the animals of the night. Several times during the year there are meteor showers where there is a great chance of seeing a lot of shooting stars. There is also a chance to see the Northern Lights at Lildstrand and Bulbjerg. Search for information about it online. 

Guide

• Start your walk at the beach landing place at Lildstrand, and go via Strandkærvej towards the church.
• Stop at the large stone fish and let the children close their eyes and feel the rough and smooth surfaces on the stone. They can feed the fish with small stones.
• Walk past the church at 08.00 and 17.00 when the church bells ring at sunrise or sunset.
• Find the big bell - sit and listen to the bell.
• Continue out of town, feel the transition from asphalt to gravel, and breathe in. Is it heather, rosehip, or the sea you can smell?
• Can you hear the birds of the heath, or the hum of insects, perhaps a crane trumpeting in the background or a seagull screaming?
• Are the birds singing, calling, or screaming? Can you hear a lark?
• Let the children find some grass that smells good, grass that prickles, and maybe some soft grass.
• Rosehip bushes are all along the road; smell the scent of the roses, feel their thorns, and taste their fruits. You can also pick rose hips, take them home and make jam from them or rosehip soup. The rose petals can be crystallized and used to decorate a layer cake, or dried and used in tea.
• Maybe you can find sea buckthorn berries that are ripe.
• At the car park, you can sit down at the picnic bench. Close your eyes - listen and smell.
• Lie down in the grass and look up at the clouds.
• Follow the path up to the top of the dunes, sit in the sand and look out over the sea while you feel the sand with your fingers - is the sand cold, hot, cool, or wet? Maybe the grass prickles you when it's blowing in the wind, and maybe you're lucky to see paths in the sand made by insects and reptiles that are busy taking care of their tasks as you wander around. Breathe in and let yourself be present. Let yourself be blown through by the wind, baked by the sun, or soaked by the rain.
• Go down to the beach and start the trip back towards the beach landing site. You can walk down by the water’s edge where the waves wash in, or further up on the beach where you can walk in sand and rocks.
• Go searching for footprints and traces of animals or other people.

At the beach landing site, you can fill your water bottle in the packed lunch house, and use the toilets by the Spilhuset.

Lildstrand Røgeri (smokery) sells freshly smoked fish and hot dishes and the many galleries in the area have coffee and cake.

Sensory Hiking by Dorte Krøyer, August 2020, in conjunction with a development project with funding from the Ministry of Rural Business Fund. In collaboration with Thy Tourist Association and Support Fund Hannæs and Østerild, the residents and tourist attractions from the area have contributed to the project through many workshops. The result represents carefully selected locations and recommendations where your visit contributes with a positive effect.

We call it sustainable tourism.