Fredag mellemrute

Friday between 44 km:

1. Søby Sø: Søby Sø north of the former brown coal mines is private property and is the only natural lake in the area. This means, unlike most lakes in the brown coal mines, it has a varied animal and plant life. East of the lake, the Herning Municipality has enacted a law to establish a public grill and rest area, where it is also possible to swim in the lake from the beach.

2. Søby Brown Coal Museum: The brown coal adventure forms a colorful chapter in Danish history, which began in the winter of 1939-1940 and lasted until May 1970. The brown coal mines in Søby witness a very particular culture and way of life during the time of World War II, when the supply of coal in Denmark disappeared, and there arose an acute need for fuel.

The extraction of brown coal created a community where whole families moved to be part of the adventure and earn good money. The homes were small, work was incredibly hard, and several men lost their lives in dramatic accidents in the mines. There lived 3,000-4,000 people in Søby brown coal mines, of which about 2,000 were in Søby, where the industrial adventure peaked, which meant that there were established grocery stores, transport enterprises, rescue stations, and gambling houses.

2. "The White City": The recent history of Birk started in the 1960s, where the textile industry was booming in the Herning area. The Damgaard brothers Knud, Mads, and Aage laid the foundation for a new creative way of thinking by merging their industries with art and education. The architecture and interior design of the industrial buildings - independent of art and culture - became a natural part of the workers' daily life. The fantastic cooperation between brave entrepreneurs, municipal officials, renowned Danish and international architects, landscape architects, and artists resulted in new thinking regarding buildings, urban planning, and landscape. The geometry and forms - Architecturally, the Angli factory was the starting signal for the new Birk. The geometry of Angligården and wall art, indoors and outdoors, inspired the entire strategy for the area. To preserve the unique character of the place, both buildings and outdoor areas are subject to special rules. There are circles, squares, and triangles everywhere, which reflect earlier buildings, parks, squares, roads, and paths. Circles can be seen for example in the Remix Angligården, at the Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelts Museum in Sculpture Park and not least in the round sculpture Elia. In the Geometric Gardens, in the Utzon house and at the Heart Art Museum, there are captivating combinations of geometric themes.