“Feel the presence of history”
Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark is situated only 100 km from Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, and covers an area of 355 km²
The supreme geological heritage of Denmark’s first UNESCO Global Geopark, is constituted mainly by glacial structures formed during the latter part of the Weichselian approx. 17,000 years ago. The most dominant landscape feature is the presence of three very distinct end moraines called the Odsherred Arches, which form the core of the UNESCO Global Geopark’s landscape. Together with the glacial depressions and meltwater plains, they represent a classical geomorphological example of a glacial landform, only equalled by a very few other places in Europe. When the established society of geologists, not only in Denmark, but also abroad, at the beginning of the 20th century, turned their attention on glacial dynamics and ice age geology, they therefore also focused on Odsherred’s glacial landscape. Since the end of the last ice age, postglacial and coastal processes have shown just as important in forming of the landscape, today still causing a constant change.
The area of the Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark is equivalent to that of Odsherred Municipality, populating 33,000 inhabitants. Since the termination of the last glacial period, humans have been making their mark on Odsherred and the landscape has attracted people from far and wide since the early 18th century. Today the area is an attractive holiday destination with more than 26,000 summer residences, thus having the summer population arising to more than 100,000 inhabitants.
The cultural history, arts, and the local produce, are all closely intertwined with the landscape and geology, thereby becoming the four topics of Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark. As a part of the strong and widespread community involvement in Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark, local stakeholders, business, the tourism agency, the national nature agency and associations help to support the socioeconomic development. Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark wishes to catalyse this, through partnership agreements and promotion of local products.
Education, dissemination and public outreach are also very important for the development of the area. Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark is very proud to be a part of, and support the Geokids project involving all children, about 4,000 pupils, in the public schools in Odsherred. The pupils are undergoing an out-door, on-location programme achieving knowledge on the four main topics of Odsherred UNESCO Global Geopark and the project ends in 2018 where approx. 4.000 masks will be exhibited in a mesmerizing sight in Odsherred´s landscape.
