Spjald offers several distinct ways to shape your stay: a five-kilometre walk north of the town, a nature trail created in 2012 along a former railway line, sports activities and cultural-historical details. The walk through heathland, hedgerows and fields is a specific option for getting active; the museum and architectural history offer other points of interest. You can plan your time around the subjects that interest you most.
Waterworks and architectural history
The waterworks at Brejninggaard are almost 450 years old and exceptionally well preserved. They include dams, canals and mill sites. One distinction is important: at the site of the former Brejninggaard Watermill, only a cleared area remains today. The well-preserved waterworks and this individual former mill site therefore represent different parts of the historic heritage.
For centuries, the farmers of the parish were obliged to have their grain ground at Brejninggaard Watermill. This illustrates the mill's former importance to agricultural life. The story is therefore not only about dams and canals, but also about how grain milling was organised.
Brejning Church, near Spjald, brings together several periods of construction. Its core consists of a Romanesque nave and chancel. A tower was added to the west and a porch to the north in the Late Gothic period. The east gable bears the year 1581, along with coats of arms featuring the initials of Hans Lange and Johanne Skram. The same terracotta tiles can be found there as in the façade decoration at Brejninggaard.
Brejninggård also features striking terracotta work: the east wing was built around 1580, and the east-facing gate wing has a pilaster-divided façade with distinctive terracotta decoration. Together with the church's Romanesque and Late Gothic features, this offers a range of architectural details to look out for during a stay focused on cultural history.
Museum and local traditions
The Brejning Local History Museum has permanent exhibitions about Spjald's past. It is open every Monday morning from 1 October to 1 May. Bear this opening period in mind if you plan a visit. The museum offers an introduction to local history, while the surviving buildings and historic landscape features reveal other aspects of the past.
A local weaving tradition is known as “at væve på spjald” (“to weave on a spjald”): several looms from the parish were used to weave ribbons and garters. A single object can also provide a specific historical clue: a surviving quarter-mile stone stands by the Petanque House at Spjald School. These details complement the architectural history with handicrafts and a surviving road marker.
Walks, the nature trail and traces of the past
The municipal Spjald–Muldbjerg Route is a five-kilometre walk north of Spjald. It passes through heathland, hedgerows and fields. Its length gives you a useful guide for planning; local trail conditions may change, so check the latest information before setting out. The nature trail along a former railway line from Spjald offers another option, but it was developed as a separate project in 2012.
Near Spjald lies Muldhøje, a group of four burial mounds. The two largest are joined to form a long mound. Also nearby, the burial known as the Muldbjerg Man was made around 1400 BC and discovered in 1883 by archaeologists from the National Museum. These details place different time periods side by side: the burial's creation in the Bronze Age and its discovery in the 19th century.
Spjald's transport history also includes its years as a railway town on the Ringkøbing–Nr. Omme Railway, from 1911 to 1961. The former railway line on which the nature trail was created, and this historical context, make railway connections another part of the town's history.
Sports in Spjald
Spjald Fritid offers swimming for all ability levels, including groups for the whole family and direct registration. Timetables and participation requirements may change, so check them in advance. Tennis activities are also available for all ability levels. Courts can be booked and rackets are available to borrow, so beginners can get started straight away. Booking conditions may change, so check those too before making plans.
Discover more destinations: Tim, Hovvig, Østerby, Borris, Klegod, Stavning, Kloster, Hemmet.
For the broader travel overview: Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality.
