Kolding River Valley cuts in like a blue and green wedge from the west and divides Kolding into a northern and southern part of town. .

The sides of the river valley are covered by many small woods and at the valley bottom the terrain alternates between moist meadows, cultivated fields and small swamp areas. This variation of the landscape makes the fauna of the river valley very varied. In summer there are bats chasing insects flying elegantly across the river valley. The clear water of the river and its natural flow makes it a resort for a large number of animals and plants. A.o. there is a very fine fish stock. Due to its close vicinity to the centre of Kolding the river valley is a very popular area to go walking and bicycling. The river is also used for canoeing and cayaking.
The river valley is accessible from the centre of Kolding past the highway bridge at Harte to the more impassable natural areas. .

The area around the historical Skamlingsbanken, which rises above the landscape at 113 metres above sea level, makes it a popular tourist attraction. From the hill there is a magnificent view of the entire area between Kolding and Christiansfeld. It is even possible to see across the Little Belt to Funen. The area offers a nice walk of approximately 5 km in an area, where the ice age has left clear traces. There is a marked route from the parking lot on Skamlingsbanken. The route takes you to the beach, so bring along your bathing suit and go for a dip.

Svanemosen of a total of 110 hectares os situated 6 km south west of Kolding near Vonsild. The bog borders on Fovslet Skov (forrest).
Svanemosen is a raised bog. Formerly they used to cut a lot peat, and there are still clear traces of the intense peat cutting, which took placed during WW II. The big lake in the middle of the bog is a result of peat cutting.
The bog is characterized by brushwood which mainly consists of birch, alder and pine. Parts of the is untouched forrest with a view to becoming natural forest. in the western part of the bog a large area is covered by plants such as heather, crowberries, craneberries, sundew and sphagnum. The bog is a good area for reptiles and amphibian, as grass snakes, vipers, common lizards, sand lizards and sharp-nosed frogs and common frogs are found in the bog. Futher there are polecats, martens, hares, foxes, badges and deer in the Svanemosen. The rare willow tit has also been seen in the area.

Marielundskoven is centrally loacated in Kolding. Marielund was donated to Kolding in 1873 by the then owner Mr. Otto Frederik Kralund, who stipulated that the area should always bear the name Marielund in memory of his wife Marie. The path system of the forrest gives the opportunity to vary walks in the forrest, which is public, so it is allowed be on foot outside the paths. If you keep to the large paths, e.g. the Troldhedebanen, where the path is laid on a former railway track, the place is also a good excursion spot for people in wheel chairs.


It is very idyllic along the lake Marielundsøen, where the tall beeches are mirrored in the surface of the lake. At the lake there are various ducks, and if you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of the kingfisher, which is found in the area. Anglers are eager at the lake banks where they may catch pike and butt flounders. On a small plateau by the lake lies the Kolding Naturskole.

All year it is an experience to visit Christinero, the small protected park southwest of Christiansfeld, which is owned by the Moravian brethren. The park is a popular place for people taking a walk or a bicycle trip.

A white-painted gate leads into the small park of two hectares, which was established like a romantic garden at the end of the 18th century by Mrs. Christina Friderica von Holstein, wife to Lord-of-the Bedchamber Mr. von Holstein. Here she has lived and probably spent her best time, and here she now is buried according to her own wish. She herself named the park 'My thoughts', and it was not until after her death that the park was named Christinero. In the park there are three well-preserved buildings: The Cooking House, the Pavilion and the Chapel. Closest to the white gate there are two ponds, both with fountains. The smaller was renovated in 2003. Everywhere you see reminiscences of the damages from the hurricane on 3 December 1999. About 80% of the trees was lost, but miraculously there was only little damage done to the buildings. Now the forest has been reestablished with the help of many people. Right from the beginning rare trees were planted in this park, and that plan has been continued through the years. .

Hejlsminde Cove is connected to the Little Belt just north of Christiansfeld. The narrow outlet at Hejlsminde Harbour causes, that the water is relatively brackish, as it is a mixture of seawater from the Belt and the two rivers of Aller River and Kærmølle River, which enter the cove from west. The Cove and the bay are very shallow, and when the wind and the tide unite their forces, there can be large sand and mud tidal flats - especially west of the harbour.

The Hejlsminde Cove has status as a game reserve, which also includes part of the Hejlsminde bay north of the harbour. The cove has great importance to many migratory birds, and consequently The National Forest and Game Agency has also wanted to keep it as a reserve. First come the waders like lapwings and golden plovers, and then come the surface-feeding ducks and later again the divers. In winter both scaup ducks, mallards, goldeneyes, widgeons, tufted ducks, grey lag-geese and mute swans can be observed. Small flocks of whooper swans, golden plovers, sandpipers, several duck species including.goosanders can also be seen.

On the north side of the cove there is a natural trail, which follows an old railway track from the harbour to the church Hejls Kirke. Here are a couple of small lakes, where the water is also slightly brackish. These lakes with surrounding meadows and the forest of reeds can easily be observed from the natural trail.

When the power plant at Harte was built in 1917-20, dams were made to get a sufficient water quantity and sufficient drop to drive the turbines at the Harte Power Plant. Thus the three major lakes at Dons were created, namely Dons Nørre Sø (the North Lake), Dons Søndersø (the South Lake) and Stallerup Sø.

By raising the water level of the Dons Lakes, new habitats were created for a rich bird life. On the shallow lakes there are colourful ducks like teals, sheldrakes and shovelers. On the island in the middle of the Nørresø there is a large colony of black-headed gulls. Here also the pochard and the tufted ducks breed benefitting from the aggressive behaviour of the black-headed gulls towards birds of prey.

Sheltered by the reeds, the great crested grebes build their nests. The grebes spend most of the year out on the open water surface hunting for food. From the forest of reeds several songbirds are heard and on a spring night you can be so luck to hear the melodic warbles of the nightingales. On the cropped slopes along the lakes small flocks of grey lag-geese stay. The rare osprey has also been spotted several times at the lakes.

The lakes are important wetlands of the region and a popular place for anglers. The lakes can also well be the target of a bicycle trip along the Troldhede Trail, which can be found by following small cosy roads at the Dons Lakes.

Aller Mølledam has been existing as far back as before 1500. In those days the grinding plant was owned by the king. In 1991 the mill burned and was thereafter rebuilt. In 1983-88 a rehabilitation project for Taps River at Aller Mølle was implemented
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The purpose of the project has been to rehabilitate the old mill pond, which had disappeared due to fillling, sanding up and overgrowing, and to create a fish passsage at the 2 metres high barrings at the mill. Thus salmonoids can reach the large spawning grounds, which are found at the upper parts of the river system. 

   

In the summer 2004 the meadows of Solkær Enge at Sønder Stenderup was given back their original nature after 80 years as farm land. The waters from Solkær River and from the Little Belt were again allowed to flood the areas, which thus were transformed to a unique natural area with lakes and water-meadows.

At the beginning of April 2004 the contractor moved into the area to carry though the so far largest nature rehabilitation project of the region. The old fences with thousands of fencing posts were demolished, and during the summer excavators recreated the windings of Solkær River and the outlet to the Little Belt. Around Solkær Farm, which is the farm situated lowest at the meadows an embankmend was made to protect the farm against floods. One plot owner wanted to have small lakes dug out on his land. At the end of August 2004 the pumps, which for 80 years had kept the meadows dry, were turned off, and in September the dam was dug through, whereupon the meadows were flooded once more.

The Purposes of the Project
The purposes of this large nature rehabilitation project, which was carried through by the former County of Vejle, were:
· to create a natural area permanently covered by water and salt and fresh water-meadows
· to improve the general conditions for wildlife, birds and plants
· to ensure a cleaner water environment for the Little Belt
· to create a natural resort with high recreative value
· to secure access possibility and mediation of the wildlife and vegetation and cultural history of the area
· to secure sufficient water renewal in the reestablished lagoon
· to create a natural removal of nitrogen in the meadows and the lake

Visit the Meadows of Solkær Enge
Drive to the end of Skibelundvej in Sønder Stenderup, leave your car or bicycle and walk along the trail by the Little Belt and you will see the meadows of Solkær on your right. A bird watching tower has been established by the lake, from where it is possible to observe the birds on the lake and meadows.