Explore the hidden stories

Not everything in Himmerland is as it appears on the surface. Some places hide stories that only reveal themselves when you listen carefully—or dare to go underground. Elsewhere, the landscape itself whispers to you, if you know what to listen for.

Day 1

We begin underground

At the foot of the Rebild Hills lies Thingbæk Limestone Mines – a labyrinthine network of white tunnels where the cold bites and the light is occasionally broken by the flutter of a bat’s wings. For centuries, limestone was extracted here – the material that built Denmark. Today, plaster figures stand in the cool chambers, and together with the Rebild Center, the story is told of geology and wars, art and survival.

But the most hidden place of them all lies even deeper – close to the limestone mines. REGAN Vest – the top-secret Cold War facility – was built 60 meters underground and hidden in the chalk cliff near Rold. Here, the government and the royal family were meant to continue Denmark’s existence if nuclear war broke out. Now you can step inside the intact 1960s tunnels and see how close the world came to collapse – and how Denmark quietly prepared itself.

Not far from there, in Mariager, another story hidden underground is told – the story of salt. At the Mariager Salt Center, you can dive into the history of the “white gold,” which, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t come from the fjord, but from a salt dome located deep underground just outside Hobro. The salt from there is piped to Scandinavia’s only salt factory, which sends saltwater on to the Mariager Salt Center, where traditional sea salt is produced. Here, you can boil your own salt and listen to the salt master share the story of salt. You can also float in the “Dead Sea” or explore the mine. An unexpected journey – from the depths to the surface – in the heart of this small fjord town.

Day 2

Not everything hidden lies underground. In some places, it was people who were hidden away.

Livø lies like a green pearl in the Limfjord. Today, the island is a peaceful, car-free nature retreat – but it holds a heavy history. From 1911 onward, Livø was home to men placed there under the Keller Institutions – often without trial, and often for life. Men labeled as “feebleminded,” “immoral,” or simply unwanted. The island became their boundary to the world. Today, you can visit the island, walk along its beautiful trails – and perhaps sense a quiet echo of those who never returned home.