Bovense: Church History, Forests and Storebælt

If you would like to combine historic village landscapes, nature by the water and regional products, Bovense offers several concrete points of interest. Bovense Church, the streetscape with its different types of roads, forests, views of Storebælt, winegrowing and a cycling route each provide different focal points for planning your trip.

Church and Architectural History

Bovense Church is a well-preserved Romanesque church with major additions and alterations from the Gothic period. It is whitewashed and has a tower, a nave, a chancel with a flat altar wall and a northern porch. The oldest parts, the nave and chancel, are made of fieldstone without a plinth.

The furnishings include a Renaissance pulpit from 1589 and a Rococo altarpiece from 1753. A stone in the porch probably served as a holy water basin until 1536, during the Catholic period. For those interested in culture, the period from 1589 to 1753 can serve as a brief chronological framework within the church.

Roads, Settlement and Coastal History

The streetscape of Bovense preserves the transition from winding medieval roads to straight roads laid out after the agricultural reorganisation of 1787. The original settlement of Bovense By was established inland to avoid the dangers posed by piracy and attacks from the sea. For visitors interested in local history, the road layout and the location of the settlement complement each other as two different points of observation.

The fishermen of Bovense mainly caught herring along the coast of Storebælt, which was the most important fish species in Belt fishing. This maritime history broadens the view of Bovense to include the former importance of the coast and its fisheries. For those interested in maritime culture, herring is the specific point of reference for the historical fishery in Bovense.

Forests and Views of Storebælt

There is a biodiversity forest behind the old school in Bovense. In the area around Bovense, Præsteskoven covers approximately 11 hectares and contains beech trees, ash trees, sycamore maples and some conifer stands. In the immediate vicinity of Bovense, Præsteskoven near Nordenhuse offers a walk through a small forest directly on Storebælt. Stokkebye Vingård offers views of Storebælt and the surrounding fields. Those who place nature, forest and water at the centre will find various landscape-related points of interest here. At Stokkebye Vingård, the view of Storebælt and the fields complements the connection to winegrowing.

Organic Farming and Winegrowing

Lystgården has practised organic farming since 1990. Stokkebye Vingård produces organic white wine, sparkling wine and fortified wines.

Understanding Bovense by Bicycle

The cycling route from Nyborg to Kerteminde leads to Nordenhuse, through Bovense and onwards to Risinge. For trip planning, this route offers a different thematic approach from the church, local history or winegrowing. You can place nature on Storebælt, historic architectural forms, regional production or cycling in the foreground and set the focus of your stay accordingly. Those planning the route in sections can include Bovense between Nordenhuse and Risinge.

Other destinations for orientation: Ullerslev, Ørbæk Parish, Frørup, Rynkeby, Slude and Langå.

For the overarching travel overview: Nyborg Municipality.