Nærå Strand (Fjord)
Nærå Strand is a shallow fjord, where you can see the marsh as it has looked in many places in Denmark, and spot the many birds in the area.
Nærå Strand is a narrow, shallow fjord area with a water surface of about 2 km². Back in the Stone Age, Nærå Strand was part of a shallow fjord that covered large parts of Nordfyn. It connected Odense Fjord in the east with the area around Bogense in the west, and you could sail from Nr. Nærå past Krogsbølle and on to Klintebjerg and Odense.
Nærå Strand was saved
In the 1800s, many areas were reclaimed behind dikes, which is why Nærå Strand is one of the few remaining parts of this old shallow-water landscape. In the 1940s and 1950s there were major plans to reclaim Nærå Strand for farmland, but local fishermen fought hard against it because the water held lots of young fish. The fishermen succeeded in saving Nærå Strand, and in 1998 the area was designated a wildlife reserve.
Nærå Strand is a salt-marsh landscape with narrow coastal meadows and reed beds. To the northeast, near Flyvesandet, you’ll find the shallow Agernæs Flak, one of Fyn’s largest tidal-flat areas. It’s an important breeding site for birds, so access is prohibited during the breeding season.
This is a true paradise for birds. You may spot large flocks of waders, ducks, swans, geese, sandpipers, golden plovers, lapwings, and many more.
It’s also the only place on Nordfyn where you can experience true Dark Sky at night. There are no streetlights and no nearby housing, so the stars are wonderfully clear.
COASTal Life
Nærå Strand is part of the major coastal and nature restoration project COASTal Life. The aim is to reduce nitrogen runoff from farmland into the coastal area and to restore and improve salt meadows, stone reefs, and eelgrass beds. The project covers Limfjorden, Mariager Fjord, and Nærå Strand, and it is supported by the EU and private partners such as Ørsted, the Danish Coastal Authority, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, and the Aage V. Jensen Nature Foundation, which owns several natural areas on Nordfyn.
Getting to Nærå Strand
You can see Nærå Strand from the Nørreby Hals trail, from the end of Skærvej, or from the shooting range by the former pump mill at the southeastern end of Nærå Strand. You can reach the Kissemae pump house via the gravel road called Kissemae. Kisse means gravel and made means meadow. These were the low meadow areas west of the hill Kissebjerg, which used to be an island out in the water.
There’s a bench in the area.
You can also walk out to Nærå Strand and Kissemae via Kirkegyden past Nørre Nærå Church (there’s a sign saying “access only for errands,” but going for a walk or heading to the pump house counts as a legitimate purpose) and via Kissemae past Klinte Church.
The area is part of Naturpark Nordfyn.
Please follow three simple rules when out in nature: stick to marked trails, keep your dog on a leash, and take your litter home. And take photos instead of picking plants ♥
There’s a shelter by the pump house.
Nærå Strand and Flyvesandet
You can see Agernæs Flak from Flyvesandet, where there’s a birdwatching tower, or from Nørreby Hals (drive to Nørreby and continue along Halsvej).
Please note: access to the outermost part of Flyvesandet is prohibited during the breeding season.