Odsherred

Odsherred is a peninsula in the north-western part of the island Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark. Odsherred stretches from the Sjællands Odde in the north-west to the now drained Lammefjord in the south, covering an area with a wide range of the most typical Danish landscapes: long sandy beaches, small rolling hills and farming. The peninsula is served by the railway Odsherredsbanen, which runs through the most important towns, including Nykøbing Sjælland, Asnæs and Hørve.

The last part of the name herred derives from a medieval practice of dividing the country in districts herreder which created the frame for regional justice and possibly also for recruitment of soldiers to the national army and fleet. They roughly correspond to today's counties. Odsherred was only one out of many of such herreder, since every part of the country was also a part of a herred. After the administrative importance of the herreder ended in 1919, the once common name began to disappear all over the country. It is however still to be found in areas such as Hornsherred and Hanherred and Odsherred.

The first habitations in Odsherred reach back to the stone age. One of the most fascinating remains from that time, the entire skeleton of a giant ox killed by prehistoric hunters, can now be seen at the Zoological museum in Copenhagen, where it is now part of the exhibition of prehistoric animals. Before that it was visible for guests at the now closed museum in the village of Høve. Another period whose remains can still be found in Odsherred today is the bronze age, since the population of that time buried their dead in small artificial hills in Danish called "gravhøje". These can be seen at places such as Dutter Høje close to Asnæs, Esterhøj in Høve and in the village of Stenstrup. One of the most famous Danish archeological finds, Solvognen, is also from that period and was found in a peat in central Odsherred. Solvognen is a ca. 50 cm. long statue made in bronze and gold showing horses in front of a wagon carrying the sun. It is now to be seen at the National Museum in Copenhagen, where it is one of the most spectacular artifacts.

...
Wikipedia