Halling Church
In the village of Halling near the ferry town of Hou lies this church dating back to around 1200. The beautiful, historic village church is open to visitors during the groundskeeper's working hours.
The ferry town's church is located in another village
Halling is a small village located two kilometers from the coast, south of Odder. There has been habitation here since before the village church was built around the year 1200. However, population growth has never been significant, and today it presents itself as a small agricultural village with few houses and farms. The same cannot be said for the neighboring town of Hou, which experienced growth much later. Once a small fishing settlement with just two houses, Hou has grown significantly and is now the second-largest town in Odder Municipality. Hou has never had its own church, so the residents of the holiday town must travel to small Halling to attend church. Consequently, Halling is a relatively populated parish.
Halling Church is situated on a rise in the otherwise flat landscape along the Odder Coast. The whitewashed church, dating from around 1200, originally consists of a choir and nave, while the porch and tower were added in the late 15th century during the medieval period. The beautiful saw-toothed tower is a striking visual feature of the church.
After the Reformation, Halling Church was owned by the king and, from the 17th century, by wealthy local landowners from Åkjær, Rodsteenseje, and Rathlousdal until 1922, when Rathlousdal transferred the church to private ownership. Halling Church followed the ownership of the neighboring Gosmer Church, and the landowners generally had a greater influence on Gosmer than on Halling, which functioned as an annex.
The interior of the church
The relatively small church room is bright and inviting, featuring a beautiful beam ceiling. The granite baptismal font is Romanesque and has likely always been in the church. The pulpit and sounding board were carved around 1630 by Peder Jensen Colding from Horsens, who created pulpits for several churches in the Kystlandet region. The pulpit in Halling is among his earliest works. The small altarpiece consists of a newer frame with a group of figures from the 14th century.
Hanging in the church is the church ship "Brita Leth." The parish is closely tied to Hou's maritime history, making it natural to have a ship as decoration and symbol in the church.
Brita Leth is a two-masted schooner built in Svendborg in 1911. The ship still operates as a tour boat and regularly visits Hou Harbour. The current skipper, Otto Leth, who has had the ship restored, has close ties to Hou.
Would You Like to Visit Halling Church?
Halling Church is open when work is being done in the cemetery, typically during daytime hours on weekdays. You are welcome to stop by if no church services are taking place. Staff may come and go, so there is no guarantee that it will be open when you arrive.
More historical attractions
The Kystlandet region offers many exciting historical attractions, ranging from ancient history to industrial heritage. From museums to architectural landmarks and natural attractions, you can find inspiration for historically interesting experiences near Horsens, Odder, and Juelsminde on this page.