Hærvejsruten: which way and when to ride
The best month for Hærvejsruten is September: 74% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Padborg → Frederikshavn meant an average tailwind of 4.0 km/h (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | 24% | 66 | 4 °C | 0% | 99% | 7.5 † |
| February | 2% | 22% | 51 | 4 °C | 0% | 98% | 9.5 † |
| March | 14% | 21% | 47 | 7 °C | 0% | 84% | 11.6 |
| April | 48% | 23% | 45 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 14.1 |
| May | 70% | 26% | 62 | 15 °C | 0% | 7% | 16.3 |
| June | 73% | 27% | 72 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.6 |
| July | 67% | 33% | 90 | 20 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.1 |
| August | 66% | 33% | 89 | 20 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.1 |
| September | 74% | 26% | 67 | 17 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 61% | 28% | 79 | 12 °C | 0% | 16% | 10.3 † |
| November | 18% | 24% | 59 | 8 °C | 0% | 74% | 8.1 † |
| December | 3% | 23% | 66 | 5 °C | 0% | 95% | 6.9 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Frederikshavn → Padborg, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Frederikshavn → Padborg | Headwind > 15 km/h, Padborg → Frederikshavn | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4.9 | 22% | 6% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| February | −4.1 | 20% | 7% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| March | −2.4 | 16% | 8% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| April | −0.9 | 11% | 8% | either |
| May | −1.2 | 11% | 7% | either |
| June | −2.6 | 12% | 4% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| July | −3.6 | 12% | 3% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| August | −4.5 | 15% | 3% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| September | −4.0 | 17% | 5% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| October | −5.0 | 21% | 6% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| November | −4.7 | 21% | 6% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
| December | −5.9 | 24% | 5% | Padborg → Frederikshavn |
Stages
The route is split into 4 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Frederikshavn → Padborg in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Frederikshavn → Svenstrup | 102 | September | −5.7 |
| 2. Svenstrup → Viborg | 102 | September | −4.7 |
| 3. Viborg → Vejen | 135 | September | −3.7 |
| 4. Vejen → Padborg | 108 | June | −2.1 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.