The course of the Kongeå

The Kongeå is a watercourse approximately 60 km long, rising south of Vamdrup and flowing into the Wadden Sea north of Ribe. The outflow is regulated by the Kongeå sluice west of Gredsted Bridge.

The river and the surrounding Kongeå Valley were formed by meltwater flows at the end of the Weichselian glaciation. The river is the main watercourse in the Kongeå system and receives water from a large catchment area. Over long stretches, it follows a naturally meandering course with varirede riverbed conditions, which supports a rich variety of wildlife. Parts of the river and the adjacent areas have been designated as an EU habitat area, partly due to the rare habitat types around the river and partly due to the presence of otters and fish species such as lamprey and houting. The stretch from south of Vejen to Gredstedbro (approx. 30 km) has been fredet since 1980.

• Udspring: The stream is formed by a large delta of smaller watercourses and springs. The main source lies between Ødis-Bramdrup and Vamdrup. In addition, areas such as Gamst Søenge, east of Vejen, feed water into the stream.
• Towards the west through Vejen Municipality: From its humble source, the river widens significantly bredre after joining the Andst Å south-east of Vejen. From here, it winds its way through the countryside in a largely unregulated and natural course. The largest tributary from the north is the Vejen Å.
• Key points of interest: On its way westwards, it passes historic crossing points such as Foldingbro and then enters Esbjerg Municipality.
• The marsh and the estuary: After passing Gredsted Bridge the stream flows through embanked marsh deposits. The course ends at Kongeåslusen, where the water flows into the Wadden Sea National Park.

If you’d like to experience the stream’s course up close, you can follow the 71 km-long walking route Kongeåstien, which stretches all the way from the estuary at the Wadden Sea to the source.