Hessel
Kayak spot · Denmark
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
77Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 3 kn gusting 7, Air 9 °C
Tue 3 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 259, fair
- Tue 369, good
- Wed 483, good
- Thu 581, good
- Fri 678, good
- Sat 778, good
- Sun 858, fair
- Mon 969, good
- Tue 1079, good
- Wed 1160, good
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 13.3 kmthe section
- Best Jul–Aug6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 59, fair | 9 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 69, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 83, good | 3 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 81, good | 1 kn | 5kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 78, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 78, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 58, fair | 8 kn | 14kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 69, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 79, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 60, good | 8 kn | 15kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jul–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Hessel on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Hessel
A river section on the Varde Å, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 13 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 15 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually July and August, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tistrup. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot and 1 mountain bike area.
- River Varde Å
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 13 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 15 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,540–US$2,870 each
about US$1,540–US$2,870 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to BLL, estimated from distance and season, changing at AMS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$463–US$966 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$74–US$121 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$403–US$664 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$389–US$718 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$215–US$403 |
| Total | about US$1,540–US$2,870 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Tistrup
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$148/nightcountry average
About Tistrup its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$148 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 30m
About 17h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → BLL, changing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → BLL on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Tistrup · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Tistrup · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Kajakklubben Sydvest 15 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits