Herstedøster is an old village in Albertslund Municipality, west of Copenhagen, where the medieval core can still be traced among the modern suburban surroundings. Its landmark is the whitewashed Herstedøster Church, whose oldest parts date back to the Middle Ages, rising above the flat landscape. A handful of old farmsteads and houses cluster around the church, recalling the area's rural past as a farming community before the growing capital reached this far. Herstedøster borders Vestskoven, one of Denmark's great newly planted forests, laid out from the 1960s as a green breathing space for city dwellers. It offers miles of trails for walking, running and cycling, along with open meadows and small lakes. The location makes the village a quiet base for experiencing the meeting point of city and nature, just a short distance from Albertslund station and with a fast connection into Copenhagen.
