In an old description of Mariager it is said that the forests along the fjord were so dense that a squirrel could run along the branches of the trees all along from Hobro to Mariager without once stepping on the ground. The destination for such a run could very well have been the most beautiful part of the former great forest which we today call “Munkholm”.

Lately the citizens and the tourists in the area haven’t noticed the beauty and the peace of this park, but in the older days the park was a favourite excursion spot for the citizens of Mariager.

On holidays the citizens of Mariager gathered on the square of Mariager, and from here they carried on to the “Munkholm” park lead by musicians and banners to the festival spot in the park. Here they listened to speeches or watched performers of all kinds. The festival spot is surrounded by hills and you could sit in the hills and watch everything that went on there. The spot was even used for playing cricket at one stage.
In the park you find a small spring of water, the “Holy spring” – the water is said to have healing powers. Tradition says that the spring has sprung from the tears of a pretty maiden, called Maria. Two knights fought over her, both of them died and the poor maiden cried over them. Later she drowned herself in the fjord and her estate was given to the convent. In the 18 hundreds people still believed in the power of the spring, and families collected drinking water from the spring. And if a young boy and girl looked into the water at the same time and their faces formed only one reflection, the young ones could not be separated.
The county bailiff, Tetens founded the park in the 18-hundreds and his son gave it to the town in 1839.