Silkeborg Lakes and Himmelbjerget

Denmark'S Lake District: Forested Lakes On The Gudena River, The Paddle Steamer Hjejlen To Himmelbjerget, Canoe Routes, And The Tollund Man At The Silkeborg Museum · Silkeborg, Central Denmark Region

The Silkeborg Lakes are Denmark's lake district: a chain of forest-lined lakes strung along the Gudena, the country's longest river, in the hilly heart of central Jutland. The town of Silkeborg grew up around a paper mill in the 1840s and is now the base for canoeing, cycling, walking and boat trips through some of the most wooded, least flat scenery in Denmark. The best-known trip is on Hjejlen, a paddle steamer from the 1860s said to be the oldest coal-fired paddle steamer still in regular service, which carries passengers down the lakes to Himmelbjerget, the Sky Mountain - a wooded hill of roughly 147 m with a brick tower on top and long views over Julso. In town, Museum Silkeborg displays the Tollund Man, an Iron Age bog body with a face so well preserved it is one of the most moving objects in Scandinavia, and Museum Jorn holds modern art. The honest caveat: the 'mountain' is a hill and can be crowded in summer, the steamer sails only in summer, and on a grey weekday out of season the area is quiet to the point of sleepy.

Silkeborg, the lakes and the Gudena river, to Himmelbjerget and Ry, Silkeborg, Central Denmark Region, Denmark

The lakes, forests and the hilltop at Himmelbjerget are open all year and free. Hjejlen sails in summer only, roughly from late spring or June to August, on a timetable with a few departures a day - confirm the current season and times before planning. Museum Silkeborg and Museum Jorn are typically open daily in summer, with shorter hours and a weekly closed day (often Monday) off season - check the current schedule. The Himmelbjerget tower is open in the main season for a small fee. Silkeborg is roughly 45-60 minutes by train or car from Aarhus; canoe rental and summer weekend accommodation should be booked ahead.

Silkeborg Lakes and Himmelbjerget on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos