Søhøjlandet — The Lake Highlands

Søhøjlandet — the Lake Highlands — is the name for the landscape around Ry, a region of forested hills, interconnected lakes, and the river Gudenå that forms Denmark's main inland waterway. It is the closest Denmark gets to genuinely hilly terrain, and for that reason it has been a popular walking and holiday destination for Danes since the nineteenth century.

The lakes — including Julsø, Silkeborg Langsø, Mossø, and Gudensø — are clean and relatively undeveloped. Canoe hire is available in Ry and you can paddle for two or three days through the system of lakes and rivers, camping at designated sites. Walking paths connect Ry to Himmelbjerget, Øm Abbey, and the town of Silkeborg to the west, making this one of Denmark's better regions for multi-day walks. The forest in autumn, when the beeches turn, is genuinely beautiful.

things to do sight
A story
Søhøjlandet is the product of the last ice age, which left this part of Jutland with a terminal moraine — a ridge of material pushed and deposited at the edge of the glacier. The result is a rolling landscape of hills, lakes, and rivers that is unlike anything else in flat Denmark. The Gudenå, Denmark's longest river, flows through the area and has been used for canoe trips since the nineteenth century.

Other places in Things to Do