Cycling in East Jutland

Day 1: Arrival in Silkeborg

Your cycling holiday starts in Silkeborg where you stay in a lovely hotel close to lakes and forests. If possible, arrive early so you can explore this charming lake district capital. We recommend a trip on the beautiful lakes with Hjejlen, which is the world’s oldest original coal-fired paddle steamer still in use. You can also visit Museum Silkeborg (which exhibits the famous bog body Tollundmanden), Northern Europe’s biggest freshwater aquarium AQUA or the Museum Jorn, dedicated to the famous Danish painter Asger Jorn.

• Accommodation: Vejlsøhus Hotel or similar in Silkeborg

Day 2: Silkeborg to Nørre Snede | 39km

On your first cycling day, you ride through the Funder Hills and then turn onto the ancient road Hærvejen, which leads through Sepstrup Sande and then Vrads Sande. Both areas are inland dunes covered in heather, crowberry and juniper and lie between large heath plantations and long rows of pine trees dating from the end of the 19th century. As you reach the tiny village of Vrads, you find a charming old grocery store which offers the perfect opportunity to refuel. South of Vrads, you continue between the Torup and Tingdal Lakes before entering Palsgård forest, which is one of the oldest plantations in Jutland. If you want to learn more about the forest, you can visit the old forester farm, converted into the forest museum Palsgård Skovmuseum. Shortly after, you reach Nørre Snede, your stop for the night.

• Cycling for the day: 39km ↑422m ↓362m
• Accommodation: Danakilde B&B or similar in Nørre Snede

Day 3: Nørre Snede to Vejle | 38km

Follow a protected stretch of Hærvejen along gravel roads and old wheel tracks. Via a small detour, you can visit the trickling springs from which Denmark’s two biggest rivers – Gudenåen and Skjern Å – rise and flow in opposite directions: east and west. A little further on, pass Saint Peder’s spring, which has attracted pilgrims for centuries due to its healing powers. Continue through an open agricultural landscape with scattered forests and an old inn from 1609, until you reach the kings’ town of Jelling; one of the most important towns of the Viking Age. The Jelling Monuments (a collective term for the church of Jelling, the Jelling stones and the two giant burial mounds) are Denmark’s most important historical monuments, considered Europe’s finest Viking Age monuments. Since 1994 they have enjoyed UNESCO World Heritage status. Also worth checking out is the Kongernes Jelling visitor centre, where you can learn more about Christianity’s introduction in Denmark and the beginning of the Danish monarchy. From Jelling, continue past Fårup Lake, reaching the beautifully located fjord town of Vejle.

• Cycling for the day: 38km ↑234m ↓324m
• Accommodation: Cabinn Hotel or similar in Vejle

Day 4: Vejle to Horsens | 41km

Leave Vejle via a scenic path along the fjord. To your left are steep slopes with tall beech trees and deep ravines. These slope forests are protected by the EU project Natura 2000, which aims to protect especially valuable natural areas. After Bredballe, reach Tirsbæk Beach, where you can take a small detour to a 16th-century Manor and go for a walk in the lovely, terraced Renaissance garden. From Tirsbæk, continue through the forest and along the fjord towards Daugaard Beach. Then, turn away from the fjord towards the towns of Daugaard and Bjerre on quiet country roads with an extensive view over the hilly landscape. After Bjerre, you can see Bjerrelide, which is the large hill crest formed during the last ice age that can be seen from most of the Horsens region. The highest hill is Purhøj, an old burial mound from the Neolithic period and was once one of the great meeting points for witches in Northern Europe. Continue your cycle through the Klokkedal Valley towards Horsens Fjord. En route, pass Boller Castle from the 16th c., surrounded by a moat. Take a walk in the surrounding park, where you find the 1000-year-old Boller Oak, Jutland’s oldest oak tree. Next, reach Horsens Fjord and follow The Planet Path into the old medieval town of Horsens.

• Cycling for the day: 41km ↑302m ↓295m
• Accommodation: Comwell Bygholm Park or similar in Horsens

Day 5: Horsens to Brædstrup | 30km

The route from Horsens follows Bryrupbanestien, a disused railway line that once ran between Horsens and Silkeborg through lush valleys, open fields, heather-covered heaths, and old beech forests. It was known as Denmark’s most beautiful railway. Shortly after the village of Østbirk, the path leads you across Den Genfundede Bro (the uncovered bridge). The bridge rises 15 m over the Gudenåen River, and when it was built in 1899, it was the tallest bridge in Northern Europe. Today, it is one of the area’s great attractions and picnic spots. Continue through the valleys of Gudenåen and cycle through the old villages of Tønning and Træden. Situated on opposite sides of the path, they each have their own medieval church. Finally, you reach Brædstrup, where you overnight.

• Cycling for the day: 30km ↑228m ↓124m
• Accommodation: Hotel Pejsegården or similar in Brædstrup

Day 6: Brædstrup to Silkeborg | 34km

From Brædstrup, cycle towards Bryrup, passing the village of Vinding with its small 12th-century church. In Bryrup, you can stock up on supplies before you continue through Velling Forest. This part of the route runs parallel with a 5km preserved part of the old railway. When the railway was shut down in 1968, it was decided to preserve the rail tracks from Bryrup to Vrads and during the summer, you can see an old vintage train going back and forth on this stretch. The route crosses the preserved tracks several times and you pass some of the old stations. It is a beautiful stretch with stunning views over the Kvindsø, Kulsø and Snabe Igelsø. At the end of the preserved rail, you can visit the old Vrads Station, where you find a small restaurant and shop. From Vrads Station, cycle through the lake district’s Salten Ådal Valley and Tømmerby marsh, with its rich birdlife. Pass the town of Them, skirting the edge of the Sønderskov forest that borders the lovely Lake Borre, before finally arriving back in the charming town of Silkeborg.

• Cycling for the day: 34km ↑205m ↓290m
• Accommodation: Vejlsøhus Hotel or similar in Silkeborg

Day 7: Departure

Departure after breakfast. If you have the time, spend some of the day in Silkeborg and maybe take a boat trip on the beautiful lakes to Himmelbjerget (The Sky Mountain), where you can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view over the lake district.