WEEKENDER DANISH LAKES


From the 19th-century mill town of Silkeborg, the lakelands of the Jutland peninsula unfurl like giant droplets in a region ripe for kayaking, wild swimming and languid summer walks. Words: Anna Melville-James


For travellers, Denmark’s Jutland peninsula is often shorthand for Legoland in the town of Billund or, at a push, the lively city of Aarhus. However, Danes know that the farm, forest and fen of this region are the real treats — especially the Lake District Søhøjlandet in the centre. In 85sq miles of forest are some 50


freshwater lakes, many strung along the Gudenå River that cuts through the area. Jutland’s largest lake, Mos, is here, along with Julsø, Brassø and Borresø on the central 18-mile stretch that runs from the historic


watermill at Klostermølle to Silkeborg town, Denmark’s so-called ‘outdoor capital’. While offi cially Denmark’s highest region,


this area is still remarkably untroubled by gradients, with fl at horizons in every direction and an active, easy living vibe. The airports at Aarhus and Billund, both around an hour from Silkeborg, mean you can leave the UK and be here in under three hours. From June to August, the town is an ideal base for exploration, with a lively harbour full of music and open-air cafes, surrounded by water and forests of pine and beech.


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