↠ sponsored post ↞
As a new day dawned during our weekend at Skanderborg Lake we ran barefoot through the grass kissed by dew and plunged excitedly into the lake. We watched how the expanding ripples swiftly woke the lake still asleep and felt how the cooling freshness of the water magically brought our tired bodies to life. More and more people joined us for a refreshing morning dip as the sun rose higher above the horizon. Our cheeks were still glowing from yesterday and although the sun had barely reached above the tree crowns, we could already feel the tickle of the sunrays.
↠ A bicycling trip along Skanderborg Lake ↞
The day was spent biking along the Southern part of Skanderborg Lake from the city of Skanderborg to Vestermølle Museum on the opposite side. The Lake-Highlands (Søhøjlandet) is shaped by the ancient ice ages so we were challenged with a few steep inclines as we made our way through the morainial landscape, however, most of the route was relatively flat. Leaving Skanderborg, we brushed through the lush and leafy forest and continued along a flourishing path running parallel with Skanderborg Lake. Before hitting the main road we stopped by Junges Plantage, a primitiv shelter ground with a fireplace and direct access to the lake.
The further we got away from the city, the more we were accompanied with beautiful views over the cerulean blue lake and with images of the idyllic pasturelands and fields woven in green and yellow tones. Our hair blew madly in the wind as we biked through the landscape and we felt free on the open road. Approximately half way we reached Skanderborg Golf Klub, from where we followed a gravel trail behind the golf courses to Hylke Strand. A local friend had tipped us about this small secluded beach, which served as the perfect spot for a coffee break. We kicked off our shoes, snacked a few strawberries and watched how tiny waves came rolling into shore.
Before continuing our journey we stopped at Restaurant Skanderborg-sø located at Skanderborg Golf Klub. Yet again, our foodie hearts were fluttered as we were served scrumptious Danish Open Sandwiches (Smørrebrød) in the form of Stjerneskud (Shooting Stars) - a soul soothing traditional Danish dish of fish, shrimps and garnish. From the restaurant balcony we watched how golfers enjoyed their weekend games in this beautiful lakeside setting and agreed, that these people had found their way to paradise.
Before taking on the final stretch towards our pickup point we stopped to climb Fårbjerg (79 m), a vantage point from where we had a grand view over Skanderborg Lake and its neighbouring distinctive moraine hillscape. From the top we could easily point out Skanderborg city and tried next to designate our final destination, Vestermølle Museum. This made us notice, when viewed from a birds perspective, that our total biking route of 15 km seemed much longer than it actually felt. The afternoon sun was strong and powerful, so we did not stay too long at the top although the view stood clear and vibrant and definitely deserved a few more minutes of appreciation on this lovely summer day.
↠ Waiting for M/S Dagmar to take us home from Vestermølle ↞
When we arrived at Vestermølle Museum we only had a few minutes before the tour boat M/S Dagmar would pass by and we thus went straight down to the pier. We passed by the idyllic Restaurant Vestermølle where singing and toasting echoed out from the banqueting hall and where laughter bubbled through the garden. A bunch of kids were catching fish from the pier and eagerly told us stories about their individual catches. M/S Dagmar quickly arrived and it was time to head back. An entire cruise through Skanderborg Lake with this darling lady takes 1 h 30 min and includes several jump on/off points along the way; including Danhostel Skanderborg. We jumped on the boat and lounged back, enjoying the soothing cruise ride back to our starting point. We were all happy smiles at this very moment - smiles conjured from our glowing skin, our tired bodies and our round bellies, all as a result from our weekend at Skanderborg Lake.
Collaboration information
This post is part of the Discover Søhøjlandet series, an ambassador project made in collaboration with VisitSkanderborg, the official tourist office for Søhøjlandet (The Danish Lakelands). Visit Skanderborg Lake yourself and find the trail provided by VisitSkanderborg in their The Danish Lake District 2018 brochure on page 22.