150 km of Playground in Denmark

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150 km of Playground in Denmark

Denmark’s Gudenå river, also called the River of Gods, is the longest river in Denmark and home to outdoor activities and historic market towns. It’s a 150 km of playground in Denmark.

Known as the River of Gods, Gudenå is the longest river in Denmark, and traces of settlements dating back to the Antiquity, can be found along its banks. The river has served as a means of transport, a source of power and an area for fishing – now visitors come to visit historic cities and experience a wide range of outdoor activities.

150 km of Playground in Denmark
Known as the River of Gods, Gudenå is the longest river in Denmark. Photo: Store norske leksikon

“We have old cities situated on the edge of the river and wonderful outdoor activities,” says the local tourist director and chairman of the Association of River Gudenaa. “It’s quite an unusual combination – we call it 150 km of playground.”

150 km of Playground in Denmark
From Skanderborg. Photo: Visit Skanderborg

Old market towns
Viborg – Denmark’s former capital – is here alongside medieval Randers, Silkeborg, lakeside Skanderborg and Horsens, all with easy reach by air, road and rail. These old market towns offer stress-free shopping om pedestrian streets and in new shopping-centers, as well as a host of cafés, bars, restaurants, places to stay and activities.

Related: On Two Wheels in Scandinavia

150 km of Playground in Denmark
Silkeborg’s Aqua Aquarium & Wildlife Park is home to Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium

Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium
Silkeborg’s Aqua Aquarium & Wildlife Park is home to Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium and is ideal for families, or get locked in Horsen’s Prison Museum. It’s the site of one of Denmark’s most audacious escapes, when burglar Car August Lorentzen used a spoon to dig a 20m tunnel. It took him nine months, and when he got out on Christmas Eve 1949, he left a note behind: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” He was recaptured one week later.

150 km of Playground in Denmark
Horsens State Prison. Photo: Wikipedia
150 km of Playground in Denmark
Graceland Randers – a museum, shop and diner dedicated to Elvis Presley. Photo: Wikipedia

Graceland Randers
And don’t miss Graceland Randers – a museum, shop and diner dedicated to Elvis Presley. Inspired by the King’s home in Memphis. The 80th anniversary of his birth was celebrated on 8 January 2015 with visitors from around the world.

Related: Biking the Danish East Coast Route

150 km of Playground in Denmark
From Gudenå. Photo: Wikipedia

The star routes on foot or by bike
Viborg’s circular Star Routes are a great way to experience the outdoor – on foot or by bike. Take a tourist boat in Randers or the Lakelands, or canoe down the river, stopping at campsites or old inns for the night. And fishing permits are easily available online or from local tourist offices. If you want to drop a line in the water – up to 20 species have been recorded along its length, including salmon, trout, perch and zander.

150 km of Playground in Denmark, supported by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development, investing in rural areas and central Jutland.

Feature image (on top): From Horsens. Illustration by Vandkunsten Architects.