One Day in Silkeborg, Denmark: 3 Sights You Can’t Miss!

I first heard about Silkeborg, Denmark from “Parks and Recreation.” Leslie Knope went to London and met the mayor of Silkeborg, played by Heidi Klum. During my month in Aarhus, I knew I had to visit Silkeborg since I’m a big Parks and Rec fan, and sadly, I didn’t run into Heidi Klum. But it is a beautiful town, and these are the 3 sights you can’t miss for one day in Silkeborg! 🙂

Downtown Silkeborg

Silkeborg is in the middle of Jutland, and it was established in the 15th century. There was a castle and monastery set up, and a few centuries later, a paper mill was added. A trading center was set up in 1845 and a railway was added in 1871, and the town began to grow by the thousands. There are lots of lakes and rivers around it that helped with transportation, so it’s now known for being the Outdoor Capital of Denmark!

Even though it’s the Outdoor Capital of Denmark, it also has a beautiful downtown area with colorful buildings and walking streets! I got there pretty early in the morning, so most of the streets were empty and stores were just starting to open.

There was a farmer’s market going on outside the Old City Hall!

The Old City Hall

Since I arrived fairly early in the morning, I wanted to stop in a cafe for some coffee and breakfast, and I went to Cafe Den Goe Fe. It was in the back of a store so it was a little confusing to find, but I’m so glad I found it because I think it’s my favorite cafe ever! I LOVED the vintage furniture and stove, and the coffee and pie I had were delicious- the whipped cream was even homemade! It was completely empty and they had classical music playing, so it was a great, relaxing way to start off my day.

Museum Silkeborg

Silkeborg might be most well known for Museum Silkeborg and the Tollund Man. The Tollund Man is a famous mummified body that was preserved in a bog since the 4th century BC. It was found in 1950 and since they didn’t have good techniques for preserving it then, only the head is the original and the rest of the body has since disintegrated so the body is a replica. I do have a picture of it, so if you’re squeamish, scroll down a few pictures do you don’t see it!

The Museum Silkeborg also has artwork and rotating exhibits, and I happened to stop by during a Viking festival. I’m obsessed with Viking history, so that was a happy accident! I got to see some demonstrations of Viking weapons and I bought a Christmas ornament handcrafted by a Viking reenactor.

The famous Tollund Man

Silkeborg Langsø

After visiting the Museum Silkeborg, I went to walk along the water. Silkeborg sits along a river and the Silkeborg Langsø, so you can go kayaking and canoeing in many areas around the city. A program at my school organized a canoeing trip and I wasn’t able to go, but everyone who went really enjoyed it! There are also some nice walking areas and picnic tables if you’re like me and just want to relax by the river.

I went to a few different spots on the Silkeborg Langsø, so if you’re short on time for one day in Silkeborg, you can still get some water views without having to walk far to a park.

After walking a ton, I got some food! I got shawarma from a street stand that was absolutely delicious, and some ice cream, which you can never go wrong with. Of all the small towns I visited in Jutland, I think Silkeborg had my favorite food!

Silkeborg, Denmark is only an hour bus ride from Aarhus, so it’s the perfect day trip! It was one of my favorite towns I visited in Jutland 🙂

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