Although the name Himmelbjerg means “Heaven Mountains” and the peak was for a long time considered the highest peak in Denmark, it should not be confused with…. you know.. a mountain.
Even geographically spoken it isn’t considered one, as it is more the valley next to it that has eroded, leaving the hilly surface a mere 126 meter above the level of the lake in the valley. This lake itself is 21 meters above sea level, so there you go, the “Heaven Mountain” is 147 meter above sea level.
Yet there are hundreds of people visiting the site every year and it is said to be one of the most visited places in the landscape of Denmark. It’s popularity started in 1839 when a well known poet (St. St. Blicher) organized a yearly meeting at the mountain. Since then it has become an important part of Denmark’s identity because of its historical, natural and touristic value. There are several monuments on its top and the biggest of those is the tower from which one has a magnificent view.
The Himmelbjerg Tower
The 25 meter high tower was erected in 1875 and further decorated in 1891. It was build to commemorate King Frederik the 7th and the constitution of 1849. It is open to the public during the summer months and holidays. After a relatively serious climb up the stairs one has a good view over the surrounding hills and the lake.
Yet it is not only the view and the monuments that make a visit to the mountain attractive, but moreover the natural surroundings in a pleasant touristic environment.
A good tip could be to sail from the city of Silkeborg or the city of Ry to the mountian – how about doing so in a historical steamboat? -to arrive at the nice restaurant at the foot of the hill. After the climb one can enjoy an icecream or a drink at one of the small shops on top or one could even dine or stay at the hotel.
The whole surroundings is an excellent place to take longer walks in the forest so it can appeal to both experienced walkers and those that worry if they will make it to the top. There is a road to the top as well by the way.
This homepage (in danish) is made to get the most out of the “mountain range” in the lake area. I would like to mention it, not only because of the funny logo but also because of a small map of the area that can be downloaded from this page (click at download kort to download a PDF).
So what is the top of Denmark?
As the title of this post suggests, the Himmelbjerg is indeed no longer considered the highest peak in Denmark. There have been many discussions about this issue and for many years it was either the Ejer Bavnehøj (170 meters high) or the Yding Skovhøj (both are not far from the Himmelbjerg) that got the title. Since 2005 the honor goes to the Ejer Møllehøj (170,86 meter high), that can be found a couple of hundred meters from Ejer Bavnehøj.
The weather in Denmark is that of a maritime climate, meaning that there are no big differences in the country and that there are mild temperatures all year round. It isn’t very cold during the winter months and it is not very hot during the summer months either. Due to the warm sea that is always near, wherever you are in Denmark, the average temperature in the coldest of winter is around 0 degrees Celsius or 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Every winter there is a possibility of snow falling, but it rarely is much or stays very long. It can certainly happen that there is no snow at all during a winter.