Nature calls all year round – weather no excuse

Granted the season’s weather does not always invite you outdoors but spending as much time as possible outside in the daylight is important for your health and feeling of well-being. Find our guide to help you out.

By Bente D. Knudsen

Despite wanting to stay inside, cuddle up on the couch and drowse away the coming months with their short days and ever-increasing darkness, it is highly recommended to go outdoors for fresh air and daylight, so, this season, don’t be put off by the dark days, or the wind and rain.

Instead, gear up with the proper equipment for outdoor leisure activities and go out in search of the beautiful landscapes and countryside.

You will find that the Danish scenery alternates between cultivated fields and meadows, lakes, peaceful forests, and abundant and stunning fjords, ice-age created lakes, marshlands, beaches and sea vistas.

Being in unchartered territory can make it difficult for foreigners, or non-local Danes to find walking paths or bicycle trails.

Top that with most of the available information being in Danish, as an expat looking for new areas to explore, it can be a challenge to find detailed maps and road descriptions, which are actually in abundant supply.

Find below our tips for where to find information to help you explore new areas.

National Parks
A good option could be to explore one of the five designated national park areas.

Take note that they are not isolated and unpopulated, nor are they fenced in and guarded by park rangers, a picture which most likely comes to mind when thinking of a national park.

Instead, they are designated areas created with an ambition of presenting and preserving typical Danish landscapes.

By gathering a diverse set of interested parties, both public and private, the ambition is to make previously inaccessible areas available to the general public in an organised and structured way by cooperating with landowners to create paths for walking and cycling along lakes, fields and running waters not otherwise accessible to enjoy.

The best developed ones, concerning information in English, are the two oldest ones in Jutland; National Park Thy and National Park Mols Bjerge. They have excellent and informative sites in English with maps and well described activities.

The Wadden Sea National Park  in south Jutland is more dangerous to visit on your own so maybe check out the visitor centre Vadehavscentret ( The Wadden Sea Centre) at vadehavscentret.dk to get more information or to book a guided tour. They also have a good English language site.

Skjoldungernes Land on Zealand lies in the area surrounding the magnificent Roskilde Fjord.

Even though the site’s English language version is not well developed yet, it can be worthwhile to check their Danish site and use a translation program for the many suggested walking trails.

For those who live in the greater Copenhagen area this nature park is easily accessible from Copenhagen by car or by train (either the regional train to Roskilde or the S-train to Frederikssund, with or without your bicycle).

Find below where to find tips and ideas from the Nature Agency

Maps and details by the Nature Agency
Another great site where you can find maps and pdf’s with detailed descriptions of trails and paths is the site run by the Nature Agency, Naturstyrelsen, which is part of the Ministry for Food and the Environment, Miljø og fødevareministeriet.

This site has a nice English version with a lot of information and suggestions for activities, as well as some suggested walking trips. BUT it is not a full translation of the Danish part of their site, instead only some parts have been translated into English.

The suggestions that have been translated into English are the more touristy ones, which might not be what you are looking for as an all year resident.

To find their English language options you need to go to naturstyrelsen.dk and chose their English language option. The information is good general information in English, however, their suggested activities and nature walks with descriptions in English are only targeted at a few areas and not the whole of Denmark. You can use this link here.

The whole map of Denmark with detailed local maps and pdf descriptions ise still only in Danish, however, they are easy to read or to download and print.

To find the maps go to the Danish subsite naturoplevelser click and select naturguider.

The page, naturguider, opens up with a map of Denmark as well as lists, organised alphabetically and by region with all the guides available.

So as not to be overwhelmed, decide which area you would like to explore and open that area only.

Each area selected opens with its own guide: a description of what there is to experience, the landscape, activities, maps and practical information. Of course only in Danish, but if you use the maps and with the help of a dictionary or translation program this is the best way to get something local or not to far from your home.

Other options:

Visit Denmark at visitdenmark.com/denmark/activities/natural-adventures has some descriptions in English to inspire you, again they have been selected with a more touristy point of view and the sights are some of the more spectacular ones, also good ideas but less local.