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Voykit pocket guide · Denmark
Silkeborg
Give Silkeborg 2 nights: one for the lakes and Himmelbjerget by boat, one for Tollund Man and the paper mill. Skip it as a day-trip from Aarhus.
Silkeborg is a small lakeside town on the Gudenå river, 30 min by train from Aarhus, built around a paper mill in 1844. It calls itself Denmark's outdoor capital: canoeing, lake swimming, forest bike trails and the Himmelbjerget hill are the reasons to come, plus the bog body of Tollund Man in the town museum. Two nights is enough; the town centre is walkable and bikes cover the rest.
- Country
- Denmark
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (museums on short hours, boats not running)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- DKK
- Money
- Currency is the Danish krone (DKK, kr); the euro is not used, though some tourist shops accept it at a poor rate.
- Daily spend
- Budget kr 500–800 excl. bed (check) · Mid kr 800–1,400 excl. bed (check) · High kr 1,400+ excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU roaming applies: EU and EEA SIMs work at home prices.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Police non-emergency 114
- Plugs
- Types C, F, K · 230 V · 50 Hz · Two-pin European plugs fit; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for excellent service.; Café and bar: Nothing expected.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Nothing expected.; Guided tour: Optional; DKK 50–100 for a good private guide.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent everywhere; restaurants serve it free or for a small charge per carafe.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are common in Copenhagen; stations charge DKK 5–10 or take cards.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | kr 35–55 (check) |
| Lunch main course | kr 70–130 (check) |
| Dinner main course | kr 150–300 (check) |
| Beer, draught / supermarket can | kr 50–70 / kr 10–20 (check) |
| Museum entry (Museum Silkeborg, Museum Jorn) | kr 100–125 |
| City bus single ride | kr 25–35 (check) |
| Train Silkeborg → Aarhus | kr 90–130 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AAR · Aarhus Airport
- About 1 h 15 min by car; bus and train via Aarhus take longer.
- BLL · Billund Airport
- About 1 h 15 min by car; rail connections change at Skanderborg or Herning.
- CPH · Copenhagen Airport
- Train to Skanderborg, then change for Silkeborg; about 4 h total.
Typical fares
- Train Silkeborg → Aarhus
- about kr 90–130, 30 min (check)
- Hjejlen boat, Silkeborg → Himmelbjerget
- about 1 h 15 min; day pass kr 105 (check)
- Bike rental, one day
- from kr 199 (check)
Get around
Walk the centre; everything from Torvet to the station is under 15 min on foot. Rent a bike for the lake and forest routes, or take a yellow city bus (12 lines) from the terminal at the station. Boats on the Gudenå and the lakes run in the summer season.
See and do
Known for
- Tollund Man bog body
- Gudenå river and the lake district
- Himmelbjerget hill
- Hjejlen paddle steamer
- Canoeing and lake swimming
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Himmelbjerget | Hjejlen boat from Silkeborg, about 1 h 15 min; or bike and bus via Ry | About 1.5 h each way by boat |
| Aarhus | Train via Skanderborg, about 30 min from Silkeborg | About 45 min |
| Skanderborg | Train from Silkeborg; journey time check | check |
Sleep
- Town centre and Torvet
- Shops, cafés and the bus terminal; 5–10 min walk to the station and the river.
- Papirfabrikken
- The old paper mill on the Gudenå: hotel, restaurants and the paper museum in one block.
- Silkeborg Langsø and Hostel area
- Quieter, near the lake and the river; 10–15 min walk from the centre.
- Svejbæk and Virklund
- Villages south of town near Julsø and AQUA; only with a car or bike.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hejhigh |
| Thank you | Taktack |
| Excuse me | Undskyldoon-skewl |
| How much is it? | Hvad koster det?vath kos-ter deh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan jeg betale med kort?kan yai be-ta-le meth kort |
| Where is the toilet? | Hvor er toilettet?vor air toy-let-tet |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake and eye contact; first names at once; avoid: Titles and small talk that goes on too long
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for meetings and dinners; avoid: Being 15 minutes late without a message
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring flowers or wine; say 'tak for mad' after the meal; avoid: Leaving right after eating
- Conversation: Dry humour, directness and self-deprecation; avoid: Boasting — Janteloven frowns on it
- Queues: Take a number (kølapper) where there is a machine; avoid: Pushing to the counter
- Cycling: Signal stops and turns with your hand; keep right; avoid: Riding side by side in busy lanes
- Toasts: 'Skål' with eye contact before and after drinking; avoid: Looking away mid-toast
Scams and watch-outs
- Boats and the Hjejlen steamer run on a summer timetable only: check sailing days before you plan a river day.
- Several museums close or cut hours outside the April–October season; check each site.
- Lake swimming spots are mostly unsupervised and the water stays cold even in summer: check conditions before you swim.
- Kitchen closing times in the centre vary by day; check before you plan a late dinner.
Very safe. The real risks are cold lake water, unlit forest bike trails at dusk and cyclists on shared paths in town.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Silkeborg yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tollund Man bog body
- Gudenå river and the lake district
- Himmelbjerget hill
- Hjejlen paddle steamer
- Canoeing and lake swimming
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Silkeborg — official destination site: www.silkeborg.com/
- Midttrafik — city buses in Silkeborg: www.midttrafik.dk/rejsemuligheder/bybusser/silkeborg/
- Museum Silkeborg: www.museumsilkeborg.dk/velkommen-til-hovedg%C3%A5rden
- Wikivoyage: Silkeborg, revision 5328985 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328985
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Silkeborg
Til denne adresse, tak
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Silkeborg; most are in Copenhagen. The nearest consulates-general are in Aarhus (check the address).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/silkeborg). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.