Lejre: Royal Halls, Cultural Heritage and Trails

West of Gl. Lejre lie excavated royal halls that were used for feasts and ceremonies during the Iron Age and Viking Age. The largest is 62 metres long. For more than 500 years during the late Iron Age and Viking Age, Lejre was a centre of power and probably a royal residence. Its history can be explored at several sites from different periods.

Experience Archaeology and History

The Lejre Museum displays a unique silver figure from the Viking Age, known as “Odin from Lejre”. The entire exhibition is on the ground floor and is easily accessible by wheelchair. There is a free car park right next to the museum. Before your visit, check the latest visitor information about accessibility and parking.

The reconstructed settings at Sagnlandet Lejre offer another way to explore the past. They span the Stone Age, Iron Age and Viking Age through to the 19th century. The site covers 43 hectares of hills, forests, lakes and meadows. Hands-on activities include grinding grain, baking bread rolls, taking a ride in a Stone Age boat and archery. There are also historic pottery and textile workshops at Videsø.

Individual prehistoric sites also tell stories of life in earlier times: Harald Hildetands’ mound is a Neolithic dolmen that archaeologists date to around 3500 BC. Gl. Kongsgård, meanwhile, is a 300-year-old former tenant farm with original furniture and other belongings of its former residents. It has been a family farm since 1749.

Landscape, Mills and Hiking Trails

The protected landscape around Gl. Lejre offers trails through fields, meadows and pastureland, as well as views of a landscape formed during the last Ice Age, 13,000 to 15,000 years ago. Pheasants, roe deer and hares live in the area. Various birds of prey can be seen there year-round, including red kites and peregrine falcons.

Tadre Mølle is the last of a total of 13 former watermills in Elverdamsdalen and now serves as a fully operational cultural history museum and nature centre. Trails run alongside the millpond and around the meadows. The 1.4-kilometre Kildekalksruten begins at the mill and passes Denmark’s only open spring limestone quarry. Every July, a haymaking event is held in the meadow, organised by Tadre Mølles Venner, DN and the national park. If you plan your visit around it, check the event date in advance.

For longer hikes, Skjoldungestien and Gudernes Stræde differ in both length and described route. Skjoldungestien is approximately 50 kilometres long and runs between Roskilde, Lejre and Hvalsø through open countryside, forests and along Roskilde Fjord. Gudernes Stræde is approximately 64 kilometres long, has Gl. Lejre at its centre and is equipped with around 80 information boards.

Other trails pass through a variety of landscapes: Ejby Skrænter and Ejby Ådal offer an approximately 4.5-kilometre circular route with botanical highlights and expansive views over the Isefjord. South of Gl. Lejre, you can walk or cycle along Ledreborg Allé to Ledreborg Slot. There, a terraced Baroque garden lies beside the Ledreborg Å.

Getting There and Activities Along the Way

Lejre railway station provides direct rail access to Skjoldungernes Land National Park. From there, royal halls, ship settings, burial mounds and museums are within easy reach. Bus 207 travels through the national park and stops at numerous visitor attractions; you can board it at Lejre station or Roskilde station. Check the latest timetables before travelling.

The station is also a useful starting point for cycling trips: the Lejre loop of the Istidsruten begins and ends there, making it easy to combine the ride with a train journey. The 390-kilometre Istidsruten connects Ice Age landscapes with a cycling tour. Check current trail conditions and timetables before setting out. Another activity is offered by Ledreborg Palace Golf Club, with a challenging 18-hole golf course and modernised practice facilities in natural surroundings.

Discover more destinations: Kirke Såby, Kyndeløse, Kisserup, Kirke Hyllinge, Gershøj, Lejre, Ordrup, Kirke Hvalsø.

For the overview of the wider region: Zealand.