For more than 500 years, during the Late Iron Age and the Viking Age, Lejre was a centre of power and probably a royal seat. You can encounter this history in several places: at Lejre Museum, at the excavated royal halls west of Gl. Lejre, and in the reconstructed settings at Sagnlandet Lejre. At the same time, trails lead through a protected landscape whose contours date back to the last Ice Age.
The Viking Age and the Royal Halls
At Lejre Museum, you can see the silver Viking Age figurine 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. Check the latest accessibility information before your visit.
The excavated royal halls lie west of Gl. Lejre. The largest measures 62 metres; during the Iron Age and the Viking Age, the halls were used for feasts and ceremonies. Their length gives an impression of the scale of the complex, while their recorded uses offer a glimpse of the communal occasions of the time.
Sagnlandet Lejre offers another way to encounter the past: set across 43 hectares of hills, woodland, lakes and meadows, the site includes reconstructed settings from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Viking Age and 19th century. Hands-on activities include grinding grain, baking bread rolls, taking a ride in a Stone Age boat and archery. There are also historic workshops for pottery and textile work at Videsø.
Trails through landscape and history
A network of trails around Gl. Lejre passes through fields, meadows and pastureland. Along the way, views open out over a landscape formed during the last Ice Age, around 13,000 to 15,000 years ago. Wildlife is also part of its character: the area is home to pheasants, roe deer and hares, as well as various birds of prey throughout the year, including red kites and peregrine falcons.
For a circular walk near Tadre Mølle, the Kildekalksruten is one option: it is 1.4 kilometres long, starts at the mill and passes Denmark’s only open spring limestone quarry. Trails there also run by the millpond and around the meadows. Tadre Mølle is the last of 13 former watermills in Elverdamsdalen and today serves as a fully operational cultural history museum and nature centre. Every July, a haymaking event is held in the meadow, organised by Tadre Mølles Venner, DN and the national park. Check the exact event dates in advance.
If you want to compare longer hiking routes, there are different options: Skjoldungestien is approximately 50 kilometres long and runs between Roskilde, Lejre and Hvalsø through open countryside, woodland and along Roskilde Fjord. Gudernes Stræde is approximately 64 kilometres long, has Gl. Lejre as its centre and is marked with around 80 information boards. The distances and routes can help you choose; check the latest trail conditions before setting out.
Getting around Lejre
Lejre Station provides direct rail access to Skjoldungernes Land National Park. From there, the royal halls, ship settings, burial mounds and museums are within easy reach. Bus 207 travels through the national park and stops at numerous attractions; you can catch it at Lejre or Roskilde station. Check current services and timetables before travelling.
Ledreborg Allé also connects a route with a cultural heritage destination: south of Gl. Lejre, you can walk or cycle along the avenue to Ledreborg Slot. A terraced Baroque garden lies there by the Ledreborg Å. When planning your trip, you can choose between different kinds of discovery: archaeological traces at Gl. Lejre, reconstructed historical periods at Sagnlandet, and trails through the landscape.
Discover more destinations: Gershøj, Kirke Hyllinge, Kisserup, Kyndeløse, Kirke Såby, Ordrup, Lejre, Kirke Hvalsø.
For the broader travel overview: Zealand.
