Højby Sø and Højby Church highlight two different sides of a stay in Højby: by the water, the focus is on the landscape and birdlife; in the church, on medieval architecture and art. The burial mounds at Syvhøje and other leisure activities add destinations that offer different combinations of nature, history and active experiences.

Getting to Højby and finding accommodation

There are two practical points of reference for getting here: Højby has a railway station on the Odsherred line and is a stop on route 510R; the town is also a few kilometres from Route 21. When looking for a hotel or other accommodation, you can take these rail and road connections into account when planning your journey. If you plan to travel by train, check the current timetable before setting off, as journey times may change.

At Højby Sø: landscape, birds and paths

Højby Sø was restored across an area of 60 hectares; the lake itself covered 40 hectares when it was completely filled in 1993. Mute swans, greylag geese, Eurasian coots and great crested grebes breed in the area around the lake. Agriculture was never practised on the southern slopes of Højby Sø, where you can discover plants that were already growing here in the Middle Ages. The lake was also once part of the defence system of Borren, a medieval castle.

There are gravel and informal paths by the lake, following the designated routes. There are no paths in the north-western part, where the birds have a refuge away from people. Boating is prohibited on Højby Sø, and fishing is also prohibited in most of the lake.

Højby Church: fieldstone construction and murals

Højby Church is one of the largest and oldest fieldstone churches on Zealand. Its chancel and nave date from the 12th century and were built from unworked and split fieldstones. The murals date from between 1200 and 1410. They depict scenes from the New Testament, the Last Judgement, stories from Jesus’ childhood and scenes of everyday life. The figures depicted include Saint Olaf.

Syvhøje and other leisure activities

Syvhøje offers a different historical focus from Højby Church: this group of six burial mounds lies between Højby and Nykøbing Sjælland. The mounds date from the Early Bronze Age, around 500 BC, placing them well before the church’s medieval architectural features and murals. A signposted short hiking trail leads to Syvhøje from the car park at Næsholm on Nygårdsvej.

Other leisure activities include four climbing courses of varying difficulty at Gekko Park. MinigolfParken has 18 adventure golf holes inspired by Odsherred’s distinctive landmarks.

Discover more destinations: Nyrup, Bøsserup, Hørve, Asnæs, Lumsås, Klint, Føllenslev, Nørre Asmindrup

For the broader travel overview: Odsherred.