Lejre brings together questions about the Viking Age, rural cultural heritage and paths through the open landscape around Gl. Lejre. When choosing activities, it is worth noting the differences: Lejre Museum and Sagnlandet Lejre present history in different ways, while the walking routes range from a short path between two destinations to a 50-kilometre trail. A historic farmstead, a ship setting and the landscape each add their own distinctive features.
Discover history in different ways
Lejre Museum presents modern, interactive exhibitions that engage visitors. The focus is on the great importance of the Lejre area in Viking Age Denmark. Sagnlandet Lejre presents houses and ways of life from the Stone Age, Iron Age and Viking Age. The two attractions offer different approaches: the museum focuses on exhibitions, while Sagnlandet Lejre explores houses and ways of life from several periods.
The archaeological heritage includes the ship setting at Gl. Lejre, one of the largest ship settings in Scandinavia. Mysselhøj is one of the best-preserved burial mounds in the area. Rural culture can be seen at two farmsteads with different histories: Gammel Kongsgård is the surviving dwelling house of an old farm built in 1740. Gl. Kongsgaard was formerly a tenant farm under Ledreborg Slot and is now a monument to the rural culture of the Lejre area.
Open landscapes and historic places
The protected landscape around Gl. Lejre offers paths through fields, meadows and dry grassland. Up to 50 different plant species grow per square metre on the burial mounds in this landscape. The open landscape is also a habitat for pheasants, roe deer and hares, as well as birds of prey, including the common buzzard, marsh harrier, red kite and peregrine falcon. This diversity brings together natural and cultural heritage, without making the landscape merely a backdrop for the historic sites.
Herthadalen is a narrow meltwater ravine in the forest near Sagnlandet Lejre. The place also has a political and popular history: from the 1850s to the 1960s, the ravine served as the setting for large gatherings. In Lejre, a landscape shaped over a long period and a specific historic use exist side by side.
Choose walking routes by length and destination
Kongehal-vejen is a 1.8-kilometre walking route from Lejre Museum to Sagnlandet Lejre. At 50 kilometres, Skjoldungestien is a considerably longer route that passes through Gl. Lejre. Between Gl. Lejre and Gevninge, this route follows the Lejre Ă…. The two routes therefore offer different scales for planning: a short path between two named destinations, or a long walking route with a section alongside the river.
Plan your visits and overnight stays
During the summer half of the year, guided tours of Ledreborg Slot can be booked. The tours include the church, the beautiful halls, the old kitchen and the dungeon. If you plan this visit, take into account that the tours are available only seasonally.
A ticket to Sagnlandet Lejre is required to visit Kongehal and Den Vilde Vej; check the visitor rules before your trip. Den Vilde Vej is a 330-metre-long walkway that runs up to eight metres above the animal enclosures. From above, visitors can see wild boars, goats and aurochs. Sagnlandet also presents houses and ways of life from three historical periods—a different perspective from the single elevated walkway.
The Lejre shelter and tent site is on the outskirts of Lejre in a small wooded area near Skjoldungestier and is suitable for hikers and cyclists. Use is free for groups of fewer than ten people and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Check access and facilities seasonally before including the site in your plans.
Discover more destinations: Kirke Hvalsø, Kirke Såby, Kirke Hyllinge, Kisserup, Gershøj, Ordrup, Kyndeløse
Go to the main travel overview: Lejre.
