Skanderborg

Travel Guide

Skanderborg
Photo by William Keller

Book a weekend break in Skanderborg, known for its stunning Søhøjland, green beech forests, cosy pedestrian streets and vibrant cultural life.

The market town of Skanderborg is known for its picturesque scenery and popular music festival, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. With its pretty lakes and green beech forests, Skanderborg’s hilly landscape is wonderful for recreational nature trips. You can also look forward to some relaxing shopping, and interesting church and museum visits.

Skanderborg developed around the fortress of Skanderborg Castle, which was an obvious defence position in the Middle Ages due to its proximity to Aarhus. The area is known as Søhøjlandet, thanks to its vast lakes and tall hills that were formed in the last ice age.

Start your journey through Skanderborg at Adelgade, home to most of the town’s shops, cafés and restaurants. This is also where you will find the Adelgade Museum, which gives an insight into Skanderborg, the city’s castle and the Middle Ages, when the area comprised several villages and abbeys. Continue to Skanderborg castle chapel, which is beautifully situated between Lillesø and Skanderborg Sø. The castle chapel is the last remaining part of Skanderborg castle, which dates right back to Valdemar I's rule, and is known for its fine renaissance detail.

When you visit Skanderborg, don’t miss taking a trip to the stunning countryside. There are plenty of activities on land and at sea, including relaxing boat trips with Dagmar M/S and fishing trips on the peaceful and scenic lakes. The area also offers many hiking and cycle paths, some of which lead to the Fårbjerg look-out point and burial mound, which has a beautiful view of the East Jutlandic scenery.

Party lovers should visit Skanderborg at the start of August, when the beech forests’ green areas form the setting for the music festival SmukFest, which attracts over 30,000 people and 150 artists annually.

Skanderborg is around 15 miles southwest of Aarhus, and has train links to Copenhagen, Odense, Aalborg and Aarhus. The city’s attractions are all within walking distance of one another.

Take a holiday in Skanderborg, where smooth lakes and green beech forests are the perfect setting for a relaxing stay with exciting cultural features!

Sophiendal Slotshotel

Sophiendal Slotshotel

4 out of 5
Låsbyvej 82 Skanderborg
The price is P5,868 per night from Dec 22 to Dec 23
P5,868
P7,335 total
Dec 22 - Dec 23
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this historic hotel in Skanderborg. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and breakfast (surcharge). Popular attractions Veng Klosterkirke and Sophiendal ...
7.8/10 Good! (705 reviews)
Really nice hotel right in the middle of Odense

Reviewed on Jun 29, 2025

Sophiendal Slotshotel
Skanderborg Park

Skanderborg Park

4.5 out of 5
Skovsvinget 10 Skanderborg
Book a stay at this luxury hotel in Skanderborg. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Popular attractions Kulturhuset Skanderborg and Linien are ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (501 reviews)
The hotel reception was close when we arrived and then there is no telephone in the room to call reception for any help. The light kept going off in the room. Was not worth the price

Reviewed on Feb 24, 2025

Skanderborg Park
Nørre Vissing Kro

Nørre Vissing Kro

3 out of 5
Låsbyvej 122 Skanderborg
The price is P4,912 per night from Jan 18 to Jan 19
P4,912
P6,140 total
Jan 18 - Jan 19, 2026
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Skanderborg. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and breakfast (surcharge). Popular attractions Veng Klosterkirke and Sophiendal Gods are located ...
8/10 Very Good! (262 reviews)
okay but massive windows in room with no curtains so was woken by sunlight early in the morning

Reviewed on Sep 30, 2025

Nørre Vissing Kro
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Daniel & Jacob's urban studios and boutique apartments

Daniel & Jacob's urban studios and boutique apartments

3 out of 5
77 Katrinebjergvej Aarhus
Stay at this aparthotel in Aarhus. Enjoy free WiFi, parking (surcharge), and a garden. Popular attractions Christianskirken and Aarhus Natural History Museum ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (209 reviews)
Lovely clean apartment, easy to get to most things we wanted to in Aarhus

Reviewed on Aug 25, 2025

Daniel & Jacob's urban studios and boutique apartments
Aura Apartment Hotel

Aura Apartment Hotel

3 out of 5
72 Nørre Allé Aarhus
Stay at this aparthotel in Aarhus. Enjoy free WiFi, laundry facilities, and concierge services. Popular attractions Store Torv and Royal Casino are located ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (71 reviews)
LOVED this place. We had a small studio and it had everything we needed … we asked for extra bed pillows and they gave us the code to the closet telling us to take what we needed. for not having a front desk they are extremely fast at reaching to text. The apartment was incredibly clean and everything ...

Reviewed on Dec 11, 2025

Aura Apartment Hotel
athome apartments

athome apartments

3 out of 5
38 Hedeager Aarhus
Book a stay at this family-friendly apartment in Aarhus. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a 24-hour health club. Popular attractions Mollerup Golf Club and ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (85 reviews)
Great location...had everything we needed. Would stay again if in area.

Reviewed on Sep 23, 2025

athome apartments
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit