Discover Emborg: Monastic Culture and Nature at Mossø

Emborg combines impressive monastic history with diverse nature around Mossø, Gudensø and Emborg Odde. Those planning a trip can choose between cultural discoveries, short circular tours, longer hikes, cycling excursions and experiences on the water. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Emborg, it helps to first decide on the desired daily rhythm: should the focus be on the museum and monastery garden, or are trails, birdwatching and an active tour more appealing?

Øm Monastery: Garden, Museum and Munkekanalen

The Munkekanalen runs about 1 kilometre east of Øm Monastery. The straight canal is 1.5 kilometres long and 8 metres wide; parts of it are still visible today. This makes it a special detail for anyone interested in the historic cultural landscape around Emborg.

The Øm Monastery Museum has reconstructed elements of the monastery’s medicinal herb and brewing garden. The monastery garden contains 63 square beds with a total of 80 cultivated plants. In the Middle Ages, these plants were used as medicinal herbs, culinary herbs or in the household. The brewing garden includes hops, barley for malt and bog myrtle, among other plants, which were used for brewing beer. One of the museum buildings also presents the history of the monastery, as well as finds and skeletons from the excavations.

The connection between culture and landscape can also be experienced along the way. Near Emborg, the 28-kilometre cycling route “Rundt om Mossø” passes the former Cistercian monastery Øm Monastery, on whose site there is now a monastery museum. This allows you to combine a cycling tour through protected and characteristic natural areas with a cultural destination.

Birds, Views and Trails through the Landscape

Emborg Odde is a bird sanctuary where a colony of black-headed gulls breeds. Hulbakken near Emborg offers a view of this area. The natural area, with scattered trees, slopes down towards Mossø and provides a good view of the Emborg Odde bird sanctuary.

The approximately 2-kilometre circular tour “Mossø, Emborg Vestermark–Dalgård” is suitable for a shorter hike. It passes through open conifer plantations, afforested agricultural land and pastures near Gudensø. Another hike in the area around Emborg, “Mossø, Lindholm Hoved”, runs along pastures and alder thickets to a birdwatching tower at the foot of Lindholm Hoved. From there, you can observe Mossø’s diverse birdlife.

The Gudenå Trail is now a route between Voervadsbro and Emborg Bro. The section from Emborg Bro is signposted as the Aarhus–Silkeborg hiking route. On the trail, the path runs as a narrow track between a stream and steep slopes. For daily planning, this narrow track can be contrasted with the approximately 2-kilometre circular tour “Mossø, Emborg Vestermark–Dalgård”, with its open conifer plantations, afforested agricultural land and pastures near Gudensø.

Cycling and Experiences on the Water

On the “Gudenåen: Klostermølle–Silkeborg, approx. 30 km” boat route, travellers can go ashore at the Dalgaard landing stage in Gudensø. The landing stage is about 300 metres to the right of the inlet to the lake; Øm Monastery can be seen from there. Søhøjlandet is also a popular destination for canoes, kayaks, SUPs and motorboats, as well as scheduled boats.

The Right Accommodation for Your Travel Plans

A holiday apartment in Emborg can be a suitable base if you would like to combine culture and nature over several days. Families can enjoy a varied stay: a day at the museum, a short circular tour, birdwatching or a cycling and boating experience offer different focal points, without requiring you to dedicate your entire holiday to a single activity.

If you would like to explore more places for your plans, you can find Alken, Skanderborg, Låsby, Hørning, Skovby and Hårby here.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Skanderborg.