Skovgårde: Hills, Kattegat Views and History

Skovgårde combines a distinctive hilly landscape with traces of several centuries. In the Skovgårde protected areas, gorse, blackberries and heather grow alongside burial mounds and individual solitary oak trees. A historic brewery, a medieval castle site and a cycling route also offer different things to explore. This is a helpful starting point when choosing a holiday home: consider whether you would like to devote your time primarily to the landscape, history or an active outing.

Hills with views across the Kattegat

The Skovgårde protected areas form a hilly landscape covered with gorse, blackberries and heather. A series of burial mounds and individual solitary oak trees are also part of the landscape. The Skovgårde protected areas also include a hill 43 metres high, with views across the Kattegat. Hyllested Skovgårde is situated at a comparatively high elevation in the landscape. Here, the terrain, vegetation and historic traces come together, while the views across the Kattegat provide a broad contrast to the details on the ground. If you enjoy connecting landscape impressions with specific points of interest, you will find several ideas here to help plan your trip.

Gravlevbanen cycling route

For an active trip, Gravlevbanen is the clearly defined cycling option: the route is 25 kilometres long, lies in Mols Bjerge National Park and passes Skovgårde. Only part of the route follows the former railway line between Ebeltoft and Gravlev. This section adds a connection to the former rail link alongside the cycling. The stated distance can help you gauge the planned ride; check local conditions before setting out. Gravlevbanen can thus be considered as a trip in its own right, without conflating the entire route with Skovgårde.

History across different periods

Hyllested-Skovgårde was established in the mid-1760s, when six farms were moved from Hyllested into the forest. Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri, a well-preserved brewery dating from 1860, also stands in Hyllested Skovgårde. Another historic site is Skovgårde Voldsted: this well-preserved medieval castle site is thought to date from the beginning of the 16th century. Comparing the dates brings the different historical layers into focus: the castle site is thought to predate the relocation of the farms, while the brewery dates from 1860. If you would like to visit the castle site, check the access conditions in advance.

Choose a focus for your holiday home stay

When looking for a holiday home in Skovgårde, you can start by deciding which theme you would like your trip to centre on: the hilly landscape and views of the Kattegat, settlement and architectural history, or cycling on Gravlevbanen. These themes offer different starting points for planning: the landscape shapes the impression of the place, the historic sites tell stories of different periods, and the cycling route passes Skovgårde.

Discover more destinations: Holme, Hornslet, Stødov, Dejret, Femmøller, Ahl, Egsmark Strand, Vrinners

For the broader travel overview: Syddjurs Municipality.