Sorø Municipality: Lakes, Culture and Historic Trails

Sorø offers green forests, deep lakes, meadows, marshes, open landscapes and a rich cultural history. The municipality includes the towns of Ruds Vedby, Sorø, Fjenneslev, Alsted, Nyrup and Munke Bjergby.

Culture and History

Bjernede Church is Zealand’s only round church and dates from around 1170. Sorø Art Museum is known for its collection of Russian icons, modern art and well-curated special exhibitions. Its collection comprises approximately 2,500 works from the 18th century to the present day.

Sorø Museum is located in Christian IV’s Inn, one of Sorø’s oldest buildings, constructed in 1624–25. The indoor exhibition focuses on B. S. Ingemann and the Danish Golden Age. In Apotekerhaven, the museum has reconstructed part of the botanical garden established by Joachim Burser in the 17th century and shares knowledge about medicinal plants. Hauchs Physiske Cabinet displays research instruments, models, apparatus and toys that illustrate scientific principles.

Tersløsegaard is the only surviving place known to have been lived in by Ludvig Holberg and now houses the Ludvig Holberg Museum. The Tersløsegaard Museum is closed during the 2026 and 2027 seasons due to restoration work.

Klosterporten is a protected medieval gate dating from around 1200 and forms the entrance to Sorø Academy, the Abbey Church and Akademihaven. Sorø Abbey Church was built at the end of the 12th century as part of the Cistercian monastery founded by Bishop Absalon on the shore of Lake Sorø. It preserves more than 800 years of Danish history and houses the tombs of Danish kings and bishops.

Fjenneslev Church preserves frescoes from around 1150, among the oldest surviving medieval frescoes in Denmark. Its distinctive twin towers are associated with the Hvide noble family. Møllediget is a 1,800-metre-long medieval canal beside Filosofgangen in Sorø. Pedersborg combines a medieval castle mound with a church ruin on a hill northwest of Sorø. Broby Vesterskov contains scattered prehistoric burial sites from the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.

Nature

Tystrup-Bavelse comprises a glacially shaped landscape with hills, ancient woodland and lakes. The Tystrup-Bavelse area offers opportunities for swimming, hiking, canoeing, birdwatching and fishing.

Kongskilde Nature Centre is housed in an old watermill and includes a nature exhibition and an aquarium, both open to visitors year-round. The route from the car park at Kongskilde Nature Centre to the bathing area with a jetty on the shore of Frederikskilde Skov is wheelchair accessible. Suserup Skov has been left to develop naturally since the end of the 19th century; visitors may only move along the paths.

Trails and Activities

Sorø Søsti is an 8.5-kilometre circular trail around Lake Sorø through old beech woodland and past Sorø Academy. The trail is mostly flat, with well-maintained paths and rest areas, and is suitable for families with children. Digterruten Ingemann is a 3.5-kilometre walking route around Lake Sorø with mobile audio stories.

Sorø has four cultural cycling routes through Stone Age landscapes, past medieval monuments and to places associated with Holberg and Ingemann. The routes are complemented by a free app with information about attractions, readings of texts about Holberg and four route-specific podcasts.

Bus 615 from Sorø Station stops at Kongskilde; from the stop, it is about a three-minute walk to the entrance to the hiking area. Sorø’s Natureventyr app offers free, child-friendly nature adventures on local routes written especially for children.

For the overall travel overview: Zealand.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Kalundborg, Guldborgsund Municipality.