Hiking Skjoldungestien

A 32 km train-accessible hike from Copenhagen with forests, lakes, Viking history, shelters and easy bail-out options. Join me on a long’ish one-day trip hiking Skjoldungestien (the Skjoldunge Trail) following in the footsteps of my Viking forebears.

Gentle terrain and great views one of Demarks’ most highly acclaimed trails. Forests and marshland and meadows and a bit of coastline. All of it beautiful and tranquil. Just the way I like it…

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The summer of 2025 was rapidly coming to an end, and I could feel it in my bones. I needed one more summer hike. Warm sun and trees of green. Flowers and buzzing bees. I had to get out there, before the cold, wet Danish autumn (though lovely in its’ own right) set in.

I also knew exactly where I wanted to go. The lands around the ancient Viking epicentre of Old Lejre (a small, very old town) are known for their beauty as well as their archeological and historic significance. And the best way to experience all of that? Hiking Skjoldungestien. A name which translates toThe Skjoldunge Trail.

Skjoldunge means ‘Child of Skjold’ and it refers to an ancient myth about the infant boy Skjold who would grow up to lead his tribe and conquer the whole island of Zealand. Well, I would settle for conquering the 32 kilometres from the trailhead to the town of Roskilde and its mighty Cathedral. The latter, by the way, being quite a site to behold as it is.

However, I would need to start early to reach my goal before dark. And, in fact, I might have been better off taking two short days, spending the night in my tent or in a shelter. But alas, real life did not allow for more than one whole day of hiking.

0 km. – Get outta town!

I arrived close to the trailhead after a very early train ride from Copenhagen. Roughly half an hour to get here, and I was now ready for nature to wake me up. First though, I had to leave the sleepy town of Hvalsø which did require about 2 km. of warm-up hiking through the mostly still sleeping and somewhat uninteresting streets.

That would soon change. The first part of the of the trail itself looked more than promising. A great view of rolling hills and meadows to one side – and a deep beechwood forest (Bidstrup Woods) to the other. Perfect. I immediately felt the morning slumber leave my body and the call of the wild…well….calling.

I soon found my stride, and spent a thoroughly enjoyable morning mostly among trees. Something that never ceases to bring me joy. I know some people find too much walking in the woods to be boring – but I cannot get enough. This particular wood even had some swampy parts, where the nice had people behind it all had constructed plank bridges. And those are great fun too.

To make it even better, the first snack break happened to take place right next to a lovely lake. Avnsø (Lake Avn) is a quite sizeable forest lake with water clean enough to take a swim. Should I do it? Of course, I should! It was already warming up to becoming a sunny and sweaty hiking day, so a cool swim was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Much refreshed I set a quick pace, enjoying more plank-bridge-over-swamp and then leaving the trees altogether with a content sigh.

9 km. – Sun and flowers and sunflowers

The next part of the hike would mostly take place on grassland and dirt trails across open meadows. And I was happily surprised to find an abundance of flowers in full bloom.

It is clear to me, that something has happened with old(ish) age. I have come to really ponder and appreciate the cycle of nature and the beauty of the seasons. Today, I would get to see different types of meadow-flowers that were wholly distinct from those I had enjoyed on my spring and early summer hikes. Not least when I passed through a whole field of sunflowers. Just amazing.

Despite having spent almost three hours hiking (and swimming) and having done 12 km., I felt strong rather than fatigued. Hiking high season was coming to an end, which also meant that I had had a lot of training. And that payed off today as I sped through a luxurious landscape of awesome views.

I did need the extra energy to deal with a section of paved road. Like everyone else, I hate those parts, but I had very few of them on the Skjoldunge Trail. And the road would soon end, depositing me on a barely visible trail through high grass alongside a gurgling stream. Perfect!

16 km. – My trail is my castle!

I also got to enjoy more shady trees as I passed the forests of Oren and Møllesø Woods before arriving at the Castle of Ledreborg. A lovely little castle hidden among the trees, but with a large estate and impressive gardens attached. Well worth a visit – but sadly I had no time for it today – not even a photo, sorry. If you ever do come by, make sure to take a break to enjoy Ledreborg and its’ surroundings.

A few twists and turns later plus a bit of a climb on the forest trail, and suddenly I arrived at a peak among the hills. Wind blasting my face, I gazed for many, many kilometres across fields and meadows. Wow! An unusual sight in Denmark, because the land is so flat.

Inspired, I started trekking downwards for several kilometres eventually arriving at the sort of historic centre of the trail. Old Lejre is a tiny village with a viking museum and several archeological sites with relics from those days of yore. All amazing. I sat down to enjoy the sun and the ambiance, while I grabbed some lunch (rye bread – always rye bread).

It was still only noon, and I felt positive, that I would make it to Roskilde in good time even if my pace was gradually slowing down as my feet started to feel the kilometres.

21 km. – Setting sail like a true viking

Up until now, the Skjoldunge Trail had been mostly all about deep quiet woodland. But that was about to change.

I hiked away from Old Lejre, and for a long while, I would cross one beautiful meadow after another while saying ‘hi’ to cows and horses and enjoying a plethora of late summer flowers. An altogether lovely change. Also, the open land meant that I got to gaze upon rolling hills in all directions. Very pleasant indeed.

It was also at this this time that I found the most significant viking relic of the whole trip. Out of nowhere, I found myself on the top of a small hill surrounded by huge boulders arranged in the rough outline of a ship. This was a viking burial monument from the 800’s known as a ‘skibssætning’.

Fascinating stuff. I tried to imagine these lands populated by my industrious forebears. Brave explorers and tradesman and sometimes (less inspiring) brutal raiders.

Though far from the sea, I felt the lure of the sea. This lead me to take a small detour north along a gurgling stream and sizeable lake with tall reeds and chirping birds. Why? Because, I had noticed on my map that there was mention of a ferry crossing the stream next to me less than a kilometre off the trail. I had to see it.

And, yes, soon enough I found the proud ship. Or actually proud raft. But it was great fun pulling myself across the stream and then back again, and I would recommend anyone taking this trip to give the ‘ferry’ a try.

26 km. – Bogged down!

Although I was coming in on the home stretch, there were still a couple of highlights left for me to enjoy. Perhaps it was okay, that I only had a quarter or so of the total trip left, since I was losing time due to detours, sightseeing and the onset of mild fatigue.

The early afternoon was spent passing the outskirts of a small town and crossing directly trough a golf resort. Civilisation was always within reach for better or worse.

But then came a couple of kilometres that were certainly contenders for the best part of the whole trip. Rørmosen. The Reed Bog. This wild, overgrown wetland has mostly been left to its own devices with dense foliage, swampy water holes, buzzing insects and chirping birds.

However, someone has cleverly constructed wooden boardwalks meandering through the otherwise inaccessible wilderness and this provided for a fun and wild experience. I even found a few benches and some helpful info signs with details on the Reed Bog and its teeming life. Awesome!

30 km. – Salt and bricks

As I emerged from the marshland, the fresh smell of salt water suddenly hit. I hiked on, and soon enough came to the outskirts of Roskilde and the coastline of Roskilde Fjord. The heathen Vikings were still about! Out on the shimmering blue water, I was amazed to see a reconstructed Viking ship plowing through the water under strong wind. Nice!

On the other hand, the Vikings were eventually christened, and this was nicely demonstrated by the towering Cathedral of Roskilde perched on a hill in the distance.

My legs were sore, but nowhere near ready to quit, so I hiked along the windy, but lovely coastal trail towards my final destination. The shadows were getting longer, so I picked up the pace as best I could, and soon enough I found myself climbing the steep streets of Central Roskilde. Goodbye to nature for today – it had been everything I hoped for, and I was ready to kick back and rest my feet. The final climb to the amazing cathedral and I could look back on 32 kilometres of pure bliss.