48 hours outside Aarhus: Enjoy the weekend in Djursland

Cottage life is a small break where you can completely slow down, enjoy time with each other, get sand between your toes, and breathe a little deeper. And what better place for a few days' cottage holiday than Djursland, which is no further than a short drive from Aarhus or a quick ferry trip from Odden to Ebeltoft?

Djursland holds a true cottage paradise of hilly nature, beautiful beaches, and coastal towns. We have compiled a guide to the places you should experience, eat, and enjoy nature during your weekend on the peninsula. Along your way, you will naturally also find a string of beautiful Landfolk cottages that can provide a very special setting for your weekend trip.

Visit the market town made of cottage idyll fabric

Start your weekend trip in picturesque Ebeltoft. Visit the heart of the town in the square, complete with a tiny town hall, said to be the world's smallest of its kind, and watchmen who sing in the evening. Don't miss a visit to Maltfabrikken, the town's creative gathering place, which invites you in for food, concerts, and art. Here, children can try out the skate ramp, and you can grab a bite and a locally brewed beer between the characteristic red walls.

Explore the market town's string of attractions

Stroll further through the small streets with specialty shops and cozy restaurants towards the harbor, where you can visit the ship mastodon Fregatten Jylland and explore the beautiful and unique glass art at Glasmuseum Ebeltoft. Among fishing boats, glassblowing, and an oyster bar at the harbor, the café Apelgren Jordt brews the town's best coffee. If you're hungry, you can also settle down for a lovely lunch at the fish restaurant Stockfleth.

Explore the legendary fairy tale forest at Jernhatten

A short fifteen-minute drive or a half-hour bike ride along a marked route brings you to Jernhatten, which lies as a wonderfully beautiful outpost to Mols' ice age hills.

Start your walk at the old mill farm, which dates back to 1677 and has been carefully restored with respect for the farm's history as a mill. From here, you can follow the paths through the enchanting troll forest of gnarled beech trees, surrounded by legends and myths about witches, trolls, and the outlaw Marsk Stig, who reportedly resided in the area. At the end of the path lies an almost 50-meter-high viewpoint, offering the most beautiful view over the Kattegat and the island of Hjelm.

Enjoy fizz at the farm brewery and the sea

If you're in need of a cool refreshment after your trip, the small family-owned Ebeltoft Gårdbryggeri awaits you at the foot of Jernhatten. The brewery offers cold, home-brewed beers and sodas, and you can also feast on sausages and bread from the grill, which is lit all summer long. From here, you can follow the east coast further to some of Djursland's finest beaches at Dråby and Boeslum, which invite you to relax and take a refreshing dip in clear blue water, chalk-white sand, and blooming beach meadows.

Dine at the restaurant of the future

Conclude your cottage day at Feldballe, where the small eco-village community Friland has sprung up, offering new ideas on how we can live, build, and coexist sustainably. Friland's neighbor is restaurant Moment, which serves vegetarian and biodynamic food. Here, you can enjoy meals sourced from wild nature, the herb and vegetable garden outside the door, and local producers in the surrounding area. Settle in for green gourmet that reflects the seasons and the landscape around you.

Get blown away at the top of Mols Bjerge

Mols Bjerge is the heart of one of Denmark's five national parks and is characterized by its magnificent nature – perfect for hiking or mountain biking, and for berry picking and mushroom hunting. But Mols Bjerge also contains a number of special excursion destinations. Visit, among other places, Femmøller, where five mill wheels once were in full swing grinding the flour of the Molbo people. And see Denmark's largest round barrow, Porskær Stenhus, which is even older than the pyramids.

But most magical of all are Mols Bjerge's Bronze Age burial mounds, of which Trehøje and Agri Bavnehøj are the most famous and well-visited. From the top, 127 and 137 meters above sea level, you can gaze out over some of Denmark's most beautiful grasslands, where kettle holes replace ice age hills, and the sea glimmers on the horizon.

You can easily reach Mols Bjerge by bus from Aarhus to Rønde, from where it's a short 20-minute walk. By car, it only takes about half an hour from Aarhus, and on the map here you can see where to park.

Feel the wings of history at Kalø Castle Ruin

Another of the national park's most popular excursion destinations is Kalø Castle Ruin, which towers on the peninsula with Mols Bjerge as a backdrop. From the parking lot, a one-and-a-half-kilometer walk leads you along the medieval road over the dam to the castle, which was built in the 14th century by King Erik Menved. Here you can travel back to bygone times, and if you climb the stairs to the top of the tower, the most beautiful view over the cove opens up.

Wash down your walk with a cup of coffee or perhaps an ice cream at Kalø Slotscafé, and also stop by Kalø Økologisk Gårdbutik on your way back to the cottage. Here you can stock up well for dinner with fresh greens, local meat and dairy products, and summer's sweet strawberries.

See a small piece of Danish lighthouse history at Sletterhage Lighthouse

During the summer months, lighthouse keeper Hans opens the doors to a small piece of lighthouse history at Sletterhage Lighthouse. Here at "the end of the country," you can visit the exhibition, eat an ice cream, and enjoy the view over the current-filled waters from the lighthouse's 16-meter height. If you're lucky, you might spot porpoises, seals, and large container ships through binoculars. Don't forget to look for holed stones on the beach – they can be exchanged for lollipops at Hans' ice cream kiosk. Admission is free for children, while adults pay twenty kroner.

Dine at Molskroen with a view over Ebeltoft Vig

If you're in need of a delicious dinner after a day in Mols Bjerge, you can, for example, visit the almost 100-year-old Molskroen. The half-timbered house offers a break from the cottage grill with a 7 or 10-course gourmet meal or a more informal summer meal at its little sister Brasseriet. Molskroen is part of Denmark's first planned holiday town, created complete with a park, squares, and market places in the 1920s by architect Egil Fischer. And Molskroen is situated in beautiful surroundings at Femmøller Strand, where you can enjoy the evening sun over Ebeltoft Vig.

Go hiking in the beautiful hills of Mols Bjerge, discover cultural gems in idyllic Ebeltoft, and eat fresh fish and greens from the surrounding area's lovely farm shops and eateries. Let yourself be inspired for your next cottage trip with our hand-picked cottages in Mols Bjerge National Park.