Guide to a cottage holiday in Asserbo

Nestled between light purple heather, pine plantations, and the North Coast dunes lies the natural haven of Asserbo. We've handpicked local gems and recommendations from our wonderful Landfolk hosts for your next cottage holiday at the edge of the forest.

Go mushroom hunting in Asserbo Plantation

Recommended by Benjamin.

Asserbo Plantation is one of Benjamin's favourite places for a cottage holiday, whether for excursions, mushroom hunting, or a quick pit stop on a bike ride to the beach. Among the pine trees, you might be lucky enough to find amber-coloured gold – the most beautiful chanterelles from the Danish forest floor. You can pick mushrooms in both coniferous plantations and deciduous forests, and especially in July and August, you can get a good haul to take home for a delicious meal at the cottage.

Explore the Troll Forest and Tisvilde Hegn

If you continue through Asserbo Plantation, you'll reach Tisvilde Hegn and the Troll Forest, named after its gnarled and twisted old trees. Here, Christina and Christian enjoy walking in the fairy-tale forest with the sound of crashing waves as a backdrop. Feel free to pack your swimwear, because just behind the dunes, the sea awaits you.

Visit a farm and harvest local delicacies

The young couple Nanna and Christopher lease the sustainable farm Lerbjerggård. The farm is part of the food project Andelsgaarde, which aims to rethink how we cultivate the land. From around May until the autumn holidays, the roadside stall is open, so you can stock up on freshly harvested vegetables and organic flowers straight from the field. Stay updated on the day's harvest and come home with everything from tulip bouquets to tomato plants.

Find flea market treasures in Liseleje

Recommended by Sophie and Kristian.

The small holiday town of Liseleje has enchanted holidaymakers for decades and hides shops, cafés, and vintage finds – and it's only a stone's throw from Asserbo. If you're looking for second-hand gold, Sophie and Kristian recommend, for example, Loppefabrikken in the yellow house with heart-shaped shutters. You can also visit Oles Genbrug, which houses a full 2000 square metres packed to the brim with everything from furniture, glass, and ceramics to art and antiques.

Enjoy the great nature of the North Coast

Recommended by Ida and Emil.

For Ida and Emil, the long, untouched beaches near Asserbo are the area's distinguishing feature. Here, there are no houses, ice cream kiosks, or other disturbances, just nature and open sea views as far as the eye can see. Go for a bike ride along the coastline, which is home to both hilly forest terrain and some of Denmark's most beautiful bathing beaches, and stop at Liseleje, Melby Overdrev, Troldeskoven, Asserbo Castle Ruins, and Tisvilde Hegn, among others.

Find the sword in the stone in Asserbo's old castle ruin

The Natureventyr app offers routes in nature based on local fairy tales. In Asserbo, for example, you can follow in the footsteps of Svip the mouse, who wants to be a knight and is looking for the sword in the stone in Asserbo Castle Ruins. Download the app here and go on an imaginative trip through forest paths and ruins. If you've packed a lunch, there are benches and tables along the route where you can eat.

Explore Zealand's largest heath

Melby Overdrev is Zealand's largest heath. Since the heath was used as a military firing range for over 100 years, it remains almost untouched today. The heath is protected and included in Denmark's Nature Canon for its versatile and unique plant and animal life. See rare butterfly species, among others, and hike through the wilderness's almost 200 wild plants. In late summer, the heath is at its most beautiful, covered in a light purple carpet of heather.

Read more about the jury's reasoning for including Melby Overdrev in Denmark's Nature Canon here.

Eat gourmet food in an old farmhouse

Recommended by Monique and Martin.

Monique and Martin enjoy visiting the old, red farmhouse Restaurant Tinggården, which combines French country cuisine with local ingredients. In the low-ceilinged rooms, you can eat mackerel and garfish freshly caught from Roskilde Fjord, and the vegetables are picked in Kolsbæk a few kilometres away. You can also stop by Landhandlen, where you can get local goods and homemade morning bread to take home to the cottage. Borrow Monique and Martin's bikes for the restaurant visit.

Go for morning yoga in Lynæs

Recommended by Sidsel and Jesper.

Almost hidden on the North Coast's southeasternmost point, the surfer town of Lynæs nestles. The town is worth a visit for the active family who wants to spend a day windsurfing on the waves. But Sidsel and Jesper also enjoy going there to slow down completely with morning yoga by the beach. In the summer months, you can strengthen flexibility and presence with yoga classes in the open air and with a view of the water at Yogalandskab. It's drop-in, so just show up and bring your own mat.

Find inspiration at Solen, Månen og Stjernerne

Recommended by Line and Eskild.

When Line and Eskild take a break from everyday life in their cottage, they enjoy visiting the eco-village of Dyssekilde. The eco-village is a community for artists and inventive souls, founded on an old potato field. The village is characterised by its creativity, entrepreneurship, and its very special street names, including Solen (Sun), Månen (Moon), and Stjernerne (Stars). At Solen 1, you'll find the bakery Kornsang, while you can take home a bouquet of wild wildflowers from Blomsterfællesskabet at Månen 16.

Stop at roadside stalls and farm shops

*Recommended by Christian and Frode.

Christian and Frode often visit Torup Market, which is open every Saturday on odd weeks from June to October at Dyssekilde Station. From 10 AM to 3 PM, local producers and enthusiasts sell everything from honey from local beehives to fresh vegetables, cuttings, and herbs. Christian and Frode also like to stop at the Piemonte-vognen, where you can get a cold bottle of white wine and delicacies to take home for dinner.