Vacation along Gudenåen

Canoe trip on the Gudenå River - a "royal" tour
Overnight stay with a hike along the Gudenå River, passing by the royal grave "Høj Stene" to Kongensbro Kro (inn).
- A two-day mini-vacation where we have arranged accommodation and activities -
Ask us about it.

"Slow down"
Mini-vacation with unique experiences, physical activity, and mental relaxation.
Picnic at the Vintage Car Meet, hiking on the Towpath, visit to the Energy Museum, canoe trip on the Gudenå River.
- A three-day mini-vacation where we have arranged accommodation and activities -

Tange Lake
Denmark's largest artificial lake, constructed from 1918 to 1921 in connection with the construction of the Tange Power Plant.
It is approximately 13 kilometers long and receives water from the Gudenå River, Borre Stream, and Tange Stream.


Gudenå Power Station
With turbines that have been producing electricity since 1921.
gudenaacentralen.dk

Energy Museum
Knowledge - Experiences - Excitement.
The museum's exhibition area covers a total of 15,000 square meters and is located in a fantastic natural area around the Gudenå River and Tange Lake.
Energimuseet.dk

Høj Stene
One of Northern Europe's largest monumental ship settings was found near the Gudenå River.
Moesgaard Museum

Bjerringbro
Positivity, community, and international outlook.
The town was founded in 1863 around Bjerringbro Mill. The town has 7,551 inhabitants.
You can find the groups "Badeklubben Hop i åen" (Bathing Club Jump in the River) and "Gudenådalens Veterantræf" (Gudenå Valley Veteran Car Meet) on Facebook.
Bjerringbroby.dk

Gudenådalens Museum
With replicas of the Mammen finds, a thousand-year-old axe and two drinking horns, artifacts from the presumed grave of a Viking chieftain excavated 150 years ago.
Gudenådalens-museum.dk

Bjerringbro Sports and Cultural Center
Visit, among other things, the swimming pool, sauna & spa, and café.
Bjerringbroip.dk

Niels Due Jensen Square
Niels Due Jensen Square in the center of Bjerringbro is a long park that connects Gudenåhuset and the town's shops. The park is equipped with plenty of water features and good seating and activity options.

Outdoor Bjerringbro
Canoe rental, camping site, and mountain bike rental.
Natouren.dk

Bjerringbro and Surroundings Sports Fishing Association
Fishing permits, activity calendar, catch reports, weather forecast, and water level information for the Gudenå River.
Bjerringbro and Surroundings Sports Fishing Association

Kjællinghøl
In the Middle Ages, there was a large castle at Kjællinghøl, and today you can clearly see the location of the castle mounds down towards the Gudenå River.
Kjællinghøl Historical Workshop is a nature school with a replica of a longhouse from the 6th century, built in 2002.
Shelters can be found by the Gudenå River.
Kjællinghøl

Lidt om Bjerringbro og dens historie
Written by Else Krarup-Pedersen for a meeting in 2022

The Gudenå River running through the town has always been significant for the area - the historical account starts here. Denmark's longest watercourse, approximately 160 km long from its source in Tinnet near Tørring to Randers Fjord.
The river was important in the past, but barge transportation had its heyday in the 19th century. In the 1840s, there were at least 80 large barges and an unknown number of smaller ones.
When barge transportation was at its peak, the railway arrived in the area.
The "Kågen," which was a flat-bottomed barge, was used to transport goods from Randers to Silkeborg and vice versa. The first stretch from Randers to Bjerringbro was pulled by strong men known as barge pullers.
From Bjerringbro to Silkeborg, where the current became stronger, powerful horses took over. The return trip to Randers was easier with the current.
At the Energy Museum, you can see an old Kåg.
The Kåg people were a free and sometimes violent community. They stopped at the many inns along the way (including Fladbro, Ans, Kongensbro, Tvillum). At that time, a cup of coffee cost 12 øre, and snaps was served ad libitum.
Wherever the barge pullers or horses went, a towpath was created along the river. The path still exists, more or less passable, and is frequently used by hikers.
The A.P. Møller Foundation has just donated 15 million, so if all goes according to plan, a connected path system along the Gudenå River can be inaugurated in 2025.
The local path is heavily used today. There are several bridges where the river can be crossed.
Engbroen - Møllebækbroen - Kjællinghølbroen, as well as the road bridges at Brogade and Ringvejen.

The Miller in Bjerring
Before 1868, there was no place called Bjerringbro, only small villages like Bjerring, Hjermind, and Gullev.
The miller in Bjerring, Mogens Christensen, was a enterprising man.
In 1838, he built a wooden bridge over the river (Bjerring Møllebro) so that he could also reach customers south of the river and access the loading area for barge transportation. A memorial stone for Mogens Christensen stands by the Gudenå River.
The miller acquired land along the Gudenå River, 150 tønder land, and expanded his mill, which ground grain, with a windmill. It also housed a combined store, inn, later a warehouse and main building.
St. St. Blicher often visited the mill during his travels from Spenstrup-Thorning.
The miller passed away in 1867. Several millers continued the mill's operation until 1971.
Since then, the mill has been a residence for a family, previously with a sports store.

In 1938, the county council granted a new bridge because the old wooden bridge could only bear a maximum of 4 tons. People had to get off the bus and walk across.
In the summer of 1859, Hans Christian Andersen visited the rectory in Hjermind. A memorial stone stands there to commemorate the visit. Along the way, he wrote "Jylland mellem tvende have" ("Jutland between two seas"). "Skynd dig kom om føje år heden som en kornmark står" ("Hurry, come a few years, the heath will stand like a cornfield"), and "Mellem rige bøndergårde snart dampdragen flyve vil" ("Between rich farmhouses, the steam dragon will soon fly").
In 1863, the railway arrived, and a station was placed by the existing bridge over the Gudenå River and the five houses, now called "Bjerringbro Møllebro" ("Bjerringbro Mill Bridge").
In 1869, the station was named Bjerringbro, and thus, the enterprising miller indirectly contributed to the establishment of a station and later a town.
The railway became a competitor to barge transportation on the Gudenå River. In 1930, it was still possible to see a few barges, but a few years later, canoeists started using the river.
In the summer season today, many people sail in canoes and stay overnight in Bjerringbro. The trip from Tange Power Station to Bjerringbro or Ulstrup is a great experience.
Population development in Bjerringbro:
1888-1913: population increased from 100 to 700.
1913-1938: population increased to 2,069.
1938-1963: population increased from 3,780 - 6 newspapers, 10 grocery stores.
Today: approximately 7,500 residents.

Bjerringbro is divided by the river into the northern district and the southern "Sønderbro" district.

In Bjerringbro, handball is played. In 1994, KFUM's men's team advanced to the 1st division for the first time, marking the beginning of professional handball in Bjerringbro.
There is a rich recreational life with over 200 associations. Many volunteers do tremendous work.
A cultural festival where many associations contribute/present themselves takes place for 10 days in June.
In 1993, an Art Festival was held in Bjerringbro. A large tent was set up in the square, and the multi-artist Jens Jørgen Thorsen was hired to decorate it. However, the decoration surprised the organizers because Thorsen poured 4 liters of yellow paint followed by 4 liters of red paint over the tent canvas.
The mayor and the chairman of the art association wore leopard pants to match the artist, who, however, appeared in pajama pants that day. When he started working, he stood in his underwear but kept his underpants on.
The festival was supposed to last for 2 weeks, but Thorsen was expelled from the town - revealed as a trickster and media clown. The major national media outlets discovered that something was happening in Bjerringbro, which led to an increased influx of tourists, so something succeeded.

Town of the Year in 2005.
In 2013, Bjerringbro celebrated its 150th anniversary. It was celebrated with, among other things, a visit from the Queen. She was to be offered lunch, but where could it take place? The formerly prestigious Madsens Hotel in the pedestrian street was closed but reopened, repaired, and cleaned for the occasion.
The Queen walked down to the river and saw the beautiful sun and water staircase that had been established there.
Since then, many things have happened around the river. Work is being done on a wilderness bath, toilets and changing rooms, sauna, picnic area, nature playground, outdoor fitness, and more.

Grundfos startede i Poul Due Jensens kælder i 1945 og har betydet utroligt meget for byens udvikling og har givet tilskud til mange ting bl.a. vores dejlige idrætsanlæg med svømmehal fra 1995 og senest bymidten med Niels Due Jensens plads.

In the middle of Bjerringbro lies Gudenåhuset, which includes a library, cafe, cinema, as well as meeting rooms, exhibition spaces, and local history facilities.

Bjerringbro Church was constructed in 1919. Bjerringbro Gymnasium, the smallest high school in the country, was established in 1979 and is located south of the river.

Nørgaards Højskole relocated from Hadsten to Bjerringbro in 1972. It is one of the largest folk high schools in the country, accommodating around 125 students and offering approximately 60 short courses annually. The school features a prominent troll sculpture as a focal point, named Gudar, created by local stone artist Jørgen Glud.

The story of Gudar revolves around a young man who fell in love with Gudar's beautiful daughter. As he was not allowed to marry her, the young man decided to kidnap his beloved. This angered the father (the troll Gudar) so much that he threw a giant rock at the young couple. However, the rock did not hit them but instead carved through the landscape, creating the Gudenå Valley.