Himmelbjerget ("The Sky Mountain" or "The Mountain of Heaven") is a

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...

located between Ry and

Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Danish town with a population of 49,747 (1 January 2022).Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

in the area known as Søhøjlandet. With a height of 147 m (482 ft), Himmelbjerget is one of the highest natural points in the Danish landscape. The hill and surrounding area has been a centre for various gatherings and celebrations for more than 200 years and in 1875, a red brick tower was erected at the top.

Height and prominence

Himmelbjerget was believed to be the highest natural point in Denmark until 1847, when Ejer Bavnehøj was measured as the highest point. Following a scientific survey in 2005, Møllehøj was established as the highest natural point, at 170.86 m; Himmelbjerget is now ranked fourth-highest behind Møllehøj, Yding Skovhøj and Ejer Bavnehøj. However, when it comes to the size of the slope and the

topographical prominence In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...

(aka peak factor), Himmelbjerget is much more impressive than the other three: there is a height difference of 121 m from the lake below to the top of the hill, which is remarkable by Danish standards. An amusing detail is the sign "to the boat" at the peak.

Historic importance

Himmelbjerget grew to fame in Denmark during the 19th century, as people gathered here to admire the magnificent views and celebrate the birth of the Danish

nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...

. On top of the hill is a 25.1 m tall tower, that was erected in 1875 to honour King

Frederik VII Frederick VII (Frederik Carl Christian; 6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last king of Denmark to rule as an ...

and his role in giving the Danish people the country's first

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princip ...

in 1849, thereby ending the preceding era of

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constituti ...

. Close to the top are more monuments, most honouring individuals, but also one to commemorate women's right to vote in 1915. In those days, several steamboats began ferrying visitors back and forth to Himmelbjerget, from various destinations across Julsø and The Silkeborg Lakes. This tradition is still alive and the historic steamship ''

Hjejlen SS ''Hjejlen'' ( Danish for ''The Golden Plover'') is one of the world's oldest operational paddle steamers, built in 1861 by Baumgarten & Burmeister, commissioned by a group of citizens headed by paper manufacturer Michael Drewsen. She is us ...

'' ("The Golden Plover"), carries passengers here from the towns of Ry and

Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Danish town with a population of 49,747 (1 January 2022).hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

routes in the larger area of Søhøjlandet and the major route of Hiking Route Aarhus-Silkeborg, is passing through the area of Himmelbjerget. There are also plenty of opportunity to small scale hiking experiences on and around the hill itself.Himmelbjerget, Sletten and Slåensø
The Nature Agency. A pamphlet on hiking in the area. File:Himmerbjerget ved Silkeborg.JPG, The red brick tower on the hill top. Image:Lake Julsø from Himmelbjerget 2017-08-19 1.jpg, The view from Himmelbjerget to Julsø. Image:Himmelbjerget 2005 (edit).jpg, Himmelbjerget with the steam ship

in the foreground.

References

Sources

Himmelbjerget
Tårnkomitéen (English: ''the tower committee''). Official homepage in English.
Himmelbjerget - not the tallest but the most beautiful
The Nature Agency.

External links

Danskebjerge.dk
Himmelbjerget
Tårnkomitéen.
Hiking Route Aarhus-Silkeborg
Århus Amt
Himmelbjerget, Sletten and Slåensø
The Nature Agency. A pamphlet on hiking in the area. {{Authority control Skanderborg Municipality Hills of Denmark

Height and prominence

Historic importance

See also

References

Sources

External links