Silkeborg () is a Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas, area and population density
The Mobile Statbank from

Statistics Denmark Statistics Denmark () is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Housing, reporting to the Minister of Economic and Internal Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating statistics on the Danish society ...

Silkeborg is the seat of

Silkeborg Municipality Silkeborg Municipality () is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 857.16 km2, and has a population of 101,574 (1. January 2025). Its may ...

, with a population of 101,574 as of 2025. Silkeborg is located in the middle of the

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

ic peninsula, slightly west of the geographical centre of

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. The city is situated on the Gudenå River in the hilly and lush landscape of

Søhøjlandet Søhøjlandet (English: ''The Lake-highland'') is the highest lying region in Denmark and at the same time, it has the highest density of lakes.Ry that are linked by the

Gudenå The Gudenå or Gudenåen (), is Denmark's longest river and runs through the central parts of the Jutlandic peninsula. An anglicized version of the name often seen is 'The River Guden'. The Gudenåen has its spring in Tinnet Krat, Vejle Municip ...

, are known collectively as ''Silkeborgsøerne'' (the Silkeborg lakes). The city is divided along an east–west axis by the lake of Silkeborg Langsø, which at the eastern side of the city, flows into the Gudenå River. __TOC__

History

Silkeborg was the site of a castle, a monastery and a farming estate, established in the 15th century, some 6 km from Alling Abbey. The modern town grew around the Drewsen og Sønner

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

, established in 1844. Silkeborg Papirfabrik (Silkeborg Paper mill) was located near the

River where Silkeborg castle once stood, in order to exploit the river as a source of energy for the mill, as a resource for paper production and as a means of transport. Michael Drewsen, regarded as the founder of the city, was responsible for the daily management of the mill. A statue of Michael Drewsen now stands in front of the old city hall in the town square. A commission to establish Silkeborg as a trading centre was set up in 1845, and the site grew into a small settlement, from a population of 30 in 1844 to 556 in 1850 and to 1,204 in 1855. The City Council and the Parish were both established in 1855. The railway was built in 1871. Silkeborg was given the status of

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

(''købstad'') in 1900. The population was recorded as being 7,228 in 1901, and 8,792 in 1911. During the German occupation of Denmark, the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

turned the Silkeborg Bad (Silkeborg Baths), which had until then served as the municipal sanatorium, into its Danish headquarters. The remnants of German bunkers can still be seen today, and one of these bunkers is now a public museum.

Geography

Silkeborg is located in the region known as

Søhøjlandet Søhøjlandet (English: ''The Lake-highland'') is the highest lying region in Denmark and at the same time, it has the highest density of lakes.Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

. The landscape consists mostly of lakes, extensive woodlands (such as the Silkeborg Forests) and some of the highest points in Denmark, including Himmelbjerget. It is also one of the most expensive areas in Denmark in which to live, and the neighbouring village of Sejs is known for its particularly large mansions and lakeside villas at Brassø.

Economy

For many years the paper mill (Silkeborg Papirfabrik) was the most prominent business in the city, but during the 1990s it suffered financial difficulties. In 1993, the German corporation, Drewsen Spezialpapiere, bought the mill, but in 2000 decided to close it. An urban renewal project turned the industrial area closest to the city centre partly into a new commercial district with a hotel, a cinema, a concert hall, restaurants and cafés; and partly into a new residential neighbourhood with modern apartment buildings. The city has a large number of car dealerships, and is also the headquarters of Jyske Bank, Denmark's third-largest bank.

Main sights

* Silkeborg Museum: The oldest preserved building in the city is Silkeborg Manor, constructed in 1767. This building is now Silkeborg Museum where the naturally mummified corpse of the Tollund man, who lived during the 4th century BC, is on display. * City square: The old city square (Torvet) is the centre of Silkeborg and is together with the surrounding streets a pedestrian area. The city square is surrounded by the Hotel Dania (Silkeborg's oldest hotel, founded in 1848), the Old Town Hall, and the city church (Silkeborg Kirke). On the city square, there are two fountains and the bronze statue of Michael Drewsen, the founder of Silkeborg. On Saturdays, the square hosts the city's weekly market. * Hjejlen: The world's oldest

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

Hjejlen is one of the tour boats that take off from Silkeborg harbor. * Aqua: The freshwater aquarium Aqua is one of the region's best-visited sights. In the indoor aquarium and outdoor animal park, fish and animals characteristic of Danish wildlife are on show to locals and visitors alike; the main attractions being fish, birds, otters, beavers and racoons. * Museum Jorn: Silkeborg was the home city of

COBRA COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...

painter

Asger Jorn Asger Oluf Jorn (3 March 1914 – 1 May 1973) was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International. The largest collection of Jorn's works� ...

, and many of his most famous paintings can be seen at the museum named for him. * Silkeborg Bad: The former sanatorium, Silkeborg Bad served as headquarters for the Nazi German

during World War II. A Bunker Museum is now located in the park and in the old sanatorium buildings houses an art museum. Many of the museum's sculptures can also be seen in the park for free. The natural spring, Arnakkekilden, is located in the park next to Lake Ørnsø. Danish brewery

Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to: Places * Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark ** Carlsberg station, its train station * Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany * Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses * Carlsbe ...

has used the water for bottled spring water for many years. * Himmelbjerget: The third highest point in Denmark is called Himmelbjerget and is not exactly located in the city, in fact not even in Silkeborg County. However, it remains a sight closely linked to the city as tour boats all summer depart from Silkeborg Harbour. * Lake fountains: The fountains in Silkeborg Langsø are among the largest in northern Europe and are a landmark of the city. Constructed in 1970 the fountains are actually built into the lake in front of City Hall. The fountains have a magnificent light show and after dark the water cascades change colour. The colour change is programmed to last 30–40 minutes. * Indelukket: The marina and recreation area Indelukket is located close to Museum Jorn, and is a popular spot for social gatherings over the summer months. There is a park, a restaurant and Denmark's oldest miniature golf course.

Yearly events

* The SCC country music festival has been an annual event since 1986. The festival takes place in Indelukket during the second weekend of August. * The Riverboat Jazz Festival takes place the last weekend of June every year. The festival is not connected with a single location, but instead various stages can be found around the city, most prominently at the harbour and the city square. * Hede Rytmer (English: Hot rhythms) is an annual rock and pop festival held in Indelukket at the beginning of the summer. In 2011 Boney M.,

10CC 10cc are an English rock music, rock band formed in Stockport, southeast of Manchester, in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians, Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who had written and recorded togethe ...

and The Orchestra, the former

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangement ...

played at the 3-day festival. * Silkeborg Reggae Festival, also known as Raggapak, was a reggae festival.

Regatta

Since 1899 Silkeborg has hosted an event called "Ildfestregatta", which means "fire party

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...

". The event is held once every three years. During the regatta the city streets are closed to traffic in the evening, becoming temporary venues where live music is performed, merchandise is sold from stalls, and an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

operates. The houses next to the

River are decorated with colourful lamps, as are the many boats that enter the port at this time. Hjejlen

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 0:00 p.m., there is an unofficial Danish fireworks championship. Each day, a different company puts on a fireworks display and the winner is announced on Saturday. On Saturday evening, the winner from three years before puts on a major firework show sponsored by the City Council. Nowadays the fireworks are fired from a huge raft on Silkeborg Lake just next to City Hall, however, in years gone by, the show was done from the roof of the old paper mill.

Sports

The two most popular sports in Silkeborg are football and handball. The city's professional football team, Silkeborg IF, play in Danish football's highest league, the

Danish Superliga The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...

. The team has won the League Trophy once, in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

; the

Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

; and the

UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

. Silkeborg IF plays its home matches at Silkeborg Stadion, renamed Mascot Park after the company

Mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

, a textiles manufacturer, which bought the rights to the stadium name. It is located close to the city centre and has a capacity of 10,000 people. Silkeborg's professional handball team is BSV (named after the three towns of

Bjerringbro Bjerringbro is a railway town located at the Langå-Struer Line, railway line between Viborg, Denmark, Viborg and Randers and lying on both sides of the Gudenå (''River Guden''). Until 1 January 2007 it was the municipal seat of the former Bjerr ...

, Silkeborg, and Voel). The team is a part of the

Danish Handball League The Herreligaen (men's league), formerly known as Herrehåndboldligaen (men's handball league), is the men's top Danish professional handball league. The winners of the Herreligaen are recognised as the Danish men's handball champions. The curr ...

, and plays its home matches at Jysk Arena, previously known Silkeborg Hallerne, a sports centre northeast of the city centre. The ladies handball team Silkeborg-Voel usually plays its home matches at Voel Hallerne about 10 km from Silkeborg. The motor racing circuit Jyllands-Ringen is located about 5 km east of the city centre, in Resenbro. The circuit is 2.3 km long and was a part of the DTC, (

Danish Touringcar Championship The Danish Touringcar Championship (abbreviated as the DTC) was a touring car racing series in Denmark. The inaugural year for the DTC was 1999, after the huge success in Scandinavia of the British Touring Car Championship. For the first two years ...

) and currently a part of the TCR Scandinavia Touring Car Championship and the TCR Denmark Touring Car Series. Silkeborg IF Cykling is a cycling club based in Silkeborg. In 2004, the club created an élite amateur team, called Team Designa Køkken. Its biggest accomplishment came in 2008 when rider

Jakob Fuglsang Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (born 22 March 1985) is a Danish professional road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI ProSeries, UCI ProTeam . Before turning professional for , he was a mountain biker racing for Team Cannondale–Vredestein, winning the Und ...

won Danmark Rundt (i.e. The Tour of Denmark). Silkeborg has a ski resort, with natural snow in winter, and also a nylon track that allows for year-round skiing. The ski resort is located in Gjern about 15 km from the city centre. In March 2019, Silkeborg hosted the World Women's

Curling Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...

Championships.

Media

Silkeborg is served by two media outlets; a newspaper and a radio station. The oldest of the two is the daily newspaper '' Midtjyllands Avis'' founded in 1857 as ''Silkeborg Avis''. It is the sixth oldest newspaper in Denmark and was founded when the town of Silkeborg had only existed for 11 years. For many years the paper had its own paper press, but now it is printed at

Jyllands-Posten (; English: ''The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"''), commonly shortened to or ''JP'', is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Aarhus C, Jutland, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies.Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

Herning Herning () is a Denmark, Danish town in the Central Denmark Region of the Jutland peninsula. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Herning Municipality. Herning has a population of 51,782 (1 January 2025)

Horsens Horsens () is a city on the east coast of the Jutland region of Denmark. It is the seat of the Horsens municipality. The city's population is 64,418 (1 January 2025) and the municipality's population is 97,921 (), making it the List of cities and ...

Randers Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().Viborg. A new motorway was completed in September 2016 connecting Silkeborg to Aarhus and Herning. Regional buses to the surrounding cities depart from the train station. Local public transport includes 12 local bus routes serving the city centre and suburbs. * Rail: The main station, Silkeborg railway station, is on the railway line between Aarhus and Herning, with services currently operated by GoCollective. The former railway connections to , and were closed in the 1960s, meaning the city has been left with eastward and westward trains only. * Water: The

River was for many years an important transport link for passengers and cargo, but passenger transport along the river is now only available for tourists during the summer. * Airport: Midtjyllands Lufthavn (Karup Airport) is the closest airport, located 40 km North West of the city. The airport offers several daily flights to the Danish capital,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Notable people

Arts

* Lau Lauritzen Sr. (1878–1938), film director, screenwriter and actor in the silent film era * Astrid Aagesen (1883–1965) Danish-Swedish designer, crafted objects from pewter and silver * Harald Madsen (1890–1949), variety artist and film actor in popular Danish silent films * Søren Hjorth Nielsen (1901–1983), painter and illustrator * Erik Raadal (1905–1941), landscape painter *

(1914–1973), painter, sculptor and ceramic artist; his major painting ''

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

'' is in the Museum Jorn, Silkeborg * Bodil Kaalund (1930–2016), award-winning painter, textile artist and writer * Don Powell (born 1946), drummer with 1970s English rock band

Slade Slade are a rock band formed in Wolverhampton, England in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The '' British Hit Singl ...

, resides here with his Danish wife Hanna * Jesper Asholt (born 1960), actor * Maibritt Saerens (born 1970), actress *

Simon Kvamm Simon Kvamm (born 18 February 1975 in Silkeborg) is a Danish actor and singer. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Danish rock band Nephew, where he is the lead vocalist and keyboard player. He is also well known for his act ...

(born 1975), Danish–Faroese actor and singer * Rune Klan (born 1976), comedian and magician * Ole Tøpholm (born 1977), radio host, known for his coverage of the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

* Mads Mathias (born 1981), singer, saxophonist and songwriter * Esben Bjerre Hansen (born 1987), radio and television host * Martin Jensen (born 1991), DJ and record producer *

Alphabeat Alphabeat are a Danish pop band from Silkeborg, fronted by singers Stine Bramsen and Anders Stig Gehrt Nielsen. Their single " Fascination" was a major hit in Denmark during the summer of 2006, as well as the United Kingdom in 2008. Their 2007 ...

(formed 2006), pop band

Public service, business and science

* Theodora Lang (1855–1935), pioneer in women's education, founded Th. Lang's School in Silkeborg * Peter Sabroe (1867–1913), journalist, politician and children's rights advocate * Johannes Fibiger (1867–1928), physician and professor of

anatomical pathology Anatomical pathology (''Commonwealth'') or anatomic pathology (''U.S.'') is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical, immunologic and molecular examination ...

, won the 1926

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...

, but the basis of his prize was subsequently disproved * Peter Esben-Petersen (1869–1942),

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

, studied

Neuroptera The insect order (biology), order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera (alderflies, f ...

* Poul Ib Gjessing (1909–1944), sea captain and member of the Danish resistance to Nazi occupation * Lars Larsen (1948–2019), businessman, owner and founder of the Jysk retail chain, lived in Silkeborg from 1982 * Marie Jepsen (1940–2018), member of the European Parliament

Sport

Jesper Skibby Jesper Skibby (born 21 March 1964 in Silkeborg, Denmark) is a retired professional road racing cyclist. He won at least one stage at each of the major tours. He was one of the most popular in Denmark, not only because of his talent, but also bec ...

(born 1964), former professional road bicycle racer *

Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won fifteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1997 he also b ...

(born 1971), professional golfer * Eskild Ebbesen (born 1972), lightweight rower, has won five Olympic medals (three gold); Danish team flag bearer at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

* Peter Sørensen (born 1973), footballer, played 209 games for Silkeborg IF, also served as manager *

Lars Bak Lars Ytting Bak (born 16 January 1980) is a Danish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2019 for the Fakta, , , , and squads. Since retiring as a rider, Bak has acted as a directeur sportif for in ...

(born 1980), professional road bicycle racer * Nicolas Dalby (born 1984), mixed martial artist * Annika Langvad (born 1984), cross-country mountain biker, Women's Cross-Country World Champion * Martin Ørnskov (born 1985), footballer with over 350 club caps, captain at Lyngby BK * Patrick Kristensen (born 1987), footballer, over 280 club caps with

AaB Fodbold AaB, (full name: ''Aalborg Boldspilklub'', ) internationally referred to as Aalborg BK, commonly known internationally as Aalborg BK and occasionally referred to as AaB Aalborg, is a professional football club based in Aalborg, Denmark. The club ...

* Morten Ørum Madsen (born 1988), professional golfer * Simon Jakobsen (born 1990), footballer, over 200 club caps with Silkeborg IF * Ida Bobach (born 1991), orienteering competitor, Junior World Champion in 2009 * Kasper Dolberg (born 1997), professional footballer, 17 caps for

* Emma Norsgaard (born 1999), professional road bicycle racer

In popular culture

* In the 1973 film '' The Day of the Jackal'', the main character dons a number of aliases throughout the story. One of them is a Danish schoolteacher named Per Lundqvist, who claims to hail from the town of Silkeborg. * In the opening episode of the sixth series of '' Parks and Recreation'' Heidi Klum's character receives an award for women in government, representing Silkeborg. * Inspired by an Asger Jorn print in a band member's home in Dublin, Ireland, Silkeborg is now also the name of an Irish band

Twin towns – sister cities

Silkeborg terminated all its twinnings in 2016.

References

External links

Official municipality website

www.silkeborg.com
– tourist information
Hjejlen.com

Byopgørelsen (inhabitants cities) latest publications

Museum Jorn, Silkeborg
{{Authority control Cities and towns in the Central Denmark Region Municipal seats of the Central Denmark Region Municipal seats of Denmark Silkeborg Municipality