Ise Fjord ( da, Isefjorden) is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island
Zealand
Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020.
It is the 1 ...
.
From its relatively narrow entrance from the
Kattegat
The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
at
Hundested
Hundested is a town with a population of 8,543 (1 January 2022) and a former municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Hovedstaden in the northern part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark.
The former municipality is ...
and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern part of Zealand into the peninsulas of Odsherred,
Hornsherred
Hornsherred () is a peninsula between Roskilde Fjord and Isefjord on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark.
It falls within the expanded Frederikssund municipality and includes Jægerspris and Skibby and before 1 January 2007 a part of Bramsn ...
, and
Nordsjælland
North Zealand, also North Sealand ( da, Nordsjælland), refers to the northern part of the Danish island of Zealand which is not clearly defined but generally covers the area north of Copenhagen. The Danish tourist authorities have recently in ...
.
Some branches have names of their own, such as
Roskilde Fjord
Roskilde Fjord is the fjord north of Roskilde, Denmark. It is a long branch of the Isefjord.
Cities
The cities Frederiksværk, Frederikssund, Jægerspris, Jyllinge and Roskilde (including Himmelev), (home to the famous Roskilde Festival), all ...
which joins Ise Fjord proper close to its northern end, Lejre Vig in
Lejre Municipality
Lejre Municipality is a municipality in Region Zealand.
The current municipality was established on 1 January 2007 as a result of ''Kommunalreformen'' ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), merging the former Lejre Municipality with Bramsnæs Mun ...
just west of Roskilde harbor,
Holbæk Fjord
Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Lammefjord The Lammefjord is a polder in Denmark at the base of the Odsherred peninsula. Previously a deeply branched arm of the sea leading west from the Isefjord, most of it is now reclaimed as agricultural land. The eastern third, outside the dyke at Avde ...
and Sidinge Fjord at the west. The depth of the water in the fjord averages 5 to 7 meters, the deepest areas being those on the western side of
Orø
Orø is a small island in Denmark located in the Isefjord.
It covers and has a population of 893 ().
Administratively the island belongs to Holbæk Municipality.
There are four villages on Orø: Bybjerg, the largest village on the island ...
. Salinity is from 1.6 to 2.2%.
Flora
The banks of Ise Fjord are full of interesting flowers and plants. The river valley of Ejby north of
Roskilde
Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
near Ise Fjord is a nature reserve with many rare plants.
The Ise Fjord workshop
Ise Fjord is also remembered for its 15th-century artists who decorated many of the region's churches with
frescoes
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster ...
(''kalkmalerier'') depicting stories from the Old and New Testaments. A good example is Tuse Church near
Holbæk
Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Tuse Kirke from DAC's Værkleksikon. In Danish. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
Gallery
File:Hundested.jpg, Hundested at the mouth of the fjord
File:Tuse-Kirke Kalkmalerier.jpg, Murals in Tuse Church