Sjælsø is a lake straddling the borders between the municipalities of
Rudersdal,
Allerød and
Hørsholm
Hørsholm () is an urban area on the Øresund coast approximately north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It covers most of Hørsholm Municipality and straddles the borders neighbouring Fredensborg Municipality and Rudersdal Municipality.
Hørsholm proper ...
in
North Zealand
North Zealand, also North Sealand (), refers to the northeastern part of the Danish island of Zealand. The Danish tourist authorities have recently introduced the term Danish Riviera to cover the area in view of its increasing importance for to ...
to the north of
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 ...
,
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 ...
. Situated immediately to the north of the suburban town of
Birkerød
Birkerød () is a town in Rudersdal Municipality in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is surrounded by several lakes and small woodlands. Birkerød station is located on the Nordbanen, Hillerød radial of the S-train suburban networ ...
, it is surrounded by a mixture of farmland, pastures and small woodlands.
The lake has an area of 293 hectares and is relatively shallow. It is fed by five minor streams and drains into the
Øresund
Øresund or Öresund (, ; ; ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Denmark–Sweden border, Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width var ...
though
Usserød Å
Usserød Å, the principal drainage of Sjælsø, Sjælsø Lake. is a stream in North Zealand to the north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is approximately 9 kilometres long, drops 18 metres and is joined by Donse Å before itself flowing into Nive Å o ...
. It is owned by Nordvand A/S.
History
The name Sjælsø means "skelsø" and refers to its position on the border between several parishes and
hundreds.
Sjælsø was owned by the crown from 1391 until 1898. It was then sold in public auction to three fishermen whose families owned it until 1932 when it was sold to "Fællesudvalget for vandindvinding ved Sjælsø", a partnership between the municipalities of
Søllerød
Søllerød is a suburban district of Rudersdal Municipality in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. The original village, one of the oldest in the area, is perched on Søllerød Hill on the south side of Søllerød Lake. It merged with ...
,
Lyngby-Taarbæk and
Gentofte
Gentofte () is a district of Gentofte Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Major landmarks include Gentofte Town Hall, Gentofte Hospital and Gentofte Church. Gentofte Lake with surrounding parkland and nature reserves form ...
. The first water works opened at the lake in 1936 and a second one opened in 1962. The latter remained in use until 1998.
[
]
Settlements
Birkerød
Birkerød () is a town in Rudersdal Municipality in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is surrounded by several lakes and small woodlands. Birkerød station is located on the Nordbanen, Hillerød radial of the S-train suburban networ ...
's Kajerød neighbourhood is located just south of the lake. The small town of Ravnsnæs is situated on a small peninsula in the southeastern corner of the lake. The old village of Sjælsmark is located on the north side of the lake. It consists of a few farmhouses located on both sides of the street Landsbyen which extends south from Sjælsmarksvej. One of the farmhouses, Tingstedgård, is a listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. A 200 metres long footpath leads down to the lake from the southern end of the dead end street. The village of Isterød and Næbbegård, a former folk high school, are located to the northeast of the lake.
Surroundings
Sjælsø is located in an undulating marine landscape. Most of the shoreline is open countryside and much of it is protected.
The vast Høvelte-Sandholm military training grounds are located to the west of the lake and were protected in 2000 to preserve one of the largest open landscapes in North Zealand. It has an area of 503 hectares and adjoins the Tokkekøb Hegn woodlands in the north and another protected area in the southwest. The area comprises the two small woods Høvelte Fredskov and Ellebæklund. It also contains the Drabæk Mose bogland and the small lake Carinasøen as well as the streams Ellebæk, Drabæk, Degnebæk and Kajerød which all drain into Sjælsø.
A 500 hectares area to the east of the lake was protected in 2006. The small woodland Nærrebrød Plantage, with 200-year old beech and oak trees, is located directly on the southeastern shores of the lake.
Recreational use
The restaurant Jægershytten, located at the end Bakkevej on the western shores of the lake, is open in the summer months (1 May – 1 October). Swimming in the lake is possible from Sjælsø Strand, a small sandy beach located approximately 200 metres to the southeast of Jægerhytten. Fishing is permitted. Birkerød Sport Fishers' Association owns three boats. Sailing is not permitted without permission from Nordvand A/S.[
]
See also
* Sandholm
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sjaelso
Lakes of Zealand
Allerød Municipality
Hørsholm Municipality
Rudersdal Municipality