290 mForest Day in Gulddalslund
Takes place in Gulddalslund and shows the forest with activities, campfire cooking, aquatic animals, and a family outing around Lake Ålling.
Gulddalslund Plantation is a young forest north of Skovlund, where the walk quickly offers more than just trees and gravel underfoot. The paths wind through the plantation, and inside the forest lies Børges Lake with a fire shelter close to the water. This makes the place suitable for a short everyday walk, a packed lunch sheltered from the wind, or a longer outing where the forest does not need to be the only destination.
The plantation adjoins Ålling Lake, which is privately owned, but according to VisitDenmark there is access via a prepared path around the lake. Here, the experience changes from plantation to low-lying, damp lake nature with reed beds along the shore. On the eastern side there is a birdwatching tower where birdlife can be observed without having to get all the way down to the water’s edge.
The paths are only sparsely marked, so it is an advantage to get your bearings a little before setting out or to follow your route along the way. According to local information, the area is not suitable for wheelchairs, people with walking difficulties or prams, and there is no toilet in or near the plantation. The practical facilities are simple, but the combination of young forest, a small lake, a fire shelter and onward access to Ålling Lake gives the walk a distinct local character.
Ålling Lake lies directly next to Gulddalslund Plantation and is protected. The lake is private, but there is public access via a built path around it; the loop is just under two kilometers.
On the eastern side stands a birdwatching tower, where you can look out over the bird life without going down to the shore. Black-necked grebe has been observed breeding here, and from September to January black sun may occur if flocks of birds gather over the lake.
On All Hallows’ Eve, 31 October 2020, Gulddalslund Plantation was used in a rather unconventional way: as a drive-in Halloween venue. The idea arose spontaneously locally, and surprisingly many cars drove through the forest.
The format made the darkness part of the setting, while keeping the children in the safe surroundings of the car. The following year, the event was repeated, and in 2021, 141 cars were counted in one hour. More about the event can be found under Drive-in Halloween in Gulddalslund Plantation.
