The Heart Trail leads all the way around Karlsgårde Sø, where the route alternates between forest, lakeshore and more hilly stretches. This is not a walk with one single viewpoint as its goal; the experience lies in the rhythm around the water, where the lake appears between trees, thickets and open views.
Along the way there are benches and places where the walk can be broken up, and the area includes a toilet, fire pit and playground. At Tambours Have, the nature playground and covered seating areas are located outside the fence, so a circular walk can become more than just exercise. Thickets and vegetation along the lakeshore make the area valuable for small birds and waterbirds, and there are often many birds on the lake.
The route is described as suitable for, among others, prams, wheelchairs, cycling, running and people with walking difficulties, but it requires a little healthy scepticism in wet weather: the path can become muddy, and boots may be more realistic than smart shoes. Dogs are allowed when kept on a lead. The lake is artificial and shallow, created in connection with Karlsgårdeværket, so the calm surface of the water is also a piece of electricity history in the landscape.
Just outside the gate to Tambours Have is a nature playground with wooden figures and space for free play. It also serves as a practical rest stop on the trip around Karlsgårde Lake.
At the playground there is a large covered fire shelter that can be used freely; you must bring your own firewood. Next to it are covered picnic tables with space for around 40 people, and there is a public accessible toilet in the summer season from 1 April to 31 October.
Karlsgårde Plant gives the Heart Trail a technical sidetrack: Here, water from Holme Å was led through a canal of around 7 km to Karlsgårde Lake, where a drop of about 10 meters drove the turbines.
After the expansion during World War II, the plant was regarded as Denmark's second-largest water-powered electricity plant. Today, the hydroelectric plant and the horseshoe-shaped dam are protected, and the facility stands as a rather concrete reminder of how much landscape had to be moved to produce electricity in a flat area.
Rolandhytten is located by Karlsgårde Lake and is first and foremost a camp and rental hut for scouts, FDF groups, and other youth organizations. It is also used as a local activity venue during Karlsgårde Day, where the area around the lake can accommodate campfires, nature interpretation, and canoe activities.
The current hut replaced an older Rolandhytten from 1957 and was built on the same site in 2015. The location is no coincidence: close to the lake, but also within the lake protection line.
The shelter site is located by Karlsgårde Lake at Bredmosevej and is registered as Åplads ved Karlsgårde Sø. It fits into the peaceful loop around the lake, but is especially practical for those walking farther along the Kyst til Kyst Trail.
There is one shelter here with space for 8-10 people, grass for tents, a toilet, water, fire pits with firewood, and access from the water. The site cannot be booked, so it is first come, first served.
