The Seven-Year Lakes in Frederikshåb Plantation

Lakes that do not keep appointments

The Seven-Year Lakes are one of those places where the landscape can deceive expectations. In some years, sheets of water lie between the dunes in Frederikshåb Plantation; in other years, you instead stand by dry lakebeds, scattered trees, and an open, almost savannah-like character.

The name comes from the old observation that the lakes appeared roughly every seventh year. However, this is not a calendar you can plan by. The lakes follow the groundwater level, and even large amounts of rain do not necessarily bring water to the depressions.

Dunes, views, and changing surfaces

When there is water, the place can take on the character of an open lake landscape in the middle of the plantation. If the water rises up toward the open dunes, sand beaches can even appear on the inland heath. When the lakes are gone, the point is different: the empty surfaces make the terrain harsher and easier to read.

The footpath along the dune ridge south of the lakes is the most distinctive way to experience the landscape. It goes up and down through the terrain and provides several views over the lake surfaces, whether they are mirror-like, damp, or completely dry.

Good to know

The Seven-Year Lakes are located in the area “Klitterne” in Frederikshåb Plantation, about 10 kilometers southeast of Billund. The site is part of a Natura 2000 area with inland dunes, heathland, and temporary lakes, where the absence of water can be just as telling as the water itself.