Guided hikes

Join us on a guided hike through the beautiful Esrum Ådal valley, where water has shaped both the landscape and people’s lives for centuries. We follow the water’s paths from the sacred spring through the wet meadows that are teeming with life and on towards Esrum Lake, from where the water has found its way up to the monastery and the King’s watermill through the ages.

Along the way, our guide will tell you about the many connections between people and water in the area – from medieval monks harnessing the power of water to the landscape and nature that still bear traces of 900 years of history.

The hike ends at Esrum Watermill, where a well-deserved, refreshing Esrum Kloster beer or apple juice awaits. Here you can also experience the watermill in operation when the mill guild opens the water and starts the big cogwheel.

Our guided walks are primarily aimed at an adult audience.

Practical information

• The tour is approx. 4.5 km long

• Duration: approx. 2 hours at a leisurely pace

• Meeting point: In front of Klosterbutikken at Møllegården

• Closing: In Esrum Water Mill

• Refreshment: Esrum Kloster beer or apple juice included

• At 13:30 the water mill is started by our mill guild

• After the hike there is about 1 hour to experience the watermill

• Combine the hike with a visit to the exhibition at Esrum Abbey

In the Middle Ages, pilgrims traveled across Europe on their way to holy sites. Along the routes, a network of roads emerged that connected monasteries, hospitals and hostels where travelers could find shelter, food and fellowship. Along the way, people from many regions met, shared stories and exchanged thoughts and news from the world around them.

Pilgrimages weren’t just a journey to a destination – they were also a way of being in the world. Walking day after day created time for reflection, conversation and new perspectives.

Even today, many people choose to go on pilgrimage. Some seek silence and peace in nature, others seek community or a break from a busy life. In a world where we often rush from A to B, a pilgrimage can be a small space where the pace slows down and there is room for nature, presence and reflection along the way.

And Esrum Monastery is the perfect place to lace up your hiking boots. In the Middle Ages, monasteries were important stops on pilgrims’ routes – places where you could find shelter, a meal and maybe a word along the way. Today, the monastery is still located in the middle of the landscape that has been the setting for centuries for walks, silence and reflection – between the forest, the lake and the old roads through North Zealand. There is still plenty of space to walk, think and be present along the way.