Skelsnæs Pavilion in Søholt Storskov

A lakeside hideaway in the Maribo woodlands

Skelsnæs Pavilion sits almost secretly in Søholt Storskov, on a narrow peninsula projecting into Søndersø, the largest of the Maribo Lakes. The small, elegant building appears at the end of forest paths, framed by tall trees and filtered light. Around it, the shoreline curves gently, with reeds, water lilies and shifting reflections giving the place an almost painterly calm. Although the wider Maribo Lakes Nature Park feels expansive, the immediate atmosphere at Skelsnæs is intimate. The pavilion is modest in scale, but its position right at the edge of the water makes it a natural focal point. Benches, grass and flat rocks nearby invite you to pause, unpack a picnic or simply sit and listen to the soft lap of water against the shore.

Golden Age elegance from the Søholt estate

The pavilion belongs to the historic landscape created by the Søholt manor, whose baroque gardens and English-style park extend from the main house down towards the lake. Skelsnæs was envisaged as a romantic destination within this designed landscape: a place where the owners and their guests could stroll, take in views of the lake and enjoy the fashion for picturesque garden architecture. Architecturally, the building reflects the taste of Denmark’s Golden Age, with light proportions, generous windows and a sense of refined leisure. It reads more like an ornament in the landscape than a conventional house. Standing here, it is easy to imagine 19th‑century walks from the manor, ending in tea, conversation and perhaps music while the sun sank over the water.

Forest paths, water routes and quiet detours

Today, the pavilion is a highlight on the marked hiking route through Søholt Storskov, a roughly 9.5 km loop that can also be shortened by turning back at Skelsnæs. The forest itself is varied and biodiverse, with old trees, understory clearings and glimpses of both Søndersø and nearby Hejrede Lake along the way. Paths are mostly wide and easy, making this an accessible taste of the nature park. The peninsula is also approached from the water. In season, the tour boat Anemonen sometimes lands at Skelsnæs on special trips, letting passengers step ashore for a short visit to the pavilion before continuing among the islands. Arriving this way underlines how closely the site is tied to the lakescape, with the building acting almost like a small belvedere between forest and open water.

Birdlife, seasons and shifting moods

The Maribo Lakes are renowned for their birdlife, including white‑tailed eagles, ospreys, herons, grebes, swans and a host of waterfowl. From around the pavilion, the mix of open views and reedbeds offers good chances to scan the sky and water. Binoculars add a lot, but even without them you may notice soaring silhouettes or the sudden, powerful wingbeats of an eagle crossing the lake. Each season gives Skelsnæs a different character. In spring, fresh foliage and birdsong dominate the soundscape; in high summer the forest canopy is deep green and the water invitingly blue. Autumn brings colour to beech and oak, with misty mornings lending the pavilion a slightly mysterious air. Even on calm winter days, when trees are bare and ice may fringe the lake, the building stands out as a solitary, almost graphic form.

A contemplative pause on Lolland’s lake frontier

Despite being part of a well-known nature park, the pavilion itself retains a quietly secluded feeling. It is not a place of grand spectacle so much as of detail: the grain of weathered wood, the way light passes through branches, the echo of footsteps on forest soil. Many visitors use it as a turning point on a walk, a rendezvous spot for families or couples, or simply a place to sit alone with a book. Skelsnæs Pavilion ties together several stories: the cultivated heritage of the Søholt estate, the protected habitats now overseen by conservation foundations, and the continuing life of the Maribo Lakes as a landscape for slow exploration. Whether you come on foot through the forest or step ashore from a boat, it rewards those who linger and let the stillness of lake and trees do its work.