Himmelbjergtårnet (Himmelbjerg Tower)

A memorial tower on Denmark’s "sky mountain"

Himmelbjergtårnet stands proudly on the crest of Himmelbjerget, a wooded hill close to the lakeside town of Ry in eastern Jutland. Built in striking red brick and rising 25 metres from the hilltop, the tower marks one of Denmark’s most recognisable silhouettes. From the plateau around its base you look out over Julsø and the lake district of Søhøjlandet, a patchwork of water, forest and gentle ridges that feels surprisingly wild for central Denmark. Although relatively modest in height by alpine standards, Himmelbjerget has long been romanticised as a “mountain to the sky”. The approach roads and paths bring you through dense beech and conifer woodland before suddenly releasing you onto the open summit, where the tower, flagpoles and stone monuments form a kind of open-air civic square surrounded by nature.

King Frederik VII and the story in the bricks

Himmelbjergtårnet is more than a viewpoint; it is a carefully crafted tribute to Denmark’s move towards democracy. Conceived in the 1870s, it was dedicated to King Frederik VII, the monarch who signed the 1849 constitution granting the Danish people a free constitution. A frieze running around the tower bears an inscription honouring him as “the Danish people’s friend” and the giver of the constitution, turning the structure into a vertical history lesson. The tower’s design, by architect Ludvig Peter Fenger, uses simple, almost fortress-like forms: round-arched openings, stepped gables and solid masonry that feel rooted in Danish building traditions. Bronze reliefs and wreath motifs provide the only real ornamentation, focusing attention on the king’s portrait and the political symbolism of the place rather than on decorative excess.

From folk meetings to national gathering place

Long before the tower rose, Himmelbjerget was a natural stage for public life. In 1839 the poet-priest Steen Steensen Blicher organised open-air folk meetings here, drawing people from across Jutland to debate, listen to speeches and celebrate emerging civic freedoms. Those gatherings turned the hill into a powerful symbol of national awakening and made the idea of a permanent memorial almost inevitable. The tower’s inauguration in the 1870s cemented Himmelbjerget’s status as a democratic landmark. Over time, more memorial stones and monuments appeared on the plateau, commemorating political figures, movements and anniversaries linked to Danish democracy. Walking between them, you read fragments of nineteenth- and twentieth-century history carved into granite, scattered across the hilltop like milestones in the national story.

Views, staircases and the rhythm of the day

Even without climbing the interior staircase, the vistas from the hilltop are expansive. On clear days you can trace the sinuous shorelines of Julsø and neighbouring lakes, pick out the steamers gliding below and watch light drift across the forested ridges. A modest admission fee allows you to ascend the narrow stairs of the tower for an extra few metres of elevation and a more immersive panorama, with the landscape radiating in all directions. Around the summit you will often sense a gently busy atmosphere: families making use of picnic tables, children darting towards nearby playgrounds, hikers consulting trail markers before heading deeper into the woods. Souvenir kiosks and seasonal stalls add colour in summer, while the off-season months bring a quieter, more contemplative feel, especially on crisp, clear days.

Forests, lakes and classic Danish outings

Himmelbjergtårnet also serves as a gateway to the wider Søhøjlandet landscape. Marked trails fan out into the surrounding forest, from short loops suitable for casual strolls to longer routes that drop down towards the lake and on to other viewpoints. The combination of gentle gradients, soft forest floors and constant glimpses of water makes the area inviting for walkers of most abilities. Many visitors fold the tower into a broader excursion: a boat ride on the historic steamers that ply the lakes, a stop at nearby cafés or an afternoon exploring additional viewpoints south of the hill. Whether you come for a brisk hour’s walk or linger for most of a day, the tower anchors the experience—a brick landmark linking the quiet drama of the landscape with the ongoing story of Danish democracy.