Welcome to our beautiful Halsnæs

Frederiksværk seen from above

We have both scenic, historical, small, large and seaside towns and villages, and you are invited to explore them all.

Towns & Villages

Frederiksværk is located beautifully between Denmark's largest lake, Arresø and Roskilde Fjord and is often referred to as “Little Venice” thanks to the canal and the numerous iconic bridges.

Frederiksværk is a thriving commercial centre with a rich cultural life and has a lot to offer in terms of new experiences. The city’s shopping street is uniquely located between the canal and the forest – nature and town is almost woven together.

If you follow the canal eastward you will find yourself in an astonishingly beautiful forest with wavy hills depicted in the distance by the rising and falling treetops.

If you follow the canal westward it branches in two, one running through our historical Gunpowder Works, the other leading you to preserved undisturbed woods, reed forests and meadows.

Visit the Museum of Industry or experience the running mills and waterwheels at the Gunpowder Works. Attend a concert at Gjethuset or watch a movie at the town's beautiful old cinema; Kosmorama. Frederiksværk also has exciting playgrounds for children and opportunities for fishing and discovering wildlife close at hand. 

The history of Frederiksværk
The city's history as the first industrial town in Denmark is evident simply by looking at the old buildings across town and the remarkably well kept Gunpowder Works. Each building holding a unique history. The town and surrounding woods house many secrets, art, and oddities. 

Frederiksværk became the cradle of industrialism. It was here that Frederik V founded a cannon foundry and later several large corporations joined the town.

The Gunpowder Works mixed gunpowder to the Danish army and navy and cast cannonballs for the Dybbøl cannons. In Strandgade, Denmark's first steam engine was assembled by the canals, copper was processed by a rolling mill for the Royal Danish Coin and by the Fjord steel plates were made for the many shipyards across Denmark.

The Danish Steel Factory was founded in the summer of 1940. Establishing the rolling mill brought forth a massive growth for the town from 2.200 citizens in 1940 to about 18.000 in the 1990s.

A trip along the canals
A trip westward on the canal brings you to Roskilde Fjord, a fantastic mix of raw industrialism and raw nature. An almost 1 kilometre long pier made of slag from our steelworks extends into the fjord past the steelwork and marina. At the end of the pier a dashing view along the fjord to Frederikssund appears, and in the other direction Isefjord estuary by Kulhuse.

Following the canal to the east brings a different scenery and atmosphere. A romantic and beautiful trip along the canal surrounded by steeply sloped hills in a beech forest awaits you. Around 700 meters in you will find Arresødal main yard. Following that part of the canal will ultimately take you to a wooden bridge through the marsh to a birdwatching outpost perfect for a picnic and a breathtaking view of Arresø. If you are lucky you might spot one of the many native birds, amongst them sea eagles or the kingfisher.

During the summer you can sail on the beautiful old wooden ship. the M/S Frederikke at Arresø.

Closer to the city centre you will find exercise paths and a playground fused with nature: obstacle courses, swings, seesaws and more made by natural materials incorporating nature.

Psst! It is possible to join a free city walk in Frederiksværk by using the app Useeum. The city walk lets you experience the history of Frederiksværk whenever you want. Find the app in your app store or read more on the website of the Museum of Industry.

At the entrance from Kattegat to Isefjord and Roskilde Fjord lies the charming and authentic port town of Hundested. A unique blend of a modern, cultural town, an active commercial port and a historically vibrant place.

The area's history is known from King Valdemar´s land registry and in the 16th century a royal residence could be found near Torpmagle. The name Hundested (Dog's place) hails from the kings' seal (seal dog) hunts, where the seals resided on a rocky reef next to what was then a just small fisher charter. 

Since then, Hundested has expanded several times and is today a thriving harbour and town. 

In Hundested you will find enthusiastic and committed people, solid craftsmanship and high quality, unique experiences and extraordinary views. 

At the wharf you will discover delicious eateries, galleries, workshops with innovative art and design, small, local shops and a modern brewery.

While browsing the area you might catch a whiff of tar from “Beddingen”, an area named after the dockyard within where skilled shipwrights are at work. At Beddingen you will also find some of the country´s top artisans.

Should you desire some shopping the town's shopping street, Nørregade is a short walk from the harbour and offers several small boutiques selling designer goods, local produce and mainstreet fashion. 

This charming mix of authentic maritime atmosphere and modern art and leisure makes Hundested a unique experience for visitors.

Fun fact: For these combined reasons Hundested was crowned Harbor of the year in 2013 by the Danish Yachtsmen.

For children (and childish grown-ups)
Hundested offers plenty of joyful events and experiences for children and grown-ups in all ages. 

At the Pet-a-Fish platform you can learn about different fish or catch crabs. During the summer, marine biologist students immerse themselves in fish anatomy and you can learn about everything that lives in the waters around Hundested.

If you brought your fishing rod you can clean, smoke or grill your freshly caught fish. And for the little ones, a nature playground is available to play on, next to the small harbor cabins.

The Sandsculpture Festival is one of Hundested's greatest attractions and most certainly worth a visit. Here, international sculptor artists - including several world champions - create monumental and perishable works of art beyond the ordinary in golden grains of sand.  

There are plenty of possibilities to create your own sand sculptures and both children and childish grown-ups can be creative with different activities and immerse in the sand.

Within walking distance from town and the harbour is the beautiful beach, Trekanten. the beach is well visited with its 300 metres long white sandy shore and lovely dunes. There is a lifeguard posted at the beach everyday during the summer holiday. 

The House of Knud Rasmussen
Do yourself a favour and visit the house of polar explorer Knud Rasmussen on the outskirts of town. It is placed next to the Spodsbjerg Lighthouse on a large natural plot overlooking the sea. The beautifully located house was built in 1917 and has been a living museum since 1939, when Knud Rasmussen's widow turned the house over to the public. Here you'll enrich yourself with the interesting history from his many scientific expeditions.

Close to Knud Rasmussen's house you will find Spodsbjerg Lighthouse and Skansen - the remains of a fortification from 1807. The area is perfect for a picnic while enjoying the breathtaking view of Kattegat. 

From the top of the cliffs you can see Hesselø when the weather is clear. It is located around 30 kilometres out in Kattegat.

The house of Knud Rasmussen and the area around is a must-see when visiting Hundested. 

Walk through the narrow streets and experience an old fishing village.

Idyllic Kikhavn near Hundested is an old fishing hamlet and village in Halsnæs, dating back to around year 1200. In 1794, a horrible fire ravaged the town, however, even today, the village looks much as it did 200 years ago.  Kikhavn has beautiful old houses, charming farm buildings with thatched roofs and little huts. Kikhavn is absolutely worth a visit. It's idyllic atmosphere is accentuated by the village's quiet and car-free environment. 

There are approximately 25 inhabitants in Kikhavn. In the summer season however, there are many more people who want to experience Kikhavn and the number of inhabitants expands to around 700 people. The beautiful beach of the small village is an open invitation to pack a picnic basket and take a refreshing dip when visiting Kikhavn. 

To preserve Kikhavn's unique personality and vibe, the town asks visitors to respect a few rules: Carfare through the village's narrow crinkled streets are not permitted, instead park your car right outside the town on a designated parking lot, and go by foot.

Liseleje is like a beach holiday in the old days. A cozy and relaxed seaside resort where generations of families have spent their summers. Approximately one hour's drive from Copenhagen and you are in a different world - one that moves slowly and invites you to de-stress.

Put on your strawhat and slow down, Liseleje lets you saunter calmly through your vacation.
Liseleje is brimming with the feeling of an old classic seaside resort, with a wide child friendly beach, deep dunes covered in lyme grass and plenty of opportunity for a big ice cream cone. Fluffy waves, colorful hollyhocks and small half-timbered houses bring an idyllic atmosphere to the old fishing village.

Take a seat in one of the many dunes or right down by the water. Are you bringing your children to the beach you will find top-notch safety with lifeguards during the summer period and the Blue Flag assigned to the beach. Enjoy the lovely water in safe surroundings and get the feeling of a real charter, in the middle of Danish nature. The water around Liseleje can be used in many ways and you will easily understand why Liseleje is a natural part of the Danish Riviera.

Local life and beautiful walks
Liseleje is a seaside resort buzzing with activity all summer long with market days, vintage boutiques, specialized stores and cozy cafées and reaturants. And for the kids: one of the most beautiful nature playgrounds in the area - Havtyren.

If you visit Liseleje outside of the summer season the experience will be just as compelling, but sligthly different obviously. Embrace nature's powerful forces while listeing to the winds and the crashing waves of the sea. And enjoy the outstanding sunsets - a Liseleje special. 

You can walk all the way from Liseleje to Tisvilde – either with sand between your toes on the beach or on the other side of the dunes, through plantations and Troldeskoven ( Troldeskoven or 'The Trollforest' is a name given due to the woods' twisted gnarled brances). Alternatively, you can bike or walk to Melby Overdrev and see how many rare animals and plants you can find.

Lynæs is one of Denmark's oldest fishing villages. The idyllic town is sheltered by the high cliffs of the headland just 2 kilometres from Hundested. Earlier, Lynæs was home to steamboat sailing and a ferry route to other harbors in North Zealand. Today, thousands of sailors from Ise Fjord, Roskilde Fjord and Kattegat Sea flock to the charming marina. 
Every year the harbor is thus visited by thousands of yachtsmen, who enjoy the beautiful nature, the culture on the wharf and the community at the dockyards and piers.

Plenty of activities
Grab the opportunity to visit the coziest wharf in Denmark – take a dip in the beautiful waters, eat a “Lynæs-ice cream” or catch crabs by the beautiful jetty, made by volunteer enthusiasts.

Lynæs is packed with fun adventures for the whole family. Children can enjoy the fun playground and adventure bridge at the harbour, where you can also use the BBQs, sea swimming bath and the two shelters and bonfire areas.

The summer months are full of various activities and music events on the pier. If you fancy lunch or a treat, the port has eateries and an ice cream parlour, and you can also buy some freshly caught fish to take home.

Go for a walk on the cliff trail from Lynæs Harbour and past Stejlepladsen (an old drying ground) by Store Karlsminde – a place well known to the Vikings. The trail has an amazing view over the fjords and the area surrounding Store Karlsminde has been an attractive trading post and harbor since the time of Vikings, with the discovery of the Viking ship “Skuldesvigskibet”, found in 1975, adding to this.

By the way, did you know that the famous 'Lynæsjolle' originates from this area?
The authentic Lynæs Harbour is worth a detour. It is a paradise for wind - and kite surfers, it has beautiful scenary, great eateries and a unique, cozy atmosphere. Thus, there are plenty of reasons to drop by and enjoy Lynæs.

Melby is, amongst other things, known for its old mill, which can be seen from quite a distance. You can enter it once a year on 'Store Mølledag', and while you are there, take a trip to the ancient bronze age mounds “Femhøjderne” and enjoy the great view.

As Melby becomes the area of Asserbo, you have the opportunity to walk through several plantations. They were created to stop over 200 years of coastline erosion. A piece of moor was spared the plantings, and is today known as Melby Overdrev.  
Melby Overdrev is the largest heath on Sealand and one of the most distinctive and exciting natural areas in Halsnæs where rare animals and plants can be found. The military used the area as a shooting range for more than a hundred years. Since then, the heath has been protected and everyone is allowed to walk across and experience the area.  

You can follow the health trail through Melby Overdrev, Asserbo Plantation and all the way to the town of Tisvildeleje. Alternatively, walk some of the way along the dunes and take a dip in Kattegat.

Is exciting architecture, organic food, sustainability and art your thing? Then perhaps a visit to Torup might interest you. It is a chance to experience a small village unlike anything else.

Torup village is situated halfway between Frederiksværk and Hundested by the train station Dyssekilde. The local train runs every thirty minutes. You can bring your bike or rent a Halsnæs-bike at the station.
Torup is a unique little village with whimsical houses in the organic community Dyssekilde; antiquarian books at Dyssekilde Station in Torup Bogby; Torup market  which is open every other Saturday during the summer season and offers several delicious local produce from farmers, brewers and soap makers and more; a little private school and kindergarten; a church and in Kældergalleriet (the Basement Gallery) under the local supermarket, you can experience both guest and local works of art. 

Since the early nineties when the place was just a potato field, the people of Dyssekilde eco-village have built a vibrant community where they live and work focusing on social interaction, tolerance, respect, sustainability and ecology. 

The village is built exclusively from organic materials and produes its own energy. Dyssekilde eco-village houses more than 150 people today from the age of 0-90. They have a number of communal initiatives that help ensure a high level of sustainability such as: a windmill, joint laundry, shared geothermal heating system, joint vegetable gardens, shared waste management etc.

In addition to this, the village also has an organic café and their own health food shop. The village houses many artists and creative souls, and acts as a dynamo for the cultural and artistic output in the area. 

From March through October they offer guided tours of the village where you will get knowledge of how the houses were built and heated, how it all started and later developed into the eco-village it is today. 
This is a unique and inspiring place, so remember to pay Dyssekilde a visit.

Ølsted is a small village situated in a beautiful, nature-filled area south of Frederiksværk, between Lake Arresø and Roskilde Fjord. The village has a beautiful scenary and a view that reaches as far as Lynæs and Roskilde Cathedral.

For all ages
Ølsted welcomes all ages and is amongst other things known for "Olliestedet". A rather large skater hall, where youngsters with a penchant for tricks and speed bring their skateboard, scooter or roller-skates because the large hall has everything for speeding wheels.

For those who love nature, Ølsted is a must-see. After and old gravel pit was decommissioned, local enthusiasts managed to bring it to life again. So today, the 100.000 m2 is an amazing recreational area with shelters, lunch box house, nature-playground, cable slide and an amphitheater-ish grass platform at the bottom of the pit, in front of the outdoor stage.
The top of the gravel pit rises imperiously to 47 meters and you can walk all the way around it. Grab your thermos and settle down on one of the benches along the top and enjoy the spectacular view of the village and the land surrounding it. 

 Nature, culture and the skater environment make Ølsted an urban society for all ages and definitely worth a visit.