Nature

The forests around Silkeborg came into the ownership of the crown at the Reformation in 1536. This was followed by periods of private ownership before the forests were bought back by the state in 1823. For several centuries it has been one of Denmark's largest forest areas. The forests contain very large and old stands of beech, which often lie down to the area's many lakes, as here along Ørnsø.

Some slopes have been untouched since 1994, and here nature is allowed to take care of itself. Trees up to 200 years old grow and die naturally, and when they fall, the dead trunks and branches are left behind as habitats for birds, bats, insects and fungi.

Large, old rhododendron bushes can be seen close to the kindergarten and around the pergola area – they date back to the time of the spa. When the park was newly laid out, the plants were gathered here and supplemented with new ones. Every spring the rhododendrons bloom and bring color and life to the area around the Kurbygning (Spa Building).

All state forests are managed according to natural principles, which means that the management is based on imitating the forest's own natural processes. The most important principles are that the forest rejuvenates itself, that large areas are not felled at once, and that pesticides are not used. Natural forest management provides a forest image where several tree species of different ages are mixed, and where there is room for the forest's animals and plants. This results in a forest that is robust against climate change, storms and attacks by harmful insects and fungi.