Walking around Gentofte Sø north of Copenhagen

Finally, a first trip to Denmark since my abrupt departure at the beginning of the pandemic! It is also the first time I’m visting my friend since she moved to Gentofte, north of Copenhagen. I took the opportunity to explore the surroundings, starting with Gentofte Sø and Brobæk Mose.

Gentofte is a municipality that regroup a few districts in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen. It has 74,000 inhabitants and is easily accessible by public transport from the capital. Despite being part of the National Capital Region, Gentofte has some beautiful green spaces, including an important and protected wetland: Gentofte Lake (Gentofte Sø) and Brobæk Bog (Brobæk Mose).

Gentofte Lake and Brobæk Mose were created by melting ice after the last Ice Age 11,000 years ago. Previously connected, the accumulation of peat over the centuries led to the creation of the bog to the northwest of the lake. A forest grew around the bog, and it has remained untouched for over 50 years.

The lake and the bog are now protected and are part of the Natura 2000 Network of the European Union, because of their importance for biodiversity. Gentofte Lake and Brobæk Bog are home to many species of waterfowl and amphibians, as well as rare plant and flower species (including orchids).

Gentofte Lake is also known to be one of the cleanest lakes in the Copenhagen area. In fact, from 1771 to 1959, the lake even supplied the nation’s capital with drinking water.

The lake may not supply Copenhagen with drinking water anymore, but it is a great spot for outdoor enthusiasts and birdwatchers. A 2.6-kilometre trail circles the lake. Another, shorter trail goes around Brobæk Mose.

During my stay in Gentofte, I walked around the lake a few times. It’s obviously not a very difficult hike (more like a gentle walk as the paths are very flat and quite wide) and the place is busy, but it reminded me, once again, that Denmark is full of beautiful nature spots!

Perhaps the best way to get to Gentofte Sø from Copenhagen is to take the S-Train to Gentofte station. The station is just 500 metres from the northern end of the lake.