Churches and monasteries in Søhøjlandet

In the late Middle Ages, the church was a large Gothic transept church, which can still be seen today in the form of grass ramparts that mark how big the church was. In the late Middle Ages it was frequented by pilgrims who came to drink from the nearby St. Søren's Spring, which was said to have healing powers. The church was the setting for the famous meeting July 4, 1534, where Chr. d. The 3rd was elected king, which was the starting point for Denmark to become Lutheran. Photo: Bendt Nielsen

Ry was inaugurated in 1909 and reflects the growth of the station town. After DSB built a station in Ry in 1869, Søren Sørensen from Svejstrup saw the opportunity for a new livelihood and built a grocery store and an inn near the station. From here, the development of Ry went fast.

Tulstrup church north of Knudsø may have been built as a mission church ca. Year 1125 - just a day's journey from the bishopric in Aarhus and centrally located on the old royal road between Skanderborg and Viborg. It is also close to the Gudenås system, which was an important waterway at the time. The building's apse of freestone (source limestone) is the oldest and the same age as the apse of the monastery church in nearby Veng. The age of the church has also been assessed based on the church's now whitewashed Romanesque frescoes.

The church is centrally located in Sejs-Svejbæk, which is beautifully situated between the Sindbjerg and Stoubjerg hills and the Silkeborg Lakes. The architect is MAA Niels Frithiof Truelsen Svendborg, and the church was inaugurated in 1889. The choir walls are designed as a large three-winged altarpiece and consist of almost 2000 painted white ceramic tiles. The artist is Mogens Andersen. The large three-dimensional Jerusalem Cross was hung in front of a graphic artist Erik Ellegaard. The cemetery was designed by landscape architect MDL Torben Schönherr and is inspired by the spiral nebula of a galaxy, in this case the Milky Way, as an expression of the divine. The galaxy symbol can also be found on the iron cover in the center of the parking lot. The sculpture, located in the center of the cemetery, is made by artist Erik Heide. An equilateral cross is carved into the stone, and the light seen through the cross symbolizes preaching.

Virklund Church has been called the church of light because light plays a major role in the church space. Built in 1994, it was designed by Danish architects Johannes and Inger Exner, who like to use natural light, open spaces and exposed construction details. The font and altar are designed by Johannes Exner and made of Norwegian marble. Above the altar hangs a stainless steel cross made by silversmith Bent Exner, Johannes Exner's brother.

Mariehøj Church was inaugurated in 1958 and is an expression of the growth of Silkeborg. The architect is Viggo Hardie-Fischer, who was inspired by church ruins in medieval Visby on Gotland. The church is built in yellow bricks and a wooden pyramid-shaped tower is built over the center of the church. From afar, it can be seen in its 'yellow' form. Kneeling, it rises above its surroundings. Mariehøj Church is one of the most beautiful and striking examples of modern, semi-traditional church building in Denmark.

Silkeborg Church is from 1877 and Silkeborg's first church. When the paper mill opened in 1844, only a few people lived here, but eventually the town grew - and needed a church. The church is a Romanesque-style chancel church designed by architect Sibbern.