Shelter at Kildedamsskolen in Store Merløse

Right next to the Store Merløse dog forest, on the edge of the Kildedamsskolen school grounds, you will find a shelter that makes an ideal base for a night outdoors in the heart of Zealand. The site is aimed at hikers, cyclists and families looking for a simple, natural place to spend the night — with no booking required and no fee.

From the car park at Holbæk Municipality’s dog forest, it is only about a hundred metres along a mown path before the shelter appears between the trees. The area around the school and the dog forest is characterised by a quiet, green landscape of scattered deciduous trees and open grassy areas, and you quickly sense that you have left the pace of town behind — even though the centre of Store Merløse with its shops and bus connections is just a few minutes’ walk away.

Nature around Store Merløse

Store Merløse is centrally located in Holbæk Municipality, surrounded by a gently rolling moraine landscape of farmland, small woods and living hedgerows. The dog forest right by the shelter is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike, and the paths here connect with the wider network of hiking and cycling routes that crisscross the municipality. To the north lies the town of Holbæk with its fjord and harbour; to the south, the landscape stretches down towards the Åmose lowlands, one of Northern Europe’s most important wetlands for birds and archaeological finds.

The terrain is flat to gently undulating, and the mown paths make it easy to get around with children and gear. In spring, anemones bloom on the forest floor, and in the evening you may spot roe deer in the fields behind the school grounds. It is the kind of place where you wake up to birdsong and dew-soaked grass — without having driven far from the motorway.

A great base for experiences in Holbæk Municipality

Holbæk Municipality offers plenty of outdoor and cultural experiences within easy reach. From Store Merløse, it is less than twenty kilometres to Holbæk Fjord, where you can paddle a kayak, go fishing or simply enjoy the sunset from Holbæk Harbour. Tølløse Castle and Museum lie to the southeast, and the many hiking trails in Naturpark Åmosen are well worth a day trip for anyone wanting to experience Zealand’s countryside. Families can take a detour to Brorfelde Observatory, where the telescopes and nature playground are a hit with the children.

The shelter at Kildedamsskolen is also a practical stopover for cyclists travelling between Holbæk and Ringsted or Sorø — the distances work perfectly for an overnight stay halfway along. And with easy access from Holbækvej, it is a spot you can find quickly, even late in the day.

Discover even more experiences and inspiration for your visit to the area at destinationsjaelland.dk.