Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet in Central Denmark

At the end of November, we decided to take a family “holiday” in Denmark to a family vacation village in the natural area near Denmark’s second largest town, Aarhus. We wanted to take a getaway, without going too far from home. Also, we wanted to find a place that would allow us to have our own living space with lots of activities for the kids.

Since the corona restrictions made it difficult for families to travel outside of Denmark, we wanted to find the best place for a small, family vacation in Denmark. That is when we discovered Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet in Gjern, Denmark.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to the reader, I will earn a commission every time someone clicks on a link and makes a purchase. This post is sponsored by Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet who allowed us to stay for free at their park for the weekend with access to the waterpark. Thank you so much! Though the trip was sponsored, all thoughts are my own.

Taking a Trip to Landal GreenParks

Since our busy lives were full during the weekdays, we planned to take our road trip to Gjern over a weekend and left on a Friday after the boys were done with school. Seeing as we lived around 30 minutes from Gjern, it didn’t take us long to get there.

It is funny to say that we never knew this place existed. The location of Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet was actually off the beaten path, so we had never driven by it or known that it was even there. To say that we had found a diamond-in-the-rough type of place would be an understatement, so I am happy to share our discovery with others who are looking for the same type of family trip to spend with their family. Keep reading!

Arrival at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

When we got to the vacation village (feriecenter), it was close to 3:30pm. We parked in a spot next to the main entrance and put on our face masks as we walked the stairs to the front door. The reception desk was just inside, and it took no time at all to check in. We received an envelope with our wristbands for the pool area and the number to our cabin with door code.

Since we wanted to make the most out of our weekend, we went straight to the adjoining restaurant to make supper reservations and then down the stairs to the activity desk to schedule our time in the pool. Both were due to the corona restrictions and not something that might normally happen at Landal GreenParks.

Parking at Landal GreenParks in Denmark

Getting back to our car, we followed the map for only a couple of minutes until we reached a smaller parking lot, which was very close to our “cabin”. Each section of cabins had their own parking lot with enough space for parking for the number of cabins. We were in cabin 350, which was the far left “cabin” in a building of 4. They were more like 4 apartments sitting side by side and not separate cabins. I really liked this idea, since it gave the area a very cozy feeling. We had a code to unlock the door instead of a key, which the boys thought was a lot of fun to try.

Cabin 350 at Landal Søhøjlandet

Kitchen at Landal GreenParks

When we walked in to our cabin at Landal GreenPark Søhøjlandet, there was a wooden tree to hang our coats and a little open closet to hang more. This is also where we found a highchair, and all there was actually considered to be in the kitchen part of the cabin. It had a table with four chairs, a decent sized fridge, pantry, range, dishwasher, sink and lots of cabinets.

We had a microwave, electric water kettle, coffee machine, and all the utensils you’d need. There were also pots, pans, a mixer, mixing bowls, casserole dishes, etc. We had all the convenience of home minus the food!

Living Room at Landal GreenParks

The kitchen led into the living room. Here, we found two small rocking chairs next to a low table that had a “Sorry” game board carved and painted on it. There was also a low, little table on the side of the wall with two benches for children. It seemed to be a place for them to play. We had a couch and two chairs around a coffee table, and there was a mounted tv on the wall. The space was very cozy, and we lacked for nothing.

Just past the living room was an outdoor patio with a table and 4 chairs. It was perfectly placed, and the view was of other cabin buildings and the nearby playground.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms at Landal GreenParks

Off to the side of the living room and kitchen were the bedrooms and bathrooms. If you went to the left in this hallway, you would see a door that lead to a bedroom with attached bathroom for the parents. I liked that both areas were separated from the rest of the cabin to allow for privacy, but the thing I liked most of all was that we had two bathrooms. If you have children, you know that going to the bathroom is contagious, and when one had to “go”, the other will have to “go” too. Two bathrooms usually saves us lots of hassle!

If you went to the right in this same hallway, you would find another door that separated another room and bathroom. The bathrooms were of equal size, but the other bedroom had a bunk bed in it. There was also a changing table and two little stools. It had a chalkboard on the wall and a great vibe. The bunk bed also looked like a treehouse, and the boys loved the room immediately.

The closet also had a portable baby bed in it, which would be a nice addition to any family of 5 with a smaller child or baby.

Are you looking for a day trip that is not too far from Landal GreenParks? Try taking a visit to the Fregatten Jylland Warship museum!! Click HERE to read more!

We noticed that all of the beds had linens on the duvets, mattresses and pillows. Sometimes, you are required to bring your own of these things when you travel to cabins in Denmark, but it was nice that we didn’t have to think about that at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet. There were also towels put on all of the beds, so we didn’t need to bring our own of those as well.

Things that you do need to bring: soap to wash your hands in the bathroom, dish soap for whatever you may need to wash up in the kitchen, dishwasher pellets, a hairdryer and food. I might also suggest games to play in the cabin as a family.

Large Playground for Bigger Kids at Landal GreenParks in Denmark

Of course, our first line of business was at the playground. Since we were at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet during the end of November, the amount of sunlight during that time of year was limited. This meant that we needed to get out on the playground before it was completely dark at 5pm. The boys wasted no time getting out there.

We all loved how close our cabin was to the playground, which could be said by many of the guests there, for in the middle of the cabins was a very large open area with not just one playground, but two. The first was for bigger kids, since it was a taller, wooden playground with slides and a very large hopping pillow.

My boys are big fans of hopping. This tended to be where they made the most friends whenever we stayed at places like this, and this trip was no exception. I really admire how quickly they connect with new children. If only adults could work that type of magic.

Multifunctional Sports Field at Landal Søhøjlandet

Next to the playground, you could see that they had a multibane, which looks like a walled basketball court with goal nets on the ends. This is used for basketball or soccer or whatever you feel like using it for. Forget to back a ball? You can rent one in store of the main building, so don’t stress when packing.

Bonfire Teepee and Dog Park

Behind the large playground stood a large teepee. This is where, on warmer days, you could go for a bonfire at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet. It was truly a unique site to see that we weren’t expecting. It really gave the whole place more of an outdoorsy type of feel.

Are you in need of a rainy-day activitiy that isn’t too far from Landal GreenParks? Try exploring the limestone mines at the Mønsted Kalkgruber! Read more HERE!

Next to the teepee, you could see that there were some wooden objects in the grass. This was a type of playground for dogs. I had no idea that it was even there, since I didn’t see anything on the map, but we did witness a couple with their small dog having a good time in the area, so it is interested to know that dogs are also welcome at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet. You may need to call them to ask about specific restrictions and details when traveling with pets.

Smaller Playground at Landal GreenParks

Bollo’s House

While the boys were having a great time on the large, hopping pillow, we started to see a lot of guests walk over to a little playhouse, which was called Bollo’s House. Bollo was the mascot of the park, and he was stepping out of the main building as we walked over to see what was going on.

At the sight of the large bear walking towards the crowd, I knew right away that my two boys of 10 and 8 wouldn’t be as impressed as some of the younger visitors to the park, but I have to say that I am blessed with sweet boys who humor me. They went over to get a quick picture, before they ran back to the hopping pillow to finish their game of tag with their new friends. Will they be so willing to do this for me at 13 and 15? I’m not sure, but I will definitely continue to ask them until they flat out say “no”. Let’s hope that day never comes! 😊

The Smaller Playground

Across the path from Bolo’s house, which sat next to the main building, was the smaller playground. I noticed that some smaller children were playing there, and I saw that it had a water table of sorts. I was surprised to see that it actually had water in it, since it was the end of November, but that didn’t seem to dissuade any of the smaller children from playing there. In fact, later that weekend, my boys had quite a bit of fun getting wet on that playground. Note to self, remember to pack extra clothes next time…and rain pants.

Downtime in our Cabin at Landal GreenParks

One great thing about the dark days of a Danish winter is that there is more time to spend as a family. Being at a cabin for a weekend allowed us to focus just on playing and relaxing together, so we made sure to take advantage of the game table that they had in the cabin.

If you are traveling to Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet for a weekend or week, I would highly recommend taking a few family games or deck of cards with you. This was the first time that we had forgotten to bring a deck of cards, and we were really missing it. Though we had plenty to do at this vacation village, spending quality time as a family in the cabin is one big reason why we took this trip in the Danish area of Midtjylland. Think ahead of what you would enjoy to do as a family and don’t forget to pack those things along to enjoy in your cabin!

Are you looking for a fun place for families in nearby Aarhus? Try Den Gamle By, open-air museum any time of year!

Landal GreenParks Brasserie Restaurant

Another great thing about Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet was that it had a very nice restaurant that offered carry-out / take away food. Since 2020 was the year of corona, we didn’t spend many meals in restaurants, so we were very excited to have the option on this trip. Not only was the atmosphere classy, the food was absolutely amazing!

Delicious Food and Menu at Brasserie Restaurant

The variety of food that they offered for the main menu and the kids’ menu was quite a pleasant surprise. I ordered the fish and chips and was blown away by what I got. Normally in Denmark, whenever you order fish in a restaurant, it is always the same, hard, flat fish. Not at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet!! The fish looked more like fish sticks, but the taste was by far the best I had experienced so far in Denmark. The crust was crunchy, but the fish itself was so soft. It practically melted in my mouth.

My husband and sons ordered burgers and pizza, which seemed to have been eaten in a total of three bites. You know the food is good when it disappears fast. The service was excellent, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We loved our time there so much that we decided to eat there again on the next night, which is something we have never done before!

Indoor Swimming Pool at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

Since we were traveling during corona times, we had to schedule a time to enter the indoor swimming pool at Landal GreenParks. This was to ensure that there wouldn’t be too many people in the pool at one point in time. We chose the last time slot for both Friday and Saturday nights so that the boys could burn off some energy before we went back to the cabin to sleep. This might have been a death sentence if the boys were younger, but since they were 10 and 8, the time seemed to work out quite well.

To let you in on a little secret, I don’t quite care for swimming. Pools tend to be cold, and I don’t enjoy being cold and wet. Still, I wanted to spend some time with my boys, so I decided to get my suit on and at least attempt to go in the water. I was so surprised at how warm the water was that I ended up swimming the entire time and really enjoying myself.

The Layout of the Swimming Pool at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

They had one big pool broken up into two sections by a hot tub to the left and a large slide to the right. The first pool was very shallow in the beginning and gradually got deeper the more you walked toward the slide. We spent most of our time in this section. The depth wasn’t too much even in the deepest part, so my boys found it fun to play there.

My husband loved spending time in the hot tub, of course. My oldest son rode the slide over 30 times with a new friend that he made on our first night at the pool. This allowed my younger son and I the freedom to enjoy the section of the pool that was made for the smaller children. Since we were there at such a late time, there weren’t other smaller children there.  This meant, that we got to float around with the troll, frog and other creatures alone. We also had fun sitting under the small waterfall.

The lap pool was also very nice to try, and since we were the last people to use the pool for two nights in a row, we really were able to slow down and enjoy each section of the indoor pool at our own pace.

Back to our Cabin to Sleep

Since we are normally the type of family that likes to spend time in our own camper caravan or in a cabin on a campground, the experience that we had for our first night at Landal GreenParks was much different than what we were used to. Our cabin was so new and clean that it felt more like we were sleeping in a luxury hotel suite than in a cabin.

The comfort of the beds exceeded any cabin or camper bed we had ever slept in. I loved how much staying in that cabin felt like living in my own home, so if you are looking for a hotel feel with the privacy and activities of a vacation village, you will find it at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet.

Bike Rental and Outdoor Activities at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

On he next day of our trip, we spent doing various activities. First, we had found a scavenger hunt map just inside the bottom level of the main building. There was a desk where you could rent mountain bikes and offered many hiking and biking maps, as well as two different scavenger hunts. We took one of each paper to keep our options open, and we decided to try the “green” hunt, which was the easier of the two scavenger hunts.

Scavenger Hunt

With this hunt, we had a map with many different green circles on it. Each circle represented a different post we needed to find that had a picture and question on it. I liked how the questions were translated into different languages, since my Danish wasn’t the greatest at that point. Since we needed to write down words on the paper, you will need to take a pencil along on the hunt, but if you don’t have one, you can find some in the lobby near the reception desk.

After we had found all of the circles and filled out the paper, we returned the scavenger hunt to the reception desk for a prize! At least, the boys did. I was just along for the fun! 😉

Do you want to find another hunt nearby? Try going on a Troll Hunt to find the Tree Giants of Central Denmark! Read more HERE!

Julevaerksted / Christmas Craft Workshop at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

The weather had turned rather cold and rainy during the scavenger hunt. This encouraged us to get in touch with our creative sides and visit the craft workshop in the main building. Being that it was close to Christmas, the craft area was decorated for the holiday. There were many Christmas crafts that were made by the staff. The boys worked with various craft supplies to make different artistic pieces, and they had a good time for quite a while in there.

My husband and I, on the other hand, played a few games that were in the hallway outside of the craft room. We didn’t hang out with the boys because of the corona restrictions. There were lots of kids making crafts in the room. Unfortunately, we would have put the room over the limit for number of people who could be in that space.

So, we decided to let the boys go in alone. We didn’t mind doing our own thing, since we had a lot of fun playing two games that I had never played before! It is important that mom and dad get a break to have some fun, too, and we did! 😊

Indoor Playground at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

Across the hall from the creative workshop was the room that held the indoor playroom. This was a great space that included a back corner with comfortable couches for parents and small climbing objects for babies and toddlers. The rest of the room held a very large, wooden playground with a tower and two separate bridges. My boys loved playing on this, and we didn’t need to worry about the weather conditions when inside.

Sports Hall at Landal Søhøjlandet in Denmark

After playing on the indoor playground, we thought that we would check out the sports hall. This open gymnasium had many badminton courts and a climbing wall. We also noticed that they had a squash court off to the side in another room. You simply just had to wait your turn if the courts were filled, and equipment could be rented in the store if you didn’t have any of your own. Pretty easy!

Sand Volleyball / Tennis / Another Playground at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

During the scavenger hunt, we ventured over to the area of the map that was in front of the main building. Here, we found a sand volleyball court, tennis courts and another wooden playground. We had brought our tennis rackets, but because of the rain, we decided not to try out the court. We were a bit on the disappointed side, but we would just have to remember the court for the next time we visit Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet.

The wooden playground on this side of the park also had three separate trampolines that were set into the ground. These seemed to be much easier for smaller children to use, since they didn’t have to climb up them to bounce like they would have on the large, hopping pillow. My kids loved hopping on them. I swear that they look for any excuse to hop! 😊

If you love being out in nature, try a visit to the nearby natural area of Hald Sø and Dollerup Bakker.

Obstacle Course “Tarzan Bane” Outdoor Activity At Landal GreenParks

A really cool area that was next to this new playground was the “Tarzanbane”. This roughly translates to “Tarzan course”. It was actually something that my children couldn’t help but try. It was a extremely fun obstacle course that was perfect for adults. However my two sons also tried their best to complete it. They had to do a lot of climbing and balancing. Even though the rain made the course a bit slippery, that didn’t slow them down from completing the course or having fun!

Note to parents and thrill seekers: Be sure to pack clothes that you don’t mind getting muddy or dirty. For children in Denmark, they have special clothes to put over their normal clothes for situations like this. Don’t forget to pack those on your trip, because one thing you can count on happening in Denmark is rain!

If you want to get indoors to see some of Danish history, try the Gammel Estrup Manor Home for a unqiue experience with the family.

Mini Golf Course at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet in Denmark

Just before we left on Sunday, we made a plan to try out the mini-golf course. If you have read any of my other posts with camping, you would know that playing mini golf has always been a part of our camping ritual. When we discovered that Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet, in fact, had a very fun course, we knew that it would be the last thing we would do on our trip.

I have to admit that I have never played mini golf in the end of November before. I loved that we had the option during our trip, and the course was actually quite fun. One big drawback was that my husband and I had to play against two very cranky children. I was under the impression that my fun kids must have been traded secretly in the night with these two grumpy children, because there was no way that these evil little things were, in fact, mine. They wanted to take a mulligan on every hole. Who does that?

How the Grinch Played Golf

Luckily for everyone involved, I had a much-needed blowout that reminded them that a cranky mom is not what anyone needs. It seemed to do the trick in making them somewhat civil so that we could finish the game with a couple of smiles. There is nothing more exhausting than dealing with a temper tantrum by a child or a mom.

Still, we couldn’t blame Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet for a family full of grouches. Note to self: next time we stay there, we need to make sure we order breakfast rolls from the store in order to avoid issues of “h-angry” people. It had to have been our small breakfast of a bowl of cereal that is really to blame…right?

ParkShop Store at Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

Speaking of great breakfast rolls, the ParkShop at Landal Søhøjlandet had some great options. Guests had the option of ordering rolls for breakfast. Also, there were other, fresh treats you could buy. This store was used as a grocery store for the essential items that you may have forgotten to pack, but it also had many other things that you might not have even known you needed.

There was a great variety of swim gear. They also had games and activities that could be used during downtime in the cabin. If was a nice surprise to find extras like these. In addition, they also had a good selection of snack foods and other items.

Other Areas That We Will Need to Explore on our Next Trip

The curse of a short stay is, of course, that you don’t always have time to do it all. That is why we will have to visit the Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet again one day. We would have loved to try out the archery course or the air rifles. These were two extra activities that we didn’t find the time to do. These are located on the outskirts to the grounds at Landal Søhøjlandet near a very large soccer field. I know that my boys would have loved to play on that soccer field, as well, so we know which places to try first when we go back.

Golf Course at Landal Søhøjlandet

They also had a golf center across the main road from the entrance to our part of Landal Søhøjlandet. I know that my husband would have loved to try that course out. It could be a fun weekend trip for him to take with one of his buddies in the future. The location isn’t too far to go for a guys’ weekend. It could be nice even to return for a family weekend with my mother-in-law, who also loves golf. The boys could try out archery and the tennis courts, and I know that I would love to have one of the massages that they offer there!

Separate Vacation Home Village for Larger Groups with Playground

One area that is interesting to mention would be a separate part of the grounds that had larger cabins for bigger groups of people. These were proper cabins that were not connected to each other like the apartment we stayed in on the main grounds. A nice-sized playground was also in this section. Children didn’t have a far walk to find some entertainment outside of the cabin.

Helpful Tips When Visiting Landal GreenParks

Landal GreenParks has an app that you can download and use on your phone. This has information of all the places you can visit at the park. Also, it has event and special program information. You don’t ever miss out on a fun activity when you are visiting the park.

There is also another app that is great to use outside with the kids. This is a game app called Landal Adventure, in which visitors go on expeditions and find different things. If you like Pokemon Go, you will enjoy Landal Adventure.

Also, when we checked out at the end of our stay, we were had to pay a fee for electricity. You may want to discuss that with the person at the reception desk for more information!

Overall Thoughts of Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet

We had such a great time at Landal GreenParks in Denmark. It was just the right amount of low-key entertainment for a weekend in November. We needed to get a break for the craziness of a life filled with work, school, sports and scouts. In addition, we loved that they had just as many outdoor activities as they did indoor, and the location was just perfect.

Being close to a larger city like Aarhus makes Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet a short drive for many families. It is the perfect place to be in nature and relax as a family. Finding a place that not only had a fantastic mini-golf course, fun indoor pool and amazing restaurant was so surprising for us. We will be sure to have a look out for the rest of their parks on our travels. I know that if they are anywhere near as great as Søhøjlandet, we would have a great time there as well!

Would I Recommend Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet?

I would recommend Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet to any family looking for a place to stay in Denmark during any time of the year. We loved going there in November! However, I can also imagine that it would much more fun during the warmer months! If you are looking for a place to get away from it all, try out Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet for a weekend or week away!

Getting In Touch with Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet, Map and Booking

Address: Lille Amerika 10, 8883 Gjern, Denmark

Telephone: +45 70 23 20 30

Email: info@landal.dk

Website: https://www.landal.com/parks/sohojlandet

Map of Landal GreenParks Søhøjlandet: HERE 

Check Availability and Book Your Stay: HERE 

Find all of the Landal GreenParks in Denmark: HERE

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