Finding the Tree Trolls of Rural, Central Denmark

You’ve heard of the Six Forgotten Giants of Copenhagen, right? Those lovable wooden trolls that are hidden in the forests surrounding Copenhagen may have been some of the most famous of Thomas Dambo’s wooded creatures, but they aren’t the only ones you can find in Denmark. In fact, there are 7 other tree trolls that are not-so-hidden if you decide to take a day trip from Copenhagen, or better yet decide to see what to do in the rest of Denmark. You will find that Thomas’ tree trolls of Jylland are extremely friendly, just like the rest of the people on Denmark’s peninsula!

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Not Our First Troll Hunt

We started to search for the forgotten giants or trolls of Copenhagen in 2017, and it took two trips to find them all, since we lived almost four hours from Copenhagen. I had then heard that there were more trolls, and I was hooked. I had to find them all!!! Be sure to check the bottom of this post for one of Thomas Dambo’s newest trolls that was added in 2020!

See the original Forgotten Tree Trolls of Copenhagen (Teddy Friendly, Oscar Under the Bridge, Little Tilde, Sleeping Louis, and more) in these two posts: Part 1 and Part 2.

Hunting Trolls is a Great, Social-Distancing Actvivity

During the summer of 2019, we decided to start the hunt for the tree trolls of rural, central Denmark, but because we had many planned weekends, we knew that we would have to spread the hunt over a few different days. Plans sometimes have a way of changing, and we were not aware of what would happen in the world just a few months later: the COVID-19 virus!

Life during the corona virus didn’t allow for us to get out and explore, so we had to put things on a break. The thought of the trolls waiting for us to discover them was enough to get our bucket list started. When we were able to leave our home, we went on a troll hunt!

Read all about what it was like to send my kids back to school in April 2020 during corona HERE!

Just after Denmark started to come out of lockdown, we were still a bit cautious of going places. We still wanted to practice social distancing, and we thought that exploring nature in Denmark would be one of the best ways to do that. We were happy for it! After all, being in nature can be a very corona-friendly activity.

Are you ready to go on a Troll Hunt?

The anticipation had been building, just like our cabin fever, and we were ready to get out! This led us to completing the troll hunt that we had started the summer earlier. Though finding all 7 of the trolls of rural Denmark can be done in one day if you have your own car, we were glad that we spread out the hunt.

Do you Need a Car to Find Thomas Dambo’s Trolls?

Don’t be turned off if you don’t drive, because many of these trolls actually live in cities and can be found by using public transportation. Even the two that are in a small, country town can be found with public transportation, but you would need to take more than one day to plan your hunt! It can be done!!

Allow me to introduce each of Thomas Dambo’s tree giants of Central Denmark to you and show you how to get to the tree giants for your own troll hunt!

Finding the Tree Trolls of Central Denmark!

If you are traveling east on Viborgvej towards Aarhus, you may be surprised to see a wooden troll when you stop for a red light in the suburb of Tilst. This is exactly how I felt when we were traveling to Aarhus for the first time. We were stopped at a light when my boys noticed that there was a McDonald’s restaurant on the corner.

Kids will always notice when a McDonald’s is near. Without fail!! My gaze went quickly from the McDonald’s to what was sitting, literally, across the street. It was a troll who was just casually minding his own business in front of a fast-food restaurant. I couldn’t believe it!

Looking for more family fun in Denmark? Check out the Gammel Estrup Manor Home!

# 1 (and a half) Tree Troll of Rural, Central Denmark: Simon and Anine

This troll’s name was Simon, and he sat working with his tools making the head of another troll named Anine. He was larger than a man, but not a giant in my mind. He sat as any man would on the grass, so it is understandable if you drive past without noticing him. I’m glad I noticed him. Though he may not be the biggest wooden tree giant to exist in Denmark, he was definitely one of the most endearing. 

Finding such great craftsmanship in woodworking in such a business-like setting in eastern Denmark really is a nice reminder to get out of the cities and into nature. I think we could all do with a bit more nature in our daily lives!

Find Simon the Tree Troll

Simon seemed happy to live amongst us humans on this busy street in a suburb to the second largest city in Denmark! The mom in me feared that he was in danger being so close to the road and to man, but you could tell that the people of Tilst, Denmark appreciated Simon enough to leave him alone to finish his work. That is a great thing about Denmark. There was no sign telling people to stay away or to leave Simon alone, because one was not needed. It is a great feeling to live in a country where nature is respected, no matter what the form.

One great thing about Simon is that he can be seen by those who don’t have their own car. You can easily use public transportation from Aarhus to reach and visit Simon. He is located in Tilst, Denmark on the corner of Holmstrupgårdvej and Viborgvej!

#2 Tree Troll of Rural, Central Denmark: Ben Chiller 

Not far from Aarhus, Denmark, you will find a small town called Mørke, which roughly translates to “darkness” in English. We made Mørke our travel destination one day to find Ben Chiller, another one of Thomas Dambo’s trolls. We joked in a spooky tone of voice that we were going into the darkness to find a troll. It made the trip feel much more magical and fun. We weren’t sure where to find Ben, since we were just going off of a Google Map that we had found on Thomas Dambo’s Website, but we were determined to give it a try.

I wondered just how difficult he would be able to find!! As we drove, we actually passed Ben Chiller. We thought he was on the opposite side of the road and drove right passed him.  It turns out that he was quite easy to find if you knew where to look. On our second, and slower pass of this area of road, we saw Ben Chiller out the window of the car. He sat on the top of a short hill next to a tree farm. Being in nature, there was no parking lot for Ben, so we parked down the road and walked back to him.

Parking May be Harder to Find than Ben!

The road in front of him was equipped with a walking path and a short bridge allowing us to go from that walking path to the bottom of the small hill Ben “chilled” upon. He sat calmly with his arms stretched back, supporting him as he bathed in the sunlight. He looked so comfortable. It was still very chilly out, but I guess, he didn’t mind. Being made of nature was probably a perk in the colder weather.

Ben Chiller didn’t look exactly the same as the picture we had seen. Apparently, he was moved from his original spot to this small hill. I believe it was said that he was made for the North Side Festival in Aarhus, but then, he had to find a new home when that ended. There were a few visual scars of that difficult move, but Ben was still going strong. I am glad that we were able to find him. My boys thought he was a lot of fun, as well.

You can find Ben Chiller just as you are leaving the town of Mørke, Denmark to the east on Ebeltoftvej on the northeast side of the street. 

#3 Tree Troll of Rural, Central Denmark: Sigurd and the Red Thing

Since you traveled all the way to Mørke, Denmark to see Ben Chiller, you might as well stick around to look for Sigurd, the tree troll. He isn’t as easy to find as Ben is, because he isn’t off of a main road. You are in luck, though, because I can tell you where to find him. Sigurd happens to be well-worth the hunt, because he is a lot of fun and is very excited to show you his toy!

Is spending time in the trees your “happy place”? Check the amazing treehouse WOW PARK!!

On the southeastern side of this small town, you will find Sigurd on his own hill looking off into the beautiful Danish farmlands, but Sigurd isn’t “chilling” on the ground as Ben is. Oh no! He is sitting on top of his “red thing”, which you will find is a real car! Though Sigurd sees this piece of man-made engineering to be a fun toy, it is very important that visitors look, but don’t touch. Sigurd is a fun-loving troll out for a bit of adventure, not a playground, and there is no telling what he will do! Let him “do crazy” all by himself! 🙂

A bit of a Climb up to Sigurd!

You can get your fun trying to run up the hill he is on, which is a small workout on its own. When people tell me that there are no hills in Denmark, I think it is because they haven’t left the big cities. A mountain, it is not, but all kids seem to love running up a hill! That made it the perfect spot for my boys!

Looking for a great place to camp on your troll hunt? Check out eco-friendly Auning Camping!

All of Thomas Dambo’s trolls are unique, but we especially loved Sigurd! There is just something about finding a troll on top of a hill in a small town surrounded by farms to bring a smile to your face. In the words of one of Sigurd’s smiling neighbors in Mørke, “You’ll like him. We do!”

You can find Sigurd on Vesterskovgårdsvej on the most southeastern point where the city limits end.

#4 Tree Troll of Rural, Central Denmark: Troels

A short trip from Aarhus and a bit longer one from Mørke is the town of Horsens, Denmark. This is another one of Denmark’s bigger towns that can easily be traveled to by public transportation, and Troels is actually a resident of the city and easy to find.

We weren’t sure what to expect when “hunting” for Troels. The map that we had found on Thomas Dambo’s website showed Troels to be in the city near a harbor, and we were curious just how easy he would be to find. Turns out, it was very easy finding him. He was the first thing we noticed when turning onto the road leading to the harbor, and he was quite an interesting site compared to some of the other trolls that we had seen.

Get to Know Troels the Tree Troll

For starters, Troels has a much more interesting hair style compared to the others. His hair was made of grass and looked like it hadn’t been combed in a long time! 😉 He stood in the middle of a grassy area holding a very long stick. I had seen pictures of Troels where a child sat on a swing from his arm, but that swing wasn’t there any longer.

Perhaps, man hadn’t been as kind to Troels as they had to some of the other trolls. I saw a sign next to him telling people not to play or climb on the trolls. That made me a bit sad for Troels. I tried to put it into perspective to cheer myself up, and I came to the conclusion that Troels must have just had a tired arm from all the kids swinging from him, which is why the swing was replaced with a stick. Yes, that sounds better.

Troels faced the harbor, the water, and the boats. He looked like a water guardian with his long sick, but it could have been his walking stick. After all, he had very short legs, so walking may have been difficult for him. One thing I loved about Troels was that he wasn’t alone. He had his two children with him.

#5 and #6 Tree Trolls of Rural, Central Denmark: Laura and Julian

One great thing about going on a troll hunt in Horsens is that you can see three trolls at one time. Troels the troll lives near the coast of Horsens, Denmark with his baby trolls, Laura and Julian. I loved the idea of a troll family!!

Looking for more family fun by the sea? Check out the Kattegatcentret Aquarium in Denmark!

Laura and Julian seemed to be doing some sort of activity together. They each had a stick and there was a rope connecting their sticks together. Whatever the reason, it was a lot of fun as a parent of two children to see another parent spending some time with his two children. I like the idea that these trolls bring humans closer to nature when they are in city settings!

A Family of Trolls in Denmark

These three wooden giants are good role models that help remind us that it is a good thing to be out in nature as a family. For me personally, I like the idea that some of the trolls are not alone, and perhaps, all of the trolls of rural Midtjylland (central Denmark) are all related in some way. One big troll family! That is a nice idea!

You can find Troels, Laura and Julian if you search for Langelinieanlaegget in Horsens. There is a beach there, so if the weather is nice, you might want to have your swimsuit, towels and sand toys with you! This is also a great spot for a picnic! 

#7 Tree Trolls of Rural, Central Denmark: Stærke Storm

The last of the tree giants in central Denmark is actually more inland. He lives in the lake town of Silkeborg, and his name is Stærke Storm. At the top of a hill overlooking trees and water below, Stærke Storm sits holding a red flag as if the winner of a troll version of the outdoor game, Capture the Flag! His appearance is also more tribal with his wild hair and charming, wooden necklace.

Stærke Storm can be found on the southern side of Silkeborg just up the hill on the southern edge of the Ørnsø, which can be located off of Gjessevej when traveling south on HWY 52. Since Storm is a part of the 10 new tree trolls from Thomas Dambo’s 2020 Denmark Tree Trolls, there is a virtual hunt that goes with finding him. You can find the details for that hunt on Thomas Dambo’s troll map HERE.

What else can You Find on Your Troll Hunt near Stærke Storm?

Though Storm takes a bit of walking and hunting to find, there are some cool things about him. First, he is the only one of the trolls of Midtjylland that is near a lake. Second, he is also just a few steps away from a WWII bunker. Why Storm chose to make this area of Silkeborg his home may remain a secret, but one thing is for sure, he is much too big to play in the bunker! Perhaps, he just likes to keep an idea on this foreign object that invades his forest. We may never know!

Check out the behind-the-scenes view of what it is like to create a tree troll out of love of nature, craftsmanship and friendship in this VIDEO!

Are you ready for a troll hunt in Midtjylland, Denmark?

Though they may be brave to be out in the open for all to gaze upon and appreciate, it is up to us, the “hunters” to be mindful and respectful of these creatures. Shot with only a camera, and they will continue to live in peace. Your troll hunt doesn’t have to be a dangerous one. In fact, hunting these trolls will seem more like going out in nature with a friend, so be nice to your friends! 🙂 Happy Hunting!

Tree Trolls in the USA??? Check out Thomas Dambo’s trolls at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago, Illinois!

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