Lake Filsoe

The lake Filsø

Filsø was once one of the largest lakes in Denmark, covering an area of around 3,000ha, but over the centuries man has left his mark on the lake. The first water mill on the stream Henne Mølleå was constructed during the Middle Ages, as early as around 1140. The watermill was then a new way of harnessing the forces of nature, and with the construction of the weir it became possible to regulate the size of the lake.

From the end of the 1700’s the possibility of partially draining the lake to reclaim farmland began to be discussed, then in 1852 the weir controlling the water level of the lake was removed by the new owners of the Henne Mølle watermill. This caused the area covered by the lake to shrink from around 2,100 to 750 ha.. The land reclamation work at Filsø had begun. Nearly one hundred years later work on the drainage of the area began again, and in the years following World War II the drainage of Mellemsø and Søndersø was begun. By 1951 a further 750ha. of the lake had been turned into farmland. By this time only a fraction on the original lake remained , namely Fidde Sø which was the north east corner of the original lake.

the original Filsø

In 2010 the Aage V. jensen Fund for Nature purchased Filsø. On the total of 2,300 ha of land bought by the fund, a new lake of 915 ha has been restored. Together with Fidde Sø and Sovigsund the total area of new lake is 1,030ha. . Thus today the remains of the original Filsø lake consists of three separate lakes: Mellesø, Søndersø and Fidde Sø.

Until 1852 - the original Filsø
The lake has played a major role back to the Viking Age, where it was an open fjord to the North Sea. By Henne Kirkeby there was a large Viking settlement, which has had about 375 small workshops where wool has been woven. Later the fjord has been closed by sand walks, and the lake area has been an important resource for farmers, hunters and fishermen

Discover Filsø
Filsø is well-attended by guests from close and far. Many are interested in the history of the lake and its development after the restoration of nature.

There are several bird towers in the area, which are decorated with binoculars and planes of bird life at Filsø. On the west side of the lake there are some hiking routes that take you closer to the water and to the bird's towers.

From the parking lot at Nørre Enge there is easy access to the bird tower at Petersholm for wheelchair users. The Petersholm bird tower is built on the foundation of an old pumping station, which previously led water away from the lake. As there was still farming on Filsø, the pumping stations were necessary to keep the soil drained.

Se Naturfondens folder her

2012: Filsø reopens
In July 2012, the first plunger was taken and the water flowed into the lake. In October, the lake was opened and shortly after, Filsø was re-established.

The size of the lake is approximately 915 hectares. In the lake there are bird lions and you can wander and cycle across the lake on the dam road. There are several good parking spaces along Porsmosevej and at the northern and southern end of the lake there are birdwatchers