Crack a Riddle to Discover a Magical Troll Along This Danish Trail

This isn't your typical Tuesday morning for me. I'm inside a darkened van, uncertain of my destination, with my passport at the ready. My phone is sealed in a metal box in the van's trunk, wrapped in aluminum foil. Even if I could peer out the windows, the thick fog this morning adds another layer of mystery. I'm on a quest for a hidden artwork alongside its creator, Danish artist Thomas Dambo, completely in the dark about where we’re heading.

Since 2014, Dambo has been crafting large wooden trolls and concealing them in overlooked, off-the-beaten-path locations worldwide. Over 30 of these trolls can be found in his home country, Denmark, including a few near the capital, Copenhagen, along with 6 tucked away in remote areas of southern Australia, and others scattered across China, the mountains of South Korea, as well as Singapore and Belgium. In the U.S., his scrap-wood trolls can be spotted in places like Miami’s Biscayne Bay, Jackson Hole, and Chicago’s Morton Arboretum. You can discover them all on his online map at trollmap.com. In total, Dambo has created 99 trolls, and today I'm being taken to see a very special one.

“A few years back, I realized I was nearing my 100th troll,” says Dambo, who devised this unique preview tour. “So what should the project entail? An idea struck me: to create the most hidden troll I’ve ever made. While most are concealed, none are as well hidden as this one.”

For the Danish artist, trolls are a fitting symbol. The lore surrounding trolls in Scandinavian cultures predates the Vikings, featuring tales of colossal beings that emerge at night and turn to stone with daylight—they can be playful or dim-witted, always in harmony with nature. You might recall the brightly-haired troll dolls from your childhood or the enchanting trolls from Frozen; even Finland’s Moomins are part of this rich tradition. In Norway, you can explore numerous sites tied to troll legends, such as the famous Trolltunga—“troll tongue” cliff. Netflix’s 2022 film Troll brought a contemporary twist to this mythology.

“Trolls hold a tale for everyone,” says Dambo, who has spun his own sustainability-focused narrative around these ancient figures. In his story, trolls nurture the Earth, and if you treat it kindly, they will reciprocate. All of Dambo’s trolls are crafted from reclaimed wood—a deliberate choice made for environmental reasons. “If you’re not nice, they might just eat you!”

The concept of a troll trail began as an initiative to help people rediscover the wonders in their surroundings. In 2016, he launched The Forgotten Giants, a series of six enormous wooden trolls scattered throughout Copenhagen in often overlooked spots like hillsides and under bridges. Subsequent projects expanded this vision worldwide, turning lesser-known places into tourist attractions. When the COVID pandemic hit Denmark in 2020 and halted his plans for a Burning Man sculpture, Dambo intensified his focus on local projects, creating 10 more trolls that could only be found through GPS coordinates, guiding adventurers from one clue to another until they arrived at a secret location. It was a project aimed at bringing joy back to the Danish people.

Even though I journeyed to see this latest troll, I still remain unsure of its precise location, though I have my theories. Dambo and his team picked me up at Copenhagen airport at 9 a.m. By around 11 a.m., we had crossed a border, possibly just a distraction, and trekked through spring woods for about 15 or 20 minutes with no clear path. Following the sounds of electric drills, we discovered a group of carpenters constructing a beautiful pregnant troll, her hands gently cradling her growing belly, beneath an enchanting arch of willow trees. Their hammers echoed as they secured shingles to the side of this motherly troll. Surrounded by spring blooms and drifting catkins, it felt like a truly magical place.

So how do you actually locate it? That’s part of the adventure. The whereabouts of this unique troll, known as Måne Mor (Mother Moon in Danish), will only be disclosed after someone visits all 99 of Dambo’s other trolls. This year, a new code has been added at the base of each troll, and once these codes are entered on his website, a mysterious riddle will emerge—crack the riddle, and you’ll uncover the troll’s location.

And once you figure it out, please share it with me as well!

Where to discover three additional Dambo troll installations

Kaptajn Nalle

● Location: Nordhavn, Copenhagen

Nestled in a semi-urban area just a short walk or bike ride from Copenhagen’s vibrant Nordhavn development, this troll is part of Dambo’s trail created during the COVID era. Uncover its exact location and follow the clues on Troll Map.

Lilja

● Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine

As part of the “Guardians of the Seeds” troll trail within this botanical garden, located an hour’s drive north of Portland, Maine, Lilja stands as one of five trolls dedicated to safeguarding valuable seeds while educating younger visitors about the importance of environmental conservation.

The Bernheim Forest Giants

● Location: Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Bernheim, Kentucky

Embark on a leisurely two-mile hike through the Bernheim forest to discover these three massive trolls, created in 2020 to honor the nature reserve’s 90th anniversary. Each visit comes with a complimentary map and an enchanting fairy tale.