Aabenraa Municipality between Fjord, History and Nature

Almost 50 kilometres of the historic Hærvejen hiking and cycling route run through Aabenraa Municipality. The landscape comprises hilly areas, deep valleys, extensive woodland and high-quality beaches. The municipality has 25 beaches, including 11 Blue Flag beaches. From the Dragebænken viewpoint, there are views across Aabenraa, the fjord and Løjt Land, north of the town.

Landscape

In Frøslev Plantation, oak scrub, deciduous trees, small lakes and inland dunes lie among the spruce trees. Numerous signposted hiking trails lead along gravel tracks, field paths, forest trails, sections by the fjord and country roads. The cycling routes in Aabenraa run along hilly paths, quiet country roads and routes near the coast. Free-to-use Bike Stations for minor bicycle repairs are available along these routes.

Kongehøjsporet is an approximately 12-kilometre-long mountain bike trail through hilly terrain in the forests around Aabenraa. Canoeing is permitted on the Grønå and Sønderå; they are the only rivers in Aabenraa Municipality where this activity is allowed. In the area known as Løjt Land, the ferry between Barsø Landing on the mainland and Barsø connects the island with the mainland.

Culture

The Ringrider Festival in Aabenraa traditionally takes place on the first weekend in July. Aabenraa’s location by the fjord and close to the German border is connected with Danish and German cultural influences. Genforeningsparken is an important memorial site commemorating the reunification of 1920 and contains clear references to its 100-year history. The timeline there presents the history of the Danish movement in South Jutland from the First Schleswig War to the 100th anniversary of the reunification.

The park at Brundlund Castle contains sculptures by South Jutland artists as well as works created specifically for Aabenraa. Brundlund Castle was built in the 15th century to house the administration of the town of Aabenraa. The castle’s historical features include the tower rooms and the basement prison with graffiti by the prisoners. Rundemølle is a surviving watermill from the first half of the 13th century.

The Maritime Kalvø Museum is located in the former residence of shipowner Jørgen Bruhn and in the preserved buildings of the shipyard. Three exhibitions explore the history of Kalvø, the shipyard and the ships, as well as Genner Bay and its surroundings. The Kulturhistorie Aabenraa museum documents the town’s maritime tradition in the 18th and 19th centuries through shipbuilding, shipyard history and voyages to distant coasts. Kulturhistorie Aabenraa also houses one of Denmark’s largest collections of ship portraits and a furnished captain’s room.

The Frøslevlejrens Museum presents the history of the German internment camp Frøslevlejren from 1944 to 1945 and the Fårhus camp from 1945 to 1949. Several activities are aimed at children and young people, including an escape room game in which participants are meant to help prisoners escape. Kunst i Nørreport is a permanent public exhibition with eight unique works of art in Aabenraa’s Nørreport district.

A guided tour through old Aabenraa takes visitors along cobbled streets and narrow lanes in the historic old town. At Andholm Batteri, three bunkers from the former Sikringsstilling Nord defence line are still almost completely intact. During the baking weekends at Egnsmuseet Jacob Michelsens GÃ¥rd, bread and cakes are baked in the old oven; visitors can talk to the baker and enjoy homemade bread or cake with coffee. Egnsmuseet Jacob Michelsens GÃ¥rd is a regional museum in Aabenraa and a piece of living South Jutland history.

Places

The immediate settlement structure of Aabenraa Municipality includes Aabenraa, Bajstrup, Bolderslev, Felsted, Genner Strand, Kravlund, Rødekro, Tinglev, Padborg, Hellevad, Bylderup-Bov, Varnæs and Søttrup.

For the broader travel overview: South Jutland.