Svendborg

Funen

District: Fyns amt

Situation

The port of Svendborg lies in the southeast of the island of Funen, on the banks of Svendborg Sound. A ferry links the town with the island of Ærø to the south. Off the coast is a nature reserve.

History

The town's oldest charter dates from 1253. In the Middle Ages Svendborg had trade links with the Hanseatic towns and with the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. During the "Counts' Wars" (1534-6) Ørkid Castle in the east of the town was burned down. In the 17th C. Svendborg suffered great destruction as a result of the wars with Sweden. The 19th C. was a period of prosperity. In 1966 the bridge across Svendborg Sound was completed. Until 1970 Svendborg was a district