Svendborg Attractions
Funen
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.
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.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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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 headquarters; subsequently the two districts of Funen were amalgamated and the administrative offices were henceforth in Odense.
The German poet and dramatist Bertolt Brecht and his wife Helene Weigel lived from 1933 until 1939 as emigrants in Svendborg. During this time Brecht wrote, among other works, the "Svendborg Poems".
Economy
Important industries include shipbuilding, engineering, tobacco, wood-working and food-processing.
The German poet and dramatist Bertolt Brecht and his wife Helene Weigel lived from 1933 until 1939 as emigrants in Svendborg. During this time Brecht wrote, among other works, the "Svendborg Poems".
Economy
Important industries include shipbuilding, engineering, tobacco, wood-working and food-processing.
Related Attractions
Church of Our Lady
A brick building in the center of Svendborg which is worthy of note is the Church of Our Lady (Vor Frue Kirke). It was restored in Neo-Gothic style in the 19th C. There is a carillon in the tower and the altar-piece ("Gethsemane") is by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg.
Hvidkilde Manor
A few miles west of Svendborg lies Hvidkilde Manor; the Baroque palace of 1742 was converted from a Renaissance building. About 300m/330yd west of the manor an avenue leads to a parking lot from where visitors can walk in the woods along marked pathways.
Naturama (formerly Zoologiske Museum)
Naturama at Dronningemæn 30 is worth a visit to see its collections of mammals, insects and North European birds. In the Whale House in the inner courtyard can be seen the skeleton of a baleen whale 17m/56ft long which was stranded near Troense in 1955.
The museum hosts a permanent water, land and air exhibition.
The museum hosts a permanent water, land and air exhibition.
Hours
June 24 to August 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
August 15 to June 23
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always opened on:
Constitution Day - Denmark (June 5)
Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Christian (Feb 21)
Easter Monday - Christian (Apr 09)
Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Christian (Feb 21)
Easter Monday - Christian (Apr 09)
St Nicholas' Church
There are still a number of old houses to be found in Svendborg. South of the marketplace stands St Nicholas' Church (Skt. Nicolai Kirke), built of brick in 1220 in the Romanesque style and restored in 1892. Note particularly the granite font. In front of the church stands the sculpture "En lille pige" ("A Little Girl") by Kai Nielsen.
Toy Museum
In 1993 a Toy Museum was opened at Skt. Nicolaigade 1B in Svendborg, with Danish and foreign toys from the last 100 years, especially the period 1925-75. Special mention must be made of the interesting collections of dolls, tin-soldiers, wooden and lead toys; there is also a model railroad, together with children's books and puzzles.
Hours
May 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Svendborg Surroundings
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Hesselagergård Castle
Near Lundeborg is the 16th C Hesselagergård Castle. The well preserved interior displays interesting chalk drawings of deer.
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Troense - Valdemar Palace
Valdemar Palace is a lovely Late Baroque building, constructed in 1639 for Christian IV.
Bregninge, Denmark
From the tower of the village church in Bregninge (the porch dating from around 1500 and the north wing from around 1700) there are panoramic views of Funen and its archipelago, and the local museum contains a section devoted to the tragic love affair of Count Sparre and Elvira Madigan, both of whom are buried in Landet cemetery, as well as model ships and a 19th C. sailor's home.
Langå - Rygård Manor
North of Svendborg along road No. 163, near the village of Langå, a side road to the left leads to Rygård Manor, built on piles in the 16th C.
Rygard - Glorup Manor
Near Rygard north of Svendborg stands Glorup Manor, rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1743 and surrounded by a beautiful large park. In the park can be found several statues and a "Tuscan"Temple of Love.
The park houses one of the earliest Romanesque gardens in Denmark. Here, the nature lover can find a variety of flowers and fruit trees.
The park houses one of the earliest Romanesque gardens in Denmark. Here, the nature lover can find a variety of flowers and fruit trees.
Thurø Island
To the east of the bridge over Svendborg Sound a causeway leads from Funen to the little island of Thurø, which has a beautiful church and is a popular seaside resort. The sea south of Funen is ideal for a sailing holiday, because it is normally not far to the nearest harbor, with anchorage, a restaurant or shopping facilities.
Tåsinge Island
From Svendborg a massive bridge 1,200m/1,300yd long and with a clear height of 33m/108ft crosses Svendborg Sound to the island of Tåsinge (area 70sq.km/27sq. mi). Southeast of Vindby lies Troense, with a picturesque village street; the collections in the Maritime Museum, housed in an old half-timbered building, reflect the history of seafaring from the 17th C. until the present day.
Tåsinge Skipperhjem og Folkemindesamling
Kirkeballen 1
Bregninge
Tåsinge
DK-5700 Svendborg
Denmark
Kirkeballen 1
Bregninge
Tåsinge
DK-5700 Svendborg
Denmark
Hours
June 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
