Holiday apartment in Svendborg Municipality: Archipelago and maritime culture

In Svendborg, maritime history merges with the landscapes of the South Funen Archipelago. The historic M/S Helge ferry, built in 1924, travels along the South Funen coasts, passing close to Tåsinge and Thurø and underneath the Svendborgsund Bridge. Ferries also operate from Svendborg to Ærø, Skarø, Drejø and Hjortø. The town is directly connected by rail to Odense and the Danish railway network.

Water and trails

In the South Funen Archipelago, activities available to visitors include kayaking, trips on traditional ships, diving, as well as coastal hiking and cycling tours. The Archipelago Trail offers a unique way of getting around: it is exclusively for hikers and is marked throughout with posts and pictograms. The trail is divided into several day hikes. There is also information about transport, car parks and overview maps, as well as a hiking guide and leaflets for the individual sections of the route.

Maritime heritage

The town of Svendborg, the small coastal settlements and the islands are deeply rooted in maritime tradition. The Port of Svendborg is Denmark’s best-preserved industrial port; its surroundings include active shipyards, cultural environments and lively activity along the quayside. Svendborg Museum has one of Denmark’s finest maritime collections and offers bookable themed town tours, for example on maritime history, women in the maritime town, occupation history and the Middle Ages. One of the museum’s maritime town tours explores the development of seafaring in Svendborg – from small sailing vessels and schooners to steamships.

The Danmarks Museum for Lystsejlads houses one of the largest collections of watercraft and maritime objects in Northern Europe. In Svendborg, it includes an active workshop integrated into the museum. On display are classic wooden boats, maritime objects, and stories from Danish sailing and boatbuilding. Sejlskibsbroen, also known as Træskibsbroen, has been a meeting place for wooden ships and maritime club life for generations. On Frederiksø, maritime heritage meets active shipyard operations, an art gallery and working art studios.

Nature

Naturama is the natural history museum of the Region of Southern Denmark and is located in Svendborg. Its exhibitions use changing light, sound and film to guide visitors through the habitats of the three elements – water, land and air – where Nordic animals live. At the Naturlab, children and young people can take part in scientific activities such as taxidermy and the „Researcher for a Day“ programme.

History

Ørkild Voldsted is Denmark’s largest hillfort complex. Its surviving ramparts and moats are now located in a large fenced wildlife park. From Ørkild Voldsted, there are views across the Mill Pond; farther away, the large silos at the Port of Svendborg, Tåsinge and the Svendborgsund Bridge can be seen.

The Danmarks Forsorgsmuseum is located in Svendborg’s former poorhouse, which was established in 1872 as the „Svendborg Købstads Fattig- og Arbejdsanstalt“. The museum provides a rare insight into the structural conditions of historical welfare provision; today, the complex is considered the best-preserved poorhouse in Northern Europe.

Culture

Borgerforeningen Svendborg Teater is a modern cultural centre in historic premises. Throughout the year, it presents music, theatre, comedy, lectures and other cultural experiences for children, young people and adults. Rottefælden is Denmark’s oldest summer revue and has entertained audiences since 1883 with humour, satire and music in the green surroundings of Skansen.

SAK Kunstbygning presents 15 to 20 exhibitions each year, focusing on contemporary art and visual culture, as well as various cultural events and art salons. It also houses a permanent collection featuring works by the sculptor Kai Nielsen. Danmarks Kostumarium is a museum of costume design and costume art in the maritime surroundings of Frederiksø in Svendborg, offering a programme of lectures, workshops and concerts.

For further exploration of the municipality, see the destination pages for Ballen, Bøsøre, Gudbjerg Sydfyn, Hesselager, Lundeborg, Nørre Vornæs, Oure, Revsøre, Skårupøre, Svendborg, Thurø By, Troense, Vejstrup, Lundby, Vårø, Åbyskov, Skårup Fyn, Stenstrup, Vemmenæs, Bjerreby, Gudbjerg, Vindeby, Vester Skerninge, Gudme, Eskebjerg.

For the overarching travel overview: Funen.