Aabenraa ASC

Marina near Aabenraa

Last edited 16.09.2025 at 11:28 by NV Charts Team

Latitude

55° 2.129' N

Longitude

9° 25.412' E

Description

Large commercial, industrial and yacht harbor at the western end of Åbenraa Fjord.

NV Cruising Guide

Navigation

The approach to the lighted fairway is unproblematic day and night. From the south cardinal buoy, you steer 320° (at night: leading light 2 Iso.G) until the pier head of the marina (Fl.R.3s / Fl.G.3s) can be approached from the fairway.

Berths

Guests are best moored in the marinas (ABC and ASC) south of the commercial harbor (2.5 - 3.5m). Nyhavn should not be used by pleasure craft. 1sm south of Åbenraa is the industrial port of the large power station.

Surroundings

Åbenraa offers all the supply options of a major commercial port.

NV Land Guide

The keel of the first Danish circumnavigator of Cape Horn is said to have been laid in the old trading town. Shipbuilding and shipping drove the economy in the former city of sailors for many centuries. It is said that the ships of the seafaring city were the first to show the Dannebrog to the east. China was a particularly frequent destination for sailors from Aabenraad. The district where the captains used to settle is still popularly known today as the "China Quarter". The town's beautiful town houses and the large captains' yards on the Løjtland peninsula also date back to the 18th century, when ships sailed to the Far East and South America. Unfortunately, there is no coherent late medieval townscape, as several major fires almost completely destroyed the town on the Aabenraa Fjord.

In the traditional stories about Aabenraa, it is emphasized that the people of Aabenraa were particularly proud of their Danish nationality and therefore did not accept the Prussian occupation in 1864 without resistance. For example, the sailors on the ships in the Chinese ports are said to have left the ships in protest when they were ordered to hoist the German flag and make the Dannebrog disappear below deck.

The Danes in Aabenraa practiced their form of resistance through folk song. The song and the customs united them against the Prussians and their administration. The uninvited "guests" were, of course, extremely unhappy about the development of folk songs and banned the singing of Danish folk songs by decree, albeit unsuccessfully. Even fines imposed by the courts did not help much.

H. P. Hanssen was one of the well-known fighters for Danish sentiment when the city became Prussian after the Peace of 1864. He united the Danish movement and encouraged it to continue cultivating Danish culture and folklore. The Folkehjem, an unusual building by Danish standards with a curved wooden gable above a massive entrance portal, was then and still is today a meeting place.

After the peace, the Danes had to endure difficult years from an economic point of view, as the shipyards and shipping companies in Hamburg and Flensburg now received the orders. Instead of East Asian spices and fabrics, shipping now transported Jutland cattle.

Today, Aabenraa is the focal point for the German minority in North Schleswig. There is even a newspaper in German for this population group.

Shipping and fishing are still of particular importance for the industrial town with the largest port in Southern Jutland. Nowadays, however, the trade is no longer in Chinese silk, but in grain, timber and livestock. Numerous shipping companies have their headquarters in Aabenraa, which has a population of 20,000. Surrounded by wooded hills, the town offers a beautiful view from the sea. Despite the many industrial companies, Aabenraa is not without charm for the visitor. One of the most beautiful streets is Slotsgade with its winding course, lined with many gabled houses. The Vægterplads with its night watchman statue is also an eye-catcher in the cityscape. A particular feast for the eyes among the half-timbered buildings is the house at Nybro 14.

Sailing enthusiasts will be interested in the shipping section of the Aabenraa Museum. The focus is on Aabenraa's seafarers, shipbuilding tools and the souvenirs of sailors from China, Japan, Africa and the South Sea islands.

The art history collection, the sculptural illustration of rural living conditions and Bronze Age objects also make a visit worthwhile. The city's special connection to the sea is made clear by one of Denmark's most extensive collections of ships in bottles. Model ships round off the cultural history and folklore maritime collection at Hanssensgade 33 b.

A visit to the local history museum (Toften 27) rounds off the impression of how farmers lived in earlier centuries. Their tools and furniture are on display at the Egensmuseet, Lilie Kolstrupgård.

A visit to the Nikolai Church in Aabenraa will reveal the impressive baroque altar. In addition to this carving, the church on Kirkepladsen is home to numerous sights such as carved reliefs and paintings from the 17th century.

A half-hour walk from the old town, south of Aabenraa, is Brundlund Castle, built in 1411 under Queen Margaret I and restored in the 19th century. The castle mill, which was originally the bridge tower of the castle surrounded by a moat, is worth a visit.

The Damgård Mølle is an ideal destination for a shore excursion. It is an intact buckwheat mill dating back to 1867 and is located ten kilometers from Aabenraa in Hovslund near Rødekro.

If the weather is fine, it is worth taking a trip to the viewpoint of the almost 100-meter-high Knivsberg, where the meeting place of the German minority in North Schleswig is located. From the mountain, which is very high by Jutland standards, to the east of the European route three, you can look out over the Genner Fjord. One of the most beautiful beaches in the Aabenraa Fjord is located to the south of the marina.