Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establishe ...
situated in the region of Sønderjylland 15 kilometres east of
Haderslev
Haderslev (; german: Hadersleben ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,011 (1 January 2022).Årø. It has a population of 321 (1 January 2022) and is part of the municipality of
Haderslev
Haderslev (; german: Hadersleben ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,011 (1 January 2022).Region of Southern Denmark
The Region of Southern Denmark ( da, Region Syddanmark, ; german: Region Süddänemark, ; frr, Regiuun Syddanmark) is an administrative region of Denmark established on Monday 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which ab ...
, as well as the parish of Øsby.
In spite of its slight size, Aarøsund has a significant part in Danish
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
. Archaeological surveys have shown the area to have been inhabited since the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
with the occurrence of an abundance of
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...
tools suggesting an even earlier settlement here.
In 1231
King Valdemar's cadaster
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
mentions the King's sovereignty of the ferry route between Aarøsund and Assens on the island of
Fyn
Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...
. In 1640 the Royal Danish mail services decided on the Assens-Aarøsund ferry service - instead of the ferry service connecting
Middelfart
Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 16,277 . The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart Municipality on the island of Funen ( da, Fyn).
Etymology
The name Middelfart, first recorded as "Mæthælfar" in Valdemar's Ce ...
and
Snoghøj
Snoghøj is a southern suburb of Fredericia, Denmark (at 55.52°N and 9.72°E), between Erritsø and Middelfart that developed because of the Højskole (''folk high school'') that was built there. The town has a population of nearly 3,000 people ...
- to be part of the most important, Danish postal route of its day,
København
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ...
-
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
.
The ferry estate, situated close to the water front, has provided shelter for many a famous person waiting for a safe fare to
Fyn
Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...
, not least many Danish Kings.
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales.
Andersen's fairy tales, consist ...
, the world-famous writer of fairy tales, noted his stays in Aarøsund in his travel diaries.
At the end of the 16th century the Danish King,
Christian IV
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mona ...
, planned construction of a ship in Haderslev, but with the
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...
being sanded up, he instead chose Aarøsund as the site of construction.
The landmark of the village is the lighthouse, seen here on the right. The current lighthouse was constructed during the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
occupation of Sønderjylland 1864-1920, but the first lighthouse was set up as early as 1777.Årøsund fyrtårn (in Danish)
Traditionally the village attracted scores of tourists in the summer, Danish and foreign alike (in particular German), due to its charming fishing village atmosphere, but numerous reconstructions of the harbour has left the waterfront less attractive than before. It is still, however, considered a prime site for fishing among anglers.
A couple of kilometres south of the village itself Denmark's largest camping ground Gammelbro camping has room for around 900 guests Aarøsund Badehotel is another, more luxurious option for an overnight stay. It was built in 1903, and underwent extensive renovation during the 1990s, meaning it appears virtually newly built. Scores of summer houses close to the beach and a newly established bed and breakfast offer yet more options.
A
marina
A marina (from Spanish language, Spanish , Portuguese language, Portuguese and Italian language, Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a Dock (maritime), dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina dif ...
was constructed just north of the old
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...
in 1988 and has a capacity of 151 boats. In conjunction with the marina an old train engine shed house Aarøsund Bådebyggeri a small ship yard that vows to good workmanship. The area is also home to a community center and fishing restaurant
Midway between the old harbour and the camping ground an old German bunker, constructed around the time of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, appears on the beach. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, it formed part of "Sicherungsstellung Nord", a German line of 900 bunkers spanning the region of Sønderjylland, constructed to halt an eventual English invasion via the coast of
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
. In the local dialect,
Sønderjysk
South Jutlandic or South Jutish (South Jutish: ; da, Sønderjysk; german: Südjütisch or Plattdänisch) is a dialect of the Danish language. South Jutlandic is spoken in Southern Jutland (''Sønderjylland''; also called Schleswig or Slesvig) o ...