Flensburg Firth or Flensborg Fjord (german: Flensburger Förde; da, Flensborg Fjord) is the westernmost inlet of the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...
. It forms part of the border between
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to the south and
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
, establish ...
to the north, on the eastern side of
Schleswig Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schl ...
and
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 ...
, respectively. Its length is between 40 and 50 km, depending on where it is considered to begin. It has the largest area of all the fjords of East Jutland, which are a special type of inlet, different from geological
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, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...
s.''Sailing Directions (Enroute). Baltic Sea (Southern Part)'' (Annapolis, MD: Lighthouse Press, 12th ed. 2007), p. 82
Two peninsulas,
Broager
Broager (; german: Broacker, South Jutlandic: Braue) is a town with a population of 3,238 (1 January 2022)Holnis on the southern side, divide the inlet into an outer and an inner part. West of them, near the Danish coast, there are two small islands called Okseøerne (meaning ''Ox Isles'').
On the Danish side, the outer part of the northern end of the firth is partly closed off by the island of Als, with the town of
Sønderborg
(; german: Sonderburg ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 27,766 (1 January 2022),Broager
Broager (; german: Broacker, South Jutlandic: Braue) is a town with a population of 3,238 (1 January 2022)Egernsund, Gråsten, Rinkenæs, Sønderhav, and Kollund.
In Germany at the Danish border there is
Harrislee
Harrislee ( da, Harreslev) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the border with Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = Natio ...
, at the inner end of the inlet the town of Flensburg, east of it on the southern shore the town of
Glücksburg
Glücksburg (; da, Lyksborg) is a small town northeast of Flensburg in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and is the northernmost town in Germany.
It is situated on the south side of the Flensborg Fjord, an inlet ...
and the villages of
Munkbrarup
Munkbrarup is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Euro ...
,
Langballig
Langballig ( da, Langballe) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finl ...
,
Westerholz
Westerholz ( da, Vesterskov) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populo ...
,
Quern
Quern ( da, Kværn) is a former municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populo ...
Niesgrau
Niesgrau ( da, Nisvrå) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany near the Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or ci ...
,
Gelting
Gelting is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the Baltic Sea, approx. 33 km northeast of Schleswig, and 30 km east of Flensburg.
Gelting is part of the '' Amt'' (" ...
, and
Nieby
Nieby (, da, Nyby) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous countr ...
.
The tourist attractions of the Flensburg Firth are the church of Broager, the Ox Isles,
Sønderborg Castle
(; german: Sonderburg ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 27,766 (1 January 2022),Glücksburg Castle
Glücksburg Castle ( German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg and temporarily serv ...
, the
Naval Academy Mürwik
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
(known as the Red Castle) and the harbour of Flensburg.
Firth
Firth is a word in the English and Scots languages used to denote various coastal waters in the United Kingdom, predominantly within Scotland. In the Northern Isles, it more usually refers to a smaller inlet. It is linguistically cognate to ''fj ...