Don’t pass by Nyborg- Denmark’s hidden pearl
Nyborg seen from the castle ramparts
“Here and now is where all the wonder of life is hidden.” ― Wayne Dwyer
Situated on the island of Funen on the Great Belt, Nyborg is an idyllic Danish coastal town and a hidden pearl. Since time immemorial, a fortification on this coast watched over the entrance to the Baltic Sea. Starting in the late 19th century, ferries made the crossing until the 18km (11 mi.) long Great Belt Bridge opened in 1998. Now, most travelers pass right by this historic royal city without pause. Yet, Nyborg, with its city core and castle dating to the early Middle Ages, makes for an enjoyable stop.
The first fortification, Gammelborg (old castle), was established in the 500s and used throughout the Viking age. It wasn’t until 1193 that the town was first mentioned as Nyborg Castle. That two-story brick building, ramparts, four corner towers, a castle lake, and moats remain. As the oldest king’s castle in the Nordic region, it was one of a half dozen strategically placed around Denmark during the late 1100s to secure the long coastline. Significantly, it was the spot where King Erik V Klipping, under pressure from the nobles wanting to limit royal power, signed a charter in 1282 that established Denmark’s first constitution. Subsequently, parliament, or Danehof, was held in the castle until 1413. Nyborg’s central location secured its influence throughout the Middle Ages, and Frederik I made it his capital in the 1500s.
During Nyborg’s 19th-century expansion, some ramparts were demolished, but walking paths on top of what remains provide good views into town and over the outer moats, which still surround most of the old town. A large brick water tower surrounded by cannons at one corner provides a beautiful picnic spot. The Landporten Town Gate near the castle pond, looks merely like a yellow house with a large arch. In fact, at 40m in length, the gate is Denmark’s longest. Built at the behest of King Frederik III in 1666 after “The Swedish Wars”, it was the only way into Nyborg for 200 years. Every evening at 9:45, church bells warned citizens that the gate would be locked at 10 pm; the custom of ringing the bells is preserved to this day.
From the unassuming castle doorway, across the tournament ground, the moat bridge leads to an appealing, three-sided main square, “Torvet. The old mill, which provided the luxury of running water through hollowed logs in the 1500s, is at the left, and the beautiful Neo-Gothic red brick Town Hall “Rådhus” faces the castle. To the right along the Mill River, the 1601 brightly colored, half-timbered Mads Lerches Gaard, called Borgmestergaarden or Mayor’s Yard, houses the engaging Town Museum.
Uncharacteristic for Danish towns, Nyborg has two parallel pedestrian streets, both lined with pretty buildings housing shops and cafés. The basilica Church of Our Lady lies at the end of one, King Street, facing what was Gammel Torv, the medieval old square. Finished in 1428 for Queen Margaret I, it was the place travelers visited before crossing the Great Belt from the nearby harbor.
Through a beech forest, the coast with white sand Nyborg beach is a 1.5km (1 mile) walk distance from town. From there, the Great Belt Bridge is a stunning sight on clear days. Bathing bridges allow easy access to the water all year round because winter bathing is popular in Denmark.
Don’t Miss:
Walking through Landporten and up the ramparts for a stroll with fabulous views.
Serendipity:
Locals along the way- meeting a man beside the castle lake who tells about the castle renovation and modern life in town.
Lunch Tip:
In town, Gertz Danish Bakery (a bakery since 1760); at the shore: Hotel Hesselet, an elegant beach hotel, both for delicious Danish open-faced sandwiches.
Bedtime:
Hotel Villa Gulle, a nicely renovated, family-owned hotel in a 19th-century villa in the old town near the harbor.
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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D5600 or iPhone 14 Pro.*