Haderslev

Go on a self-drive holiday to Haderslev, a former market town and cathedral city in eastern Southern Jutland. The town offers plenty to see and do for the whole family and has a lovely pedestrian street with good shops, eateries and a beautiful old town.

The town's landmark is Haderslev Cathedral, also called Vor Frue Kirke, which is located on one of the highest points in Haderslev town, centrally on the town's pedestrian street. Construction of the church began in the mid-13th century and was originally a large single-nave choir church but was later extended. The present three-aisled choir dates from the 15th century. It is a very beautiful choir from the Gothic period with three 16-metre-high windows. The baptismal font of the cathedral was cast in 1485 by bell-ringer Peter Hansen of Flensburg. The baptismal font is made of bronze and is supported by four figures representing the four evangelists. The special feature of the four figures is that they are equipped with animal heads.

Haderslev is the only town in Denmark outside Copenhagen to have a guard parade. Most Fridays at noon, the Schleswig Music Corps marches through the town to the Cathedral, where a commemorative leaf is turned in a chapel commemorating the fallen of the Schleswig Foot Regiment.

Haderslev has a large pond that stretches over a length of almost 6 km and in some places it has a width of up to 1 km. Dams have been built, dividing the pond into three parts: Hindemade, Haderslev Dam and Inderdammen. Haderslev Dam contains the story of the second largest accident in Denmark in the last century. The disaster at Haderslev Dam happened late in the afternoon of Wednesday 8 July 1959, when the turbo boat P840 Turisten, heading for Haderslev from Damende, crashed off Damager cemetery. The boat was only licensed for 35 passengers, but there were 93 on board. When the boat crashed, 57 people died. In 2018, a new dam boat was launched. The new boat is built of fibreglass and powered only by electricity, with room for 62 passengers. The boat departs from Bispebro at Inderdammen and has three stops along the way where you can choose to disembark. The tour ends at Damende, where you will also find Restaurant Damende, offering fantastic views, a beautiful setting and good food.

If you like good music and great atmosphere, you can visit Haderslev when the annual music festival, Kløften festival, is held. The festival is held in the city park, Kløften, after which the festival is also named. The festival was first held in 1980 and runs over 3 days. There is a wide musical spread with all genres covered, from metal to pop and everything from new young names to established artists. There are usually 4 or 5 stages playing up to 40 acts. The festival begins on Thursday evening and on Friday there is a family-friendly programme during the day, including a carnival with the town's children that runs from Haderslev Dam Park and through the town to the Gorge. The festival ends on Saturday at midnight with fireworks.

The possibilities for experiences are many when you visit Haderslev, go on a weight walk, go for a walk in the zoo, challenge each other and yourself in ACTURE PARK, have a tour at the local brewery Fuglsang, sail on the fjord with the wheel steamer Helene, visit Haderslev museum and much more. There are many good reasons to visit the southern Jutland town, so pack the car and take the whole family to Haderslev.