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 ...
and is the primary city in the municipality of Varde, in
Region of Southern Denmark
The Region of Southern Denmark ( da, Region Syddanmark, ; german: Region Süddänemark, ; frr, Regiuun Syddanmark) is an administrative Regions of Denmark, region of Denmark established on Monday 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Munici ...
. In 2015 municipality changed its motto to "We in nature" to emphasize its rural atmosphere. The town has an old market environment and is located by Varde stream/river and is a short distance away from the beaches by the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
. These features make it a tourist destination. The age of Varde is not known precisely, but it is mentioned in written sources from 1107 A.D. and is therefore thought have been founded sometime in the early
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
.
The history of Varde
Early on the name of Varde is presented in 2 different versions "Warwath" and "Warwik." War is identical in both and is believed to mean
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
, maybe beach or in other ways uncultivated area. The
suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry ...
es "wath" and "wick" are believed to mean respectively
ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
and
inlet
An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea.
Overview
In marine geogra ...
. The differing versions of the name occur quite naturally, depending on where you are located "on ground" or "on water". As with other older Danish towns, Varde is located, where the countryside in different ways favors human settlement and other human activity. The town was founded near a stream allowing a convenient port for ships near a place, where north and south bound traffic by land had an important ford/crossing, which was later replaced with a bridge. Varde was from olden times protected against sudden attacks from outsiders, partly because of its distance from the shore and partly because of its neighbourship with the built royal castle/fortress/fort/estate (Vardehus). Vardehus was the administrative center of the district and from this base of power a royal official governed the shire of Varde a sizeable area corresponding to the former Ribe Amt. On the greater scale Varde has never been a big town, but the fact that Varde already in the early Middle Ages had 2 churches, means that it had some status.
Royal castles by the stream/river
Written sources from the 12th century repeatedly mention the royal official/
caretaker
Caretaker may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker''
* '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital
* Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...
in Varde. In his capacity of being the representative of the king in the shire of Varde, this high level official must have resided in the local royal estate/castle – Vardehus. The oldest castle lay to the vest of the town, by the stream/river of Varde.
Around the beginning of the 14th century Vardehus was moved to an islet in the stream/river near the southern edge of the town. During an uprising in 1439 this new Vardehus II was stormed, pillaged and destroyed by rebel farmers. Later that same year the council of the state retaliated by burning down the town of Varde. Lesser excavations have been made on both sites, and the findings are kept in Varde museum. It is also known, that during the Viking ages there was a camp near the school of Sct. Jacob.
Borough/Market town 1442
The
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
sigil of Varde is the oldest town arms in Denmark. It depicts a blue shield with a walking golden leopard with a red tongue. It looks somewhat like a lion, but golden leopard is the official denomination.
From the beginning, commerce together with arts and crafts have been closely linked to being a town and when
Christopher of Bavaria
Christopher of Bavaria (26 February 1416 – 5/6 January 1448) was King of Denmark (1440–48, as Christopher III), Sweden (1441–48) and Norway (1442–48) during the era of the Kalmar Union.
Biography
Coming to power
He was the son of John, ...
in August 1442 awarded Varde its first borough/market town privileges, it had already functioned as a borough/market town for a long time. Most importantly this meant, that peasants trading goods in country stores was outlawed, but at the same time, that the merchants of the town were now officially recognized as having exclusive rights to conducting trade in the town. Although the royal letter of privilege from 1442 has been long lost, the text is known from a transcript from 1648.
The town square of Varde
By the town square of Varde lays amongst others the Church of Sct. Jacob from the 12th century, Sillasens house from 1797, the old town hall from 1872 and Den Schultzske Gaard 1796/97.
Around 1900 there was a livestock market on the town square, and for a period in the middle of the 20th century a bus station. 2014/2015 the town square was renovated/renewed as it also was in 2003. 2003 landscape architect Charlotte Horn was inspired by the stream/river of Varde and the characteristic Varde clam with the black pearl, when reshaping the town square. In front of the old town hall of Varde is a basin with a big black round rock symbolizing the Varde pearl. From here a stream symbolizing the stream/river of Varde runs through a part of the town square. The webcam of the library of Varde takes pictures of the square around the clock and here the "stream" is visible.
The municipality of Varde
The current municipality of Varde was formed in 2007, following structural reforms in Denmark, which meant that the old municipality of Varde was merged with the municipalities of
Blaabjerg
Until January 1, 2007, Blaabjerg (Danish: Blåbjerg - literally blue mountain) was a municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Ribe County on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 254 k ...
,
Blåvandshuk
Blåvandshuk is a headland on the North Sea coast of Jutland northwest of Esbjerg, and is the westernmost point of metropolitan Denmark. The Blåvand Lighthouse is the westernmost located building in Denmark.
Natural Environment
A significant ...
, Helle and
Ølgod
Ølgod is a railway town with a population of 3,705 (1 January 2022),municipality of Varde and is with its 13,771 inhabitants the biggest town in the municipality, followed by
Ølgod
Ølgod is a railway town with a population of 3,705 (1 January 2022),Oksbøl
Oksbøl is a town in southwestern Jutland in the Varde Municipality, in Region of Southern Denmark. As of 1 January 2022, it has a population of 2,815.
Notable people
* Æ Tinuser Æ Tinuser (Standard Danish: Tinus brødrene, English The Tinus ...
with respectively 3853 and 2852 inhabitants. All in all there are 50.122 inhabitants with permanent residence in the municipality of Varde. These are, in vacation periods, supplemented by large quantities of tourists visiting the
Coast
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
al region of Varde, especially in and around the towns of Blåvand(Oksby),
Henne Strand Henne may refer to:
People
* Albert Leon Henne (1901–1967), American chemist
* Chad Henne (born 1985), American football quarterback
* Diedrich Henne (1834–1903), German born botanist and plant collector
* Ernst Jakob Henne (1904–2005), Germa ...
Strand, that grow accordingly.
The town hall of the municipality of Varde is at home at Bytoften 2 in Varde, where the new town hall opened its doors in the summer of 2015. During the opening of the new facilities the municipality received a work of art from local artist
Hans Tyrrestrup
Hans may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...
, which it had commissioned, consisting of one poem and three paintings under the title "Sonate for sol," which means "Sonata for the sun." This work of art now adorns the council chamber of the town hall.
Geography
Varde stretches from
Ansager
Ansager is a town in southwestern Jutland in the Varde Municipality, in Region of Southern Denmark
The Region of Southern Denmark ( da, Region Syddanmark, ; german: Region Süddänemark, ; frr, Regiuun Syddanmark) is an administrative Regions ...
Nymindegab
Nymindegab lies in Southwest Jutland, Denmark, and is a former fishing village by the former outflow at the southern end of Ringkøbing Fjord. In the summer, it is a well-attended tourist town with a permanent population of 205 (1 January 2021). I ...
/
Ølgod
Ølgod is a railway town with a population of 3,705 (1 January 2022),Wadden Sea National park," which in June 2014, together with areas of the
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea ( nl, Waddenzee ; german: Wattenmeer; nds, Wattensee or ; da, Vadehavet; fy, Waadsee, longname=yes; frr, di Heef) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern conti ...
in Germany and the Netherlands, was declared
world heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, meets "Naturpark Vesterhavet," which stretches across an area of 22.500 hectares between Blåvands Huk and Nymindegab. The parks along the western shores of Varde offer an array of different types of landscapes e.g.
dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
landscapes,
heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...
, dune plantations, coastal lakes, and for the wadden sea, vast areas of
mud flats
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...
, where the guest can experience the exposed seabed.
Where
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
meets nature park you can also experience the western tip of Denmark, adorned by the lighthouse of Blåvand, with the purpose of guiding ships past
Horns Rev
Horns Rev is a shallow sandy reef of glacial deposits in the eastern North Sea, about off the westernmost point of Denmark, Blåvands Huk.
, where the sandbank(s) stretch far out into the ocean. If you peer across the ocean from the lighthouse you can often see the wind farms of Horns Rev.
Sizeable areas along the coast of Varde are laid out as training areas for the Danish military, but as long as the red signal has not been hoisted, it is accessible to visitors of all types. There are 3 military barracks in the municipality of Varde which can be found in Varde, Oksbøl and Nymindegab. The
barracks
Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...
of Nymindegab look differently from other Danish barracks in general, as it was built in 1941 by the
German Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
as a school for anti-aircraft personnel. The barracks were meant to look like a small village, in order not to be bombed by the allied or British bombers, which it never was.
Just near the barracks of Nymindegab lay the
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
s lay along the coast as a constant reminder of
WW2
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Among these the Tirpitz-position (in German: Batterie Vogelsnest), which was being built (but never finished) in order to protect the port of
Esbjerg
Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)
.
Following the Second World War it was necessary to demine the westcoast of Jutland, as the Wehrmacht had mined the coast to stop allied forces from attacking. The demining of the Danish Westcoast was in 2015 problematized in the Danish movie "
Land of Mine
''Land of Mine'' ( da, Under sandet, lit=Under the Sand) is a 2015 historical war drama film directed by Martin Zandvliet. It was shown in the Platform section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It was selected and nominated for ...
", in which the conditions for the German soldiers, who demined the Danish westcoast following WW2 were described. More German soldiers died in Denmark demining the beaches following WW2, than during the invasion and the occupation of Denmark from 1940 to 1945.
Tourist places in and around Varde
*The Museum of Varde town and municipality operates as an umbrella for the museums in the municipality of Varde, among these are e.g. Varde Museum, the Tirpitz-position, Nymindegab museum, the Danish amber museum in Oksbøl and more.
*The Tirpitz Museum, a museum built in an old bunker complex and holds exhibitions about the
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...
, life on the western coast of Denmark and an
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...
collection.
*Varde Minitown* in the Arnbjergparken in Varde is a miniature of Varde anno 1866 in the scale 1:10, which is maintained and built by 12 voluntary "mini-masons," whose work, making the miniature houses, you can observe from May to October at their workshop in Varde.
* Blåvands Huk/ The lighthouse of Blåvand, the western tip of Denmark, overlooking the wind farms of
Horns Rev
Horns Rev is a shallow sandy reef of glacial deposits in the eastern North Sea, about off the westernmost point of Denmark, Blåvands Huk.
.
*The beaches along the shore(s) of Varde are among the top crowd pullers/attractions in Varde and a big part of why Varde is a tourist destination. Among these are the broad white beaches of Blåvand,
Vejers Strand
Vejers Strand is a small Denmark, Danish town with only 27 inhabitants, but a multitude of holiday homes. Vejers Strand is situated in the former Ribe Amt, and is part of the Syddanmark region as of 2007, roughly 30 km northern of the town of ...
and
Henne Strand Henne may refer to:
People
* Albert Leon Henne (1901–1967), American chemist
* Chad Henne (born 1985), American football quarterback
* Diedrich Henne (1834–1903), German born botanist and plant collector
* Ernst Jakob Henne (1904–2005), Germa ...
, strand meaning beach in Danish.
*Filsø was once the second largest lake in Denmark, until it, in the middle of the 18th century, was contained and used for agricultural purposes. In 2010 the area was bought up by the nature fund of "Aage W. Jensen Filsø Avlsgods" with the purpose of restoring Filsø to its original state.
*Varde Sommerspil in Varde is held by and performed by the biggest amateur theatre group in Denmark, named "7-kanten" and has for many years been a crowd puller in the summer months.
*Nationalpark Vadehavet ( Wadden Sea National park,
UNESCO world heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
).
Mud flats
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...
from Varde in the north to the Netherlands in the south.
*Naturpark Vesterhavet (Vesterhavet/North Sea Nature Park) – 22.500 hectares of nature park between Blåvands Huk and Nymindegab.
* Skallingen – the demining of the Westcoast – Skallingen is a relatively newly formed landmass, which was created by/after a storm surge in 1634, by sediment left behind by the retracting ocean. It is still under transformation and was home to the last minefield in Denmark. Post 2000 the area was demined and opened to the public.
* The
Oksbøl Refugee Camp The Oksbøl Refugee Camp was the largest camp for German refugees in Denmark after World War II.
Background
In early 1945 the Red Army started the East Prussian and East Pomeranian Offensives, soon interrupting the overland route to the weste ...
museum and cemetery, Oksbøl housed up to 37,000 German Refugees in Denmark after World War II.
Arts and building style
Otto William Frello (died 2015), local artist with permanent exhibition at Varde Museum. Frello is known for his surreal, but at the same time very realistic and detailed paintings.
Laurits Tuxen
Laurits Regner Tuxen (9 December 1853 – 21 November 1927) was a Danish painter and sculptor specialising in figure painting. He was also associated with the Skagen Painters. He was the first head of Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler, an art school ...
is known as one of the " Skagensmalerne – painters of Skagen," but already in 1879 visited Nymindegab, where he was one of the founding fathers of the painter colony ''Nymindegabmalerne''. In the summer months the painters rented rooms at the Nymindegab Inn, where they sketched drawings/drafts for paintings, which were finished when they returned to
Copenhagen
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 ar ...
for the winter. Some of Tuxens paintings can be seen at Nymindegab Museum.
Vestjyllands Kunstmuseum (''Janus Bygningen'') – The Art Museum of western Jutland (The Janus Building) in
Tistrup
Tistrup is a town in southwestern Jutland in the Varde Municipality, in Region of Southern Denmark. As of 1 January 2022, it has a population of 1,433.
Interest in archaeology in the late 19th century records excavations for buried relics near T ...
, between Varde and Ølgod, is home to a collection of 2000 works, primarily contemporary art and varying temporary exhibitions.
Varde classicism
As Varde has burned several times many of the buildings were built in the late 18th century and in the beginning of the 19th century. Among these we find Sillasens Hus (Sillasens house) adjacent to the town square and the Kampmannske Gaard (Kampmannske estate). The Danish classicism dictated that house walls were to be plastered, but this was not done in Varde, as a breakthrough in the mass production of bricks and tiles had been made at the time. Instead details were more prominently highlighted, which resulted in red walls, red tiles and an abundance of details.
Businesses and Industry
The Businesses and Industries in Varde can somewhat be divided into 5 pillars, where 4 categories according to Kontur 2014 is above the national average. These are the production of food products/agriculture, furniture/clothing, tourism and construction/
housing
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...
.
Larger businesses
Among the larger businesses in the municipality of Varde we find
Nobia
Nobia AB () is a Swedish company which owns many European kitchen-related firms. In 2008 it was the largest producer of kitchen furniture in Europe. Group Companies
UK Region
* Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a mag ...
, owner of e.g. the kitchen brands HTH and Invita with about 2000 employees in Denmark.
BoConcept
BoConcept is a Danish retail furniture chain with 337 stores in 65 countries around the world. The first BoConcept Brand Store opened in Paris in 1993, but from 2006 onwards, all furniture is sold through franchisees. BoConcept specializes in c ...
, furniture and accessories business. The Danish part of BoConcepts production is located in
Ølgod
Ølgod is a railway town with a population of 3,705 (1 January 2022),bicomponent fibers, used in everything from tea bags to fibreboards. Titan Europe, producer of turbine towers, subcontractor to
Titan Wind Energy
Titan Wind Energy (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005, and listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange on December 31, 2010, stock code: 002531. The company adheres to the development of wind power industry chain upstream and downstream, and it is ma ...
.
Tourism
Varde is one of the largest tourism municipalities in Denmark, which also means that it encompasses a few/several larger tourism related businesses. Within this category we find Hvidbjerg Strand Feriepark (''Blåvand Badeland''), number 42 on the most visited attraction list of 2013 from VisitDenmark, the cottage rental agencies, Dayz Seawest in Nymindegab and businesses who supplement these and cater to tourists visiting the area.
Gastronomy
Following the business development project ''Naturen til bords'' a community of interests was formed named ''Sydvestjyske Smagsoplevelser'' – Taste experiences of South-western Jutland(roughly translated) to carry forward and promote the project after release of the cooking book ''Naturen til bords''. Stakeholders in the community include Varde ådal lam(lamb), Hr. Skov in Blåvand(delicacies and restaurant), Henne Kirkeby Inn(prominent restaurant), NaturKulturVarde(NatureCultureVarde) and many more.
Danish army
The Danish army has 3–4
garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
s in the municipality of Varde, specifically Varde, Oksbøl and Nymindegab. Following the "Military/Defense- settlement of 2013" the ''Hærens Sergeantskole'' moved from Sønderborg to the barracks in Varde, which means that ''Hærens Sergeantskole'', ''Hærens Efterretningscenter'' and the ''Hærens Kamp- og Ildstøttecenter'' are at home in the municipality of Varde. In addition to this the ''Hjemmeværnsskolen'' is located in Nymindegab.
Tourism
With a long and broad high quality beach stretching from Skallingen in the south to
Nymindegab
Nymindegab lies in Southwest Jutland, Denmark, and is a former fishing village by the former outflow at the southern end of Ringkøbing Fjord. In the summer, it is a well-attended tourist town with a permanent population of 205 (1 January 2021). I ...
in the north and with its characteristic look, the coastal area of Varde in the beginning primarily attracted artists, who found inspiration in the landscape and thereby were among the first, together with the
bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
, to initiate the building of
cottage
A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a Cotter (farmer), cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager ...
s for
recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
al purposes along the coast of Varde. In Denmark in the 1920s the common worker was awarded 2 weeks of vacation, which put the building of cottages along the coast in motion and made the Tourism industry in Varde what it is today. A target destination could have been the Henne Mølleå Badehotel (seaside hotel), designed by
Poul Henningsen
Poul Henningsen (9 September 1894 – 31 January 1967) was a Danish author, critic, architect, and designer. In Denmark, where he often is referred to simply as PH, he was one of the leading figures of the cultural life of Denmark between the Worl ...
in 1935.
Varde municipality is the largest coastal tourism municipality in Denmark and especially attracts tourists to the coastal destinations of Blåvand,
Vejers Strand
Vejers Strand is a small Denmark, Danish town with only 27 inhabitants, but a multitude of holiday homes. Vejers Strand is situated in the former Ribe Amt, and is part of the Syddanmark region as of 2007, roughly 30 km northern of the town of ...
and
Henne Strand Henne may refer to:
People
* Albert Leon Henne (1901–1967), American chemist
* Chad Henne (born 1985), American football quarterback
* Diedrich Henne (1834–1903), German born botanist and plant collector
* Ernst Jakob Henne (1904–2005), Germa ...
. The tourists who stay in
Varde Municipality
Varde Municipality is a municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Erik Buhl Nielsen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party. T ...
primarily stay in seaside cottages and among these tourists the German segment is by far the biggest, although there has also been reported a rise in the number of guests from
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
and the
Danes
Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural.
Danes generally regard t ...
themselves.
Transport and Infrastructure
Automobile
Most traffic from and to Varde goes via primary route 11, which starts in
Tønder
Tønder (; german: Tondern ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,505 (as of 1 January 2022), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality.
History
The first mention of Tønder might ...
, and goes via Varde all the way to
Aalborg
Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...
in northern
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 ...
. Primary route 11 crosses the E20 (the Esbjerg highway) near Korskro, from where there is approximately to Varde via primary route 11.
Train
It is possible to reach Varde via
Esbjerg
Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)
or Skjern. Apart from that the "Vestbanen" connects Varde with
Oksbøl
Oksbøl is a town in southwestern Jutland in the Varde Municipality, in Region of Southern Denmark. As of 1 January 2022, it has a population of 2,815.
Notable people
* Æ Tinuser Æ Tinuser (Standard Danish: Tinus brødrene, English The Tinus ...
in the western and
Nørre Nebel
Nørre Nebel is a town in southwest Jutland with a population of 1,316 (1 January 2022).bicycle roads significantly, in large degree through the goodwill of citizens and landowners, whereby the municipality has been able to build of bicycle road between Varde and Nørre Nebel and about between Varde and Næsbjerg. This means that you´re now able to reach almost all corners of Varde by bike as there was already about of bicycle road between Varde and Blåvand via Oksbøl and approximately 20 km of bicycle road between Varde and Esbjerg.
Hiking
If you enjoy hiking, the
North Sea Trail
The North Sea Trail is a transnational long-distance hiking trail along the coast of the North Sea. The route passes through seven countries and 26 partner areas. The aim of the project is to promote sustainable tourism and to keep alive the com ...
goes through the municipality of Varde, the bicoastal "kyst til kyst stien" goes from Blåvand in the west to Vejle in the east and along with these a variety of local hiking trails.
Sports
Speedway is generally a sport that is more prominent in the municipality of Varde, than in most other Danish municipalities.
Furthermore, the nature in and around Varde favours outdoor sports like cycling, mountainbiking, beach related sports, fishing, golf, Muay Thai, hunting, and
skydiving
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
at Varde Faldskærmsklub.
Festivals and annual events
*Varde Open Air – Music festival
*Varde Sommerspil – Musical taking place in July
*Day of the forest, lake, sea and stream/river
*
Red deer
The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
festival in Vejers
*The amber festival
*The lamb festival
*The Wadden Sea festival
*The sheep market in Ho
*The elf/goblin triathlon
*Eventcalendar
Notable people
*
Ludvig Verner Helms
Ludvig Verner Helms (April 14, 1825 – July 26, 1918) was an adventurer, merchant, emissary, and author associated with the Far East, especially the Borneo Company in Sarawak. As a manager for the Borneo Company, Helms developed and expanded ...
(1825 in Varde – 1918) a trader with
Borneo Company Limited
Borneo Company Limited, formed in 1856, was one of the oldest companies based in East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah).
History Brooke era
The Borneo Company Limited (BCL) was registered in London in June 1856 with a capital of £60,000 and off ...
in Sarawak
*
Marie Luplau
Henriette Marie Antonette Luplau (September 7, 1848 – August 16, 1925) was a Danish artist and educator, active in the women's movement. She conducted an art school for women in Copenhagen with her partner, artist Emilie Mundt.
Early life and ...
(1848 in Varde – 1925) an artist and educator, active in the women's movement
* Anne Bruun (1853 in Varde – 1934) a Danish schoolteacher and women's rights activist
*
Johanne Hesbeck
Ida Johanne Hesbeck (2 September 1873 – 25 March 1927) was a Danish photographer. From 1915 to 1927, she ran a successful portrait studio in Holte, north of Copenhagen.
Biography
Born in Varde, Jutland, Hesbeck was the daughter of a merchant, ...
(1873 in Varde – 1927) a photographer, ran a portrait studio in
Holte
Holte is a suburban district in Rudersdal Municipality on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. The local town centre is centred on Holte station and is surrounded by extensive areas of single-family, detached homes as well as several l ...
1915–1927
*
Peder Oluf Pedersen
Peder Oluf Pedersen (19 June 1874 – 30 August 1941) was a Danish engineer and physicist. He is notable for his work on electrotechnology and his cooperation with Valdemar Poulsen on the developmental work on Wire recorders, which he called a ...
(1874 in Sig near Varde – 1941) a Danish engineer and physicist
*
Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted
Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted (; 22 February 1879 – 17 December 1947) was a Danish physical chemist, who developed the Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory simultaneously with and independently of Martin Lowry.
Biography
Brønsted was born in ...
(1879 in Varde – 1947) a Danish
physical chemist
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical me ...
* Maren Sørensen (1882 in Varde – 1957) the first female Danish priest, also a nurse
*
Hans Christian Adamson
Hans Christian Adamson (July 20, 1890 – September 11, 1968) was a Danish-born American writer, who, along with Eddie Rickenbacker, survived adrift for 24 days in the Pacific Ocean in 1942.
Personal history
Adamson was born in Varde, Denmark. ...
(1890–1968) a Danish-born American writer, who survived adrift for 24 days in the Pacific Ocean in 1942.
*
Henning Karmark
Henning Karmark (17 December 1907 – 11 January 1989) was a Danish film producer. He produced 90 films between 1937 and 1971 and was one of the most active producers of the ASA Film studio. He was born in Varde, Denmark and died in Nice, F ...
(1907 in Varde – 1989) a Danish film producer
*
Otto Frello Otto Frello (6 April 1924 in Ovtrup, near Varde – 24 March 2015) was a Danish painter, graphic artist, cartoonist and illustrator.
Otto Frello received the 2004 Eurocon Award as the Best Artist. A square in Varde, near the former St.Jacobi ...
(1924 in Ovtrup, near Varde – 2015) a painter, graphic artist, cartoonist and illustrator
Sport
* John Nielsen (born 1956 in Varde) a former racing driver, won the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
in 1990
*
Uiloq Slettemark
Uiloq Slettemark (born 6 August 1965) is a retired Greenlandic biathlete. She was born in Denmark and has lived in Norway.
Life
Slettemark was born in Varde in 1965.
She is married to Øystein Slettemark who is also a biathlete. Between the two ...
(born 1965 in Varde) a Greenlandic biathlete
*
Jakob Poulsen
Jakob Bendix Uhd Poulsen (born 7 July 1983) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and current assistant coach of Viborg FF.
Poulsen started his senior career with Esbjerg fB, before moving to Dutch side SC Heeren ...
(born 1983 in Varde) a professional footballer, 450 club caps
*
Jesper Jørgensen
Jesper Jørgensen (; born 9 May 1984) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career Esbjerg
Jørgensen began his career with Janderup Billum Samarbejde (JBS) and signed for local rivals Varde IF in July 200 ...
(born 1984 in Varde) a Danish professional footballer, 370 club caps
Sister cities
Varde has a single
sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
, as designated by the Sister Cities International, Inc.:Sister Cities information obtained from th Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI) . Retrieved on 17 May 2017.
Gallery
File:Varde Museum.jpg, Varde Museum
File:Varde - Det Gamle RÃ¥dhus.jpg, The old City Hall
File:Jugendhuset Varde.jpg, Jugendhuset – The Art Nouveau House
File:Varde Kaserne.jpg, Varde Barracks
File:Henne Strand 06.JPG, Henne Strand
File:Henne Strand10.jpg, Henne Strand
File:Henne Strand5.jpg, Cottages at Henne Strand
File:Blåvandshuk4.jpg, Blåvandshuk lighthouse and part of the atlantic wall