Tag Archives: events

Learn about Sealife at the Blue Flag Station (Blå Flag Center)

Sonderborg Blue Flag Centre

A Blue Flag beach or marina indicates that a beach or marina has reach stringent requirements for water quality, safety, environmental education and information. There are 3 such locations on Als: Sønderborg Lystbådehavn, Sønderborg badestrand and Fynshavn badestrand. Sønderborg lystbadehavn, however goes one step further: it also has one of 14 Danish Blue Flag Centres.

6400 Sonderborg, Denmark

 

What can you find there?

Equipment to borrow

The Blue Flag centre in Sonderborg is a mobile exhibition and activity centre equipped with nets, buckets, waders, telescopes, aquaria, and all you can think of to help you explore the water in the area – all free for you to borrow! The centre is also staffed by a biologist, who was very happy to answer our questions and help us along when we visited.

Camera Roll-566

Besides the activity centre, a variety of events are organised during the summer open season (Wednesday to Sunday 10-17 in weeks number 2635). A number of activities from the packed programme that caught our eye included:

  • Fjordsafari every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10-13 (100-150DKK)
  • Fishing Tour on Friday 13th July from 10-14 (50-100 DKK)
  • GPS Race (geocaching) on Friday 13th and Sunday 22nd July, and Saturday 4th August from 10-15
  • Canoe Tour on Sunday 15th July (book by the 10th of July) from 10-15
  • Beach Games on Friday 20th July from 13-16
  • ‘Eat your coast’ on Saturday 21st July and Sunday 5th Augustr from 13-16
  • Crab Day on Thursday 26th July from 14:30-16:30
  • Snorkel Safari on Saturday 28th July and 11th August from 10-13
  • Ship Builder for a day on Friday 3rd August from 14-16
  • Beach Art on Friday 10th August from 10-15
  • Closing event on Sunday 12th August from 15-17

We visited the Blue Flag Centre when our 9 year old nephew was visiting. He very happily spent 2hrs playing around on his own with the provided equipment, and could have easily stayed longer if it wasn’t time for dinner.

Camera Roll-573

A must-do for anyone who has children. As for adults? I’m sure you can channel your inner child and amaze yourself at the sealife there is around us.

A grand father helping his grand son look for sea life

What’s on in June 2012?

In May 2012 we started what we plan to be a monthly series, where we look at the events calendar published by visitsonderborg for the following month and pin point the events that catch our eye.

There are also other events that are over a longer time period, such as the exhibitions related to WWI and the plebiscites and reunification at Sonderborg Slot, the Sonderborg Summer Revue, a well as the start of the tilting-at-the-ring season. Can’t wait for that to arrive in Sonderborg next month!

Talks at the library

Both of us are fairly regular library users and one of the first things Ann does when she arrives in a new city is to acquire a library card. Sonderborg was no exception and the staff here were really friendly and helpful so we both had access the second day we were in town.

Sønderborg Bibliotek

So far we have used the library to borrow books, DVDs and CDs, get internet (when our own failed) and then I have gone to two public talks. I haven’t really does this before but since I’m trying to stay on top of what’s going on in Sonderborg for this blog I’ve kept an eye on the library’s calendar and there are loads of really interesting topics.

Nikolaj Witte i Sønderborg om "Kina og jagten på udødeligheden"

First I went to a talk by Nikolaj Witte who presented “China and the search for immortality” about the religions and customs of China. A very inspiring talk and with Nikolaj’s background in philosophy we got a nice introduction to understanding the very different mentality and culture of China. This talk was part of the municipality’s week long celebrations of the Chinese New Year and I think that was why the event was free.

The second talk I went to was with Anders Høeg Nissen, one of the presenter of a weekly radio show about technology, robots and lasers. I’ve been a casual listener of the radio show since high school back in the late 90s so it was fun to put a face to the voice. Anders talked about trends in technology in general and some gadgets specifically. Most of the topics I had heard about in the show or read about elsewhere but still, it was good to take a step back and consider what these advances in technology mean for us in the bigger picture.

Signs, upcoming

Often topics are covered in themes so there will be series of talks about Iceland or this winter there are a lot of talks about WW1. All the talks I have read about has been by Danes and in Danish so you have to be able to comprehend spoken Danish to get something out of these talks. The prices are from free to 50/80DKK per talk, sometimes with discounts for students.

While we were living in London libraries were closing all around us. In our borough 6 out of 12 libraries got shut down during 2011. If you want to keep our library around you need to use it 🙂

The lights go on on Friday

December is as close as ever and after local volunteers went around Sonderborg city centre to put up 125 small Christmas trees in the streets the time for lighting is upon us. All the Christmas lights around the streets and the big Christmas tree in front of town hall will be turned on this Friday the 25th of November.

The programme looks like this:

  • 16.00 a performer playing Christmas songs in front of town hall.
  • 16.30 South Danish Girls’ Choir will sing
  • Around 16.35 the Christmas parade will start from Georg Hansens Vej and make it’s way towards the centre
  •  16.50 Julemanden (Santa) and all the elves(?) will arrive with Sønderborg Garden at town hall
  • Everybody sings a Christmas carol, the vice mayor will give a speech and finally light the big Christmas tree.

During December the local business association has more plans.

  • November 27th 12-17 Christmas food, workshop and customs at Sonderborg Castle. Free entrance(?)
  • December 3rd 10-16 Christmas at the Dybbol Mill – hot beer with honey, Christmas tree anno 1864 and more
  • December 3rd 12.30-15 a jazz band will play in the streets
  • December 4th 10-16 Christmas at the Dybbol Mill – hot beer with honey, Christmas tree anno 1864 and more
  • December 4th at 15 Stig Rossen, Denmark’s most famous opera singer, will sing at the Town Hall Square
  • December 10th 11-14 a jazz band will play in the streets
  • December 10th at 12 it’s Claus Lykke the “Christmas Rock Pirat” and his dog (so I’m guessing it’s more for kids)
  • December 11th at 12 dancers will perform at Rønhave Square
  • December 15th 15-17 a jazz band will play in the streets
  • December 16rd 15-17 a jazz band will play in the streets
  • December 16th to 19th the big Christmas market will be open on the Town Hall Square