Category Archives: Things To Do and Sights

If you are coming to Sønderborg and looking for things to do you have come to the right place. We are working on a list of 99 Things To Do around Sønderborg. We like museums, we like having fun, we hope these can bring you some inspiration for what you can do here.

Where to go sledding in Sønderborg

I have been quite disappointed in the winters we have had in Sønderborg the last two years. This year our oldest kid is 3 years old so he does enjoy snow.

Until the end of February all we really had was a few days of melting snow – just enough to make a snowman that quickly buckled under the temperatures a few days later.

But now – finally – as spring is officially starting in Denmark we get a decent dose of winter.

Where to find good hills for sledding

I asked on the excellent Facebook group Aktiviteter i Sønderborg (For børn) for suggestions for where to go sledding and received a lot of suggestions so I have added them to a map of sledding hills in Sønderborg (Kælkebakker i Sønderborg).

Which spot is your favourite? We have only tried one of these spots but will try and make it to some of them close to us.

If your favourite spot is not listed do write a comment or send us an email to let us know and we’ll add it.

If you are not in Sønderborg check out the Kælkebakke Kortet some areas of Denmark are quite well covered.

Sauna Experience at Humlehoj Hallen

Humlehoj Hallen is mostly know for its pool. During weekends and holidays and in the evenings it is often full of people swimming up and down the lanes, children training, or just playing in the toddler pool. But twice a week, outside of opening hours, there is a
different kind of experience possible: a saunagus.

Saunagus Sønderborg

My first reaction was: but what is a saunagus? Saunagus refers to the use of aromatherapy oils as part of the sauna experience, where besides water being thrown onto the hot coals to bring up the temperature, aromatherapy oils are also added, in the process vapourising the oils to reach your senses.

Michael and I tried this experience at Humlehoj on a Tuesday evening. We arrived a bit before time to be directed into the pool from the side door, we paid our 50 DKK and were directed to the showers to get changed into our swimming suits ready for the experience to begin.

The experience consists of 3 sessions of 10 minutes each, each with their own aromatherapy oil. When we went we started with ginger and lavender, then elderflower, and finished with lemon grass. During the 10 minutes the saunagus leader adds water and oils to the coals and then swirls towels or a fan around the room, helping the hot vapours to reach the participants. At points a sprinkling of cold water is also offered. When the 10 minutes are up you then can go outside, cool down under the shower heads and also jump into the pool.

If you ask me how the experience was, I would say: HOT! As a beginner I could feel the temperature, but sitting on the lowest step helped. Most of the others when we went there however have been there many times and enjoy the high temperatures. Each mini-session being limited to 10 minutes also meant that it didn’t get too much, although if that is the case you can easily leave the sauna to cool down a bit.

Another thing I would say would be that the experience felt surprisingly indulgent, especially for 50 DKK! The atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly. The pool is darkened and illuminated with under-water lighting. You also get little treats along the way, but I won’t spoil the fun there. I guess for 50 DKK I expected just the bare bones.

I can definitely see this being something I would do with my friends for a relaxing evening together, or when my mother comes to visit, or on another occasion with Michael. If I had to remember anything I think for next time I would take an exfoliating cream to apply between sessions as some of the other more experienced saunagus-goers had.

If you’re interested first of all look at the Humlehoj hallen webpage to check when the sessions are. The dates seem to change every month, but there are typically 2 sessions a week. Do send a text to the number on the webpage, or an email to Humlehoj hallen to book in advance. On the day we went the saunagus was full, and people trying to book for upcoming dates found many dates booked. Once you’re booked just go there and enjoy the experience. And maybe come back and tell us what you think about it!

Image by Thomas Wanhoff

Clubs, sports and activities in Sonderborg

Did you know that you can find any kind of sport or interest in Sonderborg or the surrounding area?

Or maybe not everything… but close. If there is a hobby and more than a handful of people who are interested, Danes tend to form a club with board members, members, general assembly, regular meetings, jule frokost etc. etc.

So of course there are football and handball but did you know that you can play floorball, go kart, American Football and chess around here?

Some of the clubs are named not after Sønderborg but a wider or narrower area, so there are things like “Skakklubben Alssund” or “Ulkebøl Badminton“.

Over several sessions I have tried to gather a list of all the clubs in Sønderborg Kommune that I could find and add them to a map.

Here is the map and list.

Aerobic club (Sønderborg AerobicClub) Sønderborg AerobicClub http://www.soenderborg-aerobicclub.dk/
American Football Sønderborg Seargeants http://sergeants.dk/
Archery club Sønderborg Bueskyttelaug http://www.s-bl.dk/
Athletics club Vidar Atletik http://vidaratletik.dk/
Badminton (Dybbøl) http://www.dybbolbadminton.dk/
Badminton club (SFS) Sønderborg Familie og Firma Sport http://www.sfs-sonderborg.dk/badminton.html
Badminton club (Ulkebøl) Ulkebøl Badminton http://xn--ulkeblbadminton-9tb.dk/
Ballet school Sønderjyllands Danseakademi http://www.sonderborgmusikskole.dk/Danseakademiet/Hjem.aspx
Basketball Club Spirillen http://www.spirillen.dk/
Beer appreciation club Danske Ølentusiaster :: Sønderborg http://www.ale.dk/index.php?id=435
Bicycle club (SCK) SCK Cykling http://www.sck-cykling.dk/
Bicycle Club (SCM) Sønderborg Cykelmotion http://cms-soenderborg.dk/
Billard Club Sønderborg Billard Club http://www.sbc1981.dk/
Bowling Funbowling http://www.funbowling.dk/
Boxing Club Sønderborg Amatør BokseKlub http://sabk.dk/
Chess Club Skakklubben Alssund http://www.alssundskak.dk/
Climbing club Sønderborg klatreklub http://www.soenderborgklatreklub.dk/
Cricket http://cricket.dk/sonderborg-cricket-club/
Cross Fit Club CrossFit Sønderborg http://crossfitsoenderborg.dk/
Dancing club (AB Dance) AB Dance http://www.abdance.dk/
Diving club Sønderborg Sportsdykkerklub http://www.ssk-dyk.dk/
Fishing Club Sportsfiskerforeningen ALS http://www.sportsfiskerforeningenals.dk/
Fitness Club (City Fitness) Sønderborg City Fitness www.c-fitness.dk
Fitness Club (Fitness World) Fitness World – Sønderborg www.fitnessworld.dk
Fitness Club (Zielkes) Zielkes Fitnessklub http://www.zielkes.dk/
Flooball club Sønderborg Floorball Club http://www.thevikings.dk/
Flying club Alssund Flyverklub http://www.sonderborg-lufthavn.dk/alssund-flyveklub.html
Football club (SFS) Sønderborg Familie og Firma Sport http://www.sfs-sonderborg.dk/fodbold.html
Go Kart club Als Go Kart klub alsgokartklub.dk
Golf Club Sønderborg Golfklub www.alssundgolf.dk
Handball (Vidar-Ulkebøl) Vidar-Ulkebøl Håndbold http://www.vidar-ulkebol.dk/
Handball club (Dybbøl) Dybbøl Håndbold http://haandbold.dybbol-iu.dk/
Indoor swimmingpool Humlehøjhallen http://www.humlehojhallen.dk/
Karate club (Ashihara) Ashihara karate http://www.ashihara-sonderborg.dk/
Karate Club (Yawara-Do) Yawara-Do http://yawara-do.dk/
Kayak club Sønderborg Kajakklub http://www.sonderborgkajakklub.dk/
Krolf Club Sønderborg Krolfklub http://www.sonderborgkrolfklub.dk/
Linux User Group Alssund Linux User Group http://alslug.dk/
Minigolf https://funbowling.dk/#minigolf
Mixed Martial Arts Club Sønderborg MMA http://www.sdbg-mma.dk/
Model airplane club Sønderborg Modelflyveklub http://www.modelflyveklubber.dk/soenderborg-modelflyveklub.aspx
Model Train Club Sønderborg Modeljernbaneklub http://www.modeljernbaneklub.dk/
Motocross Club SMC Sonderborg Motorclub http://www.sonderborgmotorclub.dk/
Mountain bike club MTB Sønderborg http://www.mtbs.dk/
Orienteering race club Sønderborg Orienterings Klub http://www.sonderborg-ok.dk/
Poker Club Sønderborg Poker Klub http://www.sonderborgpokerklub.dk/
Ramblers/Hikers club Fodslaw Sønderborg – Vandrefalkene http://fodslawsonderborg.dk/
Riding Club (Klinting) Klinting Rideklub https://www.facebook.com/KlintingRideklub
Riding club (Sønderborg Rideklub) Sønderborg Rideklub http://www.sonderborg-rideklub.dk/
Role Playing Club Sønderborg Rollespils Klub “Mithrandir” http://slrk.weebly.com/
Rowing club Sønderborg Roklub http://www.sonderborg-roklub.dk/
Rugby club (not active?) Sønderborg Barbarians https://www.facebook.com/groups/8631235372/
Running Club Meets on Tuesdays at 6 pm. Groups for different levels, from complete beginners to marathon running. http://www.vidarmotion.dk/
Salsa Club Alsalsa http://alsalsa.dk/
Shooting club (SFS and SSK) http://www.sonderborgskyttekreds.dk/
Ski Club Sonderborg Ski Klub http://www.sonderborgskiklub.dk/
Squash Club Sønderborg Squash Club www.sonderborg-squash.dk
Swimming Club Svømmeklubben Sønderborg http://www.sks-svoem.dk/
Table Tennis (Broager) http://broager-bordtennis.dk/
Tabletennis club (SFS) Sønderborg Familie og Firma Sport http://www.sfs-sonderborg.dk/bordtennis.html
Taekwondo club (Chung Un) Chung Un Taekwondo http://www.chung-un.dk/chung/
Taekwondo club (STK) Sønderborg Taekwondo Klub www.stkdk.dk
Tango Club La Cunita – Sønderborg Tango http://www.tangosonderborg.dk/
Tennis Club (Dybbøl) http://www.dybboltennis.dk/
Tennis club (Sønderborg) Sønderborg Tennisklub http://www.stktennis.dk/
Triathlon Club Sønderborg Triathlon Klub http://www.stk90.dk/
Viking Association Als viking-middelalder laug http://avml.dk/
Volleyball Club Sønderborg Volleyball Klub http://www.sovk.dk/
Winter bathing club Sønderborg Vikingklub http://www.sonderborg-vikingeklub.dk/
Wrestling club (not active?) Brydeklubben Alsia http://www.bkalsia.dk/
Yacht Club Sønderborg Yacht Club http://www.sycjunior.dk/ http://www.syc.dk/

 

Any clubs I missed?

Get a Traditional Thai Massage

Having a baby is tough on your body, not least your shoulders and back once you’re rocking and hauling him around. I, therefore, finally decided to make use of Michael’s parents birthday gift to me: money for a massage.

There are a number of places where you can get a massage in Sonderborg, with most of them seeming to be at a physiotherapist. However, I decided to go for something different: a traditional Thai massage. This is offered by a Thai lady called Nisa Rodphet. I called her on a Saturday and made an appointment for 1.5 hrs later.

The clinic is located on Ringgade. It is easy to find the building, but maybe less so the actual door as the first sign directs you to the basement but actually it is round the corner. Once you are walking out, however, it is easy to spot the place.

First impressions are that the clinic is actually part of the living space in her apartment that has been turned into a massage area. It is relatively well cut off from the rest of the living space so it doesn’t feel intrusive. However, it is less shielded from the road where, considering you are getting undressed, is a bit surprising. Also, if the next client arrives early there is less privacy than I expected.

Nevertheless the massage itself was really good (at least for my first Thai massage!). Nisa worked mainly on my shoulders, back, arms and legs, with a bit on my head/face as well. These areas are quite a bit looser now, which was the aim. Don’t expect the massage to be very relaxing though, as expected the massage is quite thorough, but it does feel good.

So if privacy is not your biggest concern (or having a sterile-clean location) and you fancy a Thai massage do try this place out. It cost 300 DKK for a massage, which is a good price for a massage in this area. You can drop in, but if you can it would be best if you call ahead to make sure she does not have other clients.

Planning a bike trip to Ærø

Spring is here and soon it will be more comfortable to enjoy the outdoors more again.

Ærø is a tiny island, around a 3rd of the size of Als, which is part of the South Funen archipelago of islands. It is well connected to Als via a ferry leaving from Fynshav 2-3 times a day. Also, once you get there, due to its small size, it is easily manageable by bike or even on foot (especially with the help of the free bus service). But how would you plan your trip?

Skjoldnæs Fyr, Ærø

Last year we went there for a two day stay. These are two route suggestions based on our trip depending on the time you have. For other routes read the last section.

One day on Ærø (cycle 16km or 36km)

Taking the early ferry at 7:45 ferry from Fynshav (every day except Sundays and public holidays), arriving in Søby, in the north of Ærø at 8:55, means that you can get a decent amount done in one day.

The route is 16km from Søby to Ærøskøbing and if you loop back on the bike it is 36km. If 16km is enough for one day you can take the bus back to Søby.

If you are doing the trip with turist-erria (as we did), grab the picnic lunch from Cafe Arthur just next to the ferry and get on your way.

From Søby cycle down cycle route 90 to Ærøskøbing along the east coast, getting great vistas over the Danish Baltic seas and the Ærø countryside. This is around 16 km and should take 1-2 hours at a leisurely but reasonable speed.

Once in Ærøskøbing park your bike and have a walk around town, to enjoy the town landscape kept intact since the middle ages. Grab lunch here in the centre of town – we had a really good lunch at På Torvet right in the centre of town. If you are not yet hungry (or you’ve had the picnic lunch) but want something sweet, ice-cream from På Torvet or Cafe Aroma by the harbour will probably hit the spot.

After a quiet lunch/snack and a walk around the town, get back on your bike and cycle the 10-15 km to Marstal along cycle route 92. This route is much flatter than route 90 and although around half of it is on gravel road, most of that is really nice to cycle on. Once in Marstal, if you have time, drop in at the Marstal Maritime Museum close to the harbour or, alternatively into Marstal church, which has votive ship models attached to the ceiling.

By now it is probably time to start thinking of getting back to the ferry. The best option to get the most out of your time is to take the bus at 16:08 from the Marstal harbour, arriving in Søby at 17:00, just in time for the ferry at 17:10. If you are using bikes do be aware that the bus will only take 2 bikes on each trip. You are now back in Søby, ready for a restful trip back to Fynshav after a very busy day.

Two days on Ærø

Two days on Ærø will allow you to experience the island at the more relaxed pace the island is probably meant to be experienced. It will also allow you to walk rather than cycle if that is the way you want to unwind.

If on bikes, start the trip as you would a one day trip, cycling from Søby to Ærøskøbing, stopping at pretty locations along the way for a rest, a picnic, or a quick look around the various shops and stalls set up along the way. Once in Ærøskøbing, rather than quickly rushing off to Marstal, we would recommend spending the night in Ærøskøbing, which is the prettier of the two. By now you are probably in need of a well-deserved break, so have a drink and a leisurely lunch, before checking in to your accommodation. We stayed at the holiday accommodation offered by På Torvet in the centre of Ærøskøbing.

Cozy cafe "På Torvet"

Once you’ve had a rest go on an amble around town to get your orientation and learn more about the town. We used the plan as set out in the book Byens Rundt, which took us round most of the streets with information on what we were seeing. If reading all the book and seeing all the sights this will take around 2 -3 hrs, especially if you get distracted by all the shops selling pretty items in town. If it is good weather you can also go for a swim in the beach off Vestre Strandvej. It was May when we went, but we still braved the ‘fresh’ experience!

For dinner you have a number of options. One of the options is to have dinner in one of the restaurants in town. Alternatively, you can do what we did on the recommendation of Gunnar, the owner of På Torvet accommodation, and grab a bottle of wine and a picnic and go see the sunset on the beach next to the beach houses before collapsing into bed for the night.

The next morning buy some rundstykke (Danish rolls) and pastries from the baker in town. Continue as in the plan for the afternoon of a one day trip, with a cycle to Marstal, which should take around 1 hour. During the trip you can make a short detour at one point to see a stone age Jættestuen (burial mound), which we would recommend just for the experience.

Once in Marstal you have the time to properly check out the museum, before having lunch. We had lunch in town, but for our next trip we have our eye on Fru Berg, a fish restuarant on the harbour.

After lunch, grab a bus back up to Søby harbour, even though it is still a while till the ferry is meant to leave. From Søby cycle up to Skjøldnæs lighthouse, which is around a 5 km trip. This is the first thing you see on the ferry when approaching Ærø from Als, so is a fitting way to finish your trip. Once there you can go up to the top to see the views all around. The lighthouse is in a golf club and, if lucky, you may be able to buy an ice-cream or coffee from the club house.

Cycle back to Søby where you can grab a hotdog or ice-cream at Cafe Arthur if you haven’t managed to buy one at the lighthouse and enjoy the last few minutes of relaxation before the ferry arrives.

Our trip to Ærø was sponsored by Ærø turist (ferry ticket), turist-erria (picnic pack and books on Ærø) and På Torvet (accommodation and lunch).

Sønderborg Cycle Club is evil

The local road cycle club Sønderborg Cykel Klub (SCK) recently released a promotional video for the club and road cycling. The video is imitating a movie trailer with a deep voiced speaker and declarations like “The best bicycle club in the world”, “We are evil” and “We taler dansk”.

SCK offers cycling and competitive cycling for people of all ages (from 9 years old and up). The club’s aim is to create a team spirit and show that you can have fun while doing a competitive sport.

If you are interested you can join the weekly team training. If you are interested send an email to the chairman so he can let the trainers of the day know that a newcomer is joining. You can train with the club for while to try it out before you become a paying member. There is no requirement of being in a particular state of fitness in order to join, for instance can adults start training with the young adults in the beginning.

The club has some borrow-bicycles that people interested in the sport can borrow. Primarily the bikes are in sizes for 9-17 olds. In order to borrow a bike you need to pay a deposit and the worn parts (breaks, tires etc. need to be replaced).

To become a member sign up here.

The Sønderborg based production company Zoom Film is behind the film and it looks like parts of it is shot with a drone around Dybbøl Mølle and some parts on Kær Halvø.

Christmas Inspiration at Frøken Fin

Danes love Christmas. As November starts progressing you will start seeing small decorations popping up here and there in people’s homes. A lot of these decorations, especially decorations connected to the Advent wreath, often come decorated in items from nature, such as moss, branches and pine cones.

Making such items are not a tradition from where I come, not least because we don’t have forests from where to go and pick up most of the ‘nature’ elements used to decorate most of them. Since I moved to Denmark I have made one with Michael’s mother every year, but then I typically just feel overwhelmed in the process, not least because I don’t know the dos and don’ts that the Danes seem to know instinctively. Therefore, besides that once a year, I mainly admire them from afar.

Most Danes seem to learn how to do such items as kids by doing with their parents. However, there are always new things coming out, so through colleagues I have discovered ‘Christmas Inspiration’ evenings at one of Sonderborg’s florists/home decor stores: Frøken Fin. I went to the first day of inspiration evenings with my colleagues to check what this is all about.

The evening consisted of around 45 minutes of being shown different ways of combining different bases (glass, copper, zinc), nature objects (pine cones, moss, branches) and decorative items (lights, ribbons, candles) to make pretty objects to decorate your house with over the winter and Christmas period. Following the demonstration there was then glogg and biscuits and we could walk around the shop and buy stuff (if we wanted to).

Christmas in Sonderborg

I must admit that even though they must have kept it simple the basics were not covered (e.g. Where do you get the moss from? Candle safety? Keeping the arrangements looking fresh), but this was an inspiration evening after all not a course. Also, talking to my colleagues it seems like the answers to all these questions are instinctively known by them, so maybe I was the only one slightly lost (the event being in Danish probably didn’t help either).

Nevertheless, a very pleasant evening being exposed to a way of decorating your house that is quite Danish (at least from a Southern European point of view). If you are interested in joining there are more events coming up during November:

  • Monday 10. Nov at 18.00 and 20:00
  • Wednesday 12. Nov at 18.00 and 20:00
  • Thursday 13. Nov at 18.00 and 20:00

If you want to join just call the shop on 7442 2225 or visit the shop itself on Ringgade, The event is free and up to 20 individuals are allowed each time. It made for a very pleasant evenings, especially as there was no hard sell to buy items in the shop. So if that is something that worries you, don’t need to worry. But do take some money with you, as you will probably be inspired to buy something!

Try badminton in Ulkebøl

The World Badminton Championships just finished in Copenhagen this year and in extension of this the local Ulkebøl Badminton club will have an open house where you can try your skills with a badminton racket and shuttlecock (yes – that is the English word for ‘fjerbold’).

Badminton (33)

The open house at Ulkebøl Badminton is this Saturday the 6th of September from 1pm to 4pm in Ulkebøl-hallen. Bring indoor sports shoes and the club will lend you the gear to play and tell you about the sport.

Ulkebøl Badminton club has about 200 members in all ages, there is a lot of social activities around the year and there are family events.

Check out the clubs website or Facebook to learn more.

Ulkebolbadminton

Try out Cricket in Sønderborg

This is a guest post by Vivek Menon a member of Sønderborg Cricket Club.

Did you know you could play the sport of Cricket right here in our lovely Sonderborg? What the hell is Cricket – most of you may ask?

Well here is the Wikipedia version – Cricket is a bat and ball game, played between two teams of 11 players each. One team bats, attempting to score runs, while the other bowls and fields the ball, attempting to restrict the scoring and dismiss the batsmen. The objective of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent. There are many rules to the game which are better understood by checking out this basics video.

It is a team sport and considered to be Gentlemen’s (and Ladies’) game with a rich history and tradition. What makes cricket stand out from football and other team games is that it has a more gladiatorial feel to it. It’s not an even 11 vs 11 contest but more of a 2 vs 11 uneven battle in the ring. The batsmen, like the gladiators of old – go out to the center with a bat, some protection and helmets to face a hard leather ball which is being thrown at them upto 100 Km/h which swings or spins in the air and after pitching and have to survive.

Cricket Sonderborg

C2

To the serious fans of the game it is best encompassed by the a quote from Jon Arlott:

“Cricket is a most precarious profession; it is called a team game but, in fact, no one is so lonely as a batsman facing a bowler supported by ten fieldsmen and observed by two umpires to ensure that his error does not go unpunished”

For the more light hearted fans/interested people the famous American comedian Robin Williams has a more apt definition:

“Cricket is like baseball on valium”.

It is game invented by the British and played in over 100 countries today including Denmark. Many of you would be surprised to hear that some of the oldest football clubs in Denmark started as Cricket clubs when the British came here to build the Danish railways?

So where can you play this game in Sonderborg. Well the Sonderborg Cricket Club has been recently formed and they are currently using the grounds of the Uklebol school (Just behind of Park Kollegium). During winter they are playing indoors in the Klovermarken hallen. They practice almost all Thursdays (from 1700 hrs) and Sundays (from 1000 hrs). Everyone is welcome to come and join in or watch the action.

The club currently has about 20 members living in Sonderborg and Flensburg. It includes players from Danish, Indian, Pakistani, Srilankan and Afghani backgrounds. They are looking to increase their membership and invite both children and adults from all backgrounds.

The aim of the club is to spread the message and team spirit of cricket and supporting integration of all nationalities living in Sonderborg. They will be present at the Sonderborg Kultur Nat on 24th August – so be sure to catch them there.

So are you or your kids ready for battle? Become modern day gladiators? (Kids will play with rubber balls)

For those who would like to read more about cricket in Denmark in Danish please read more at Dansk Cricket Forbund.

Football Golf – Yes that’s a thing

You probably haven’t heard of Footballgolf – but that is an actual sport and we have a 18-hole course right here on Als!

When my 10 year old, football-crazy nephew came to visit us this summer I challenged him for a game of Footballgolf.

The game was invented in Sweden not too many years ago and is more or less played like golf but instead of a small ball and an iron you just have a football – and a bigger hole. The international name is “Footballgolf” although in Ireland they have named it Footee. Here’s a video that explains the game (in Danish):

Als Fodbold Golf was started in 2012. It consists of 18 very different courses that each have a special “feature”, some of them are quite innovative and challenging. For instance hole number 13 has these gates where if you hit through the top triangle you get 2 kicks deducted.

Next to the course there is a covered area where you can eat your lunch or picnic. We spent about an hour and a half doing the course and we were very well entertained and we had hole-in-ones and giant blunders to tell about when we got home.

The price is 100 DKK for adults and 50 DKK for kids under 16 – kids under 5 play for free.

To play at the field you get the ball and score cards from Egen Put&Take lake at the address below.

Als Fodbold Golf
Nordborgvej 120
6430 Nordborg