Faaborg.
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Overview

Faaborg is a coastal town with some 7,000 inhabitants (2020) in the southwestern corner of Funen island. It's an old town dating back to the Middle Ages, with some cobbled streets, a lively harbour district, and nearby forests and parks for recreation.

Understand

The local landmark is the iconic clock tower which dates back to around 1250, a great spot from where you can get a good view of the whole town. A few cobbled streets, with small town houses, from the 1700s and 1800s, and a high street are strewn around the tower.

The central square has a tourist office and two museums, a derelict prison and court, and a town house for a wealthy local family from the 1700s. The shopping high street, spills by the way of small side passages towards restaurants, cafes, bars, and cinema close to the harbour.

The harbour running parallel to the high street is especially fun during the summer months filled with life and activity. It features an outdoor harbour bath where you can swim in the sea, with facilities for both children and experienced swimmers. The local kayak club can often be seen rowing through the small passages in the harbour. Moreover, there's a smoke house for the smoking of fish, which doubles as a restaurant. Every Wednesday during summer, the owners of veteran cars meet up outside to socialize and show off their vehicles. It is also one of the harbours used in the Fyn rundt sailing event, where wooden high masted sail ships are docked.

Get in

The nearest airport is in Odense. It is mainly used by charter tourists.

Denmark's second busiest airport, in Jutland. It has many flights from Europe. By public transportation, take bus 43 to Vejle, a train to Odense and bus 141 to Faaborg. The journey will take about 3 hours.

The busiest airport in the Nordic countries with many flights from Europe and elsewhere. From the airport's railway station you can take a train to Odense, and bus 141 to Faaborg. The journey will take 3-4 hours.

By bus There are buses from Odense (bus 141), which in turn has bus and train connections from elsewhere in Denmark. See the route planner for schedules.

Faaborg is at the intersection of three highways, at the end of one is Årslev at highway 43, Nyborg and Boyden, at opposite ends of highway 8 and Svendborg at the end of highway 44. They connect to other arteries, including the motorway connecting Funen to Jutland and Zealand.

Faaborg has a marina, for those travelling by yacht.

The harbour is close to the centre of town; there are ferries from the islands of Avernakø, Lyø, Bjørnø and Ærø. The town of Bøjden is a short drive or bus ride from Faaborg, to there a ferry travels from Fynshav a town in Als on the peninsula of Jutland.

Get around

On foot The centre of town is easily accessible on foot. The centre of town has many small paths between buildings that you can only get to by foot or bicycle.

By bicycle Faaborg has several bicycle paths and as everything is close by, making it an efficient way to get around. That includes some roundabouts, with up to two paths. Unless specified by a sign, you can ride a bicycle anywhere in and around Faaborg. There are many people hiring and selling bicycles in town. If you are staying for a long period of time, then it can easily pay to buy a cheap or used bicycle.

By car It's easy to get around by car. There are many parking spaces, especially by the harbour.

By camper There are many roads wide enough for campers to drive on and get around. The harbour also has parking places where campers can stay, including access to toilets, electricity and other services.

By bus It's possible to travel by bus all across Funen. Faaborg has a bus terminal outside Lidl, which is close to the train station of Syd Fynske Veteranjernbane.

141 Travels between Faaborg and Odense. It climbs the hills of Svanninge Bakker, going to Vester Hæsinge, followed by Heden, Nørre Søby where it stops outside, the Danish composer, Carl Nielsen's childhood home. In Odense the bus travels through Hjallese, Dalum, past Odense Zoo, the university hospital, finally stopping at Odense bus station, beside the train station. It is the fastest route to Odense. 110-111 Travels between Faaborg and Odense, though also connecting to Assens and Nr. Broby. 161 -162 Travels between Faaborg and Svendborg. 920 Travels to Ørsted, Nyborg and Kerteminde.

Rejseplanen.dk is the main website and app for planning travel using public transport in Denmark.

Flextrafik/Teletaxi A coordinated travel service, much like a bus it has routes, pick up points and collects passengers.

By bicycle-taxi Faaborg has a bicycle taxi, which can take up to two passengers. Payment and ordering of a bicycle taxi ride works in much the same way, as a normal taxi.

By taxi There is a holding area by the bus terminal, where taxis often hold.

See

Faaborg Museum. An art gallery with paintings by a group of artists who travelled to the area, because of its nature in the late 1800s. The group were called the "Funen painters".

Arresten. A prison and courthouse, turned into a museum.

Øhavsmuseet. In this museum, you can learn about the history, nature and landscape of southern Fyn.

Den gamle Gaard. The town house of a wealthy family, with elements inside from the 1700s and 1800s. It also includes a rune stone in one of the stalls.

Kaleko mølle. A watermill and museum with roots dating all the way back to the Middle Ages, open to visitors the last 100 years. Here you can learn all aspects about living in a watermill, and how people lived in the 1800s. The oldest elements of the watermill date from the 1600s, making it Denmark's oldest functioning watermill. It was also used in an iconic Christmas TV series called "nisse banden" from 1984..

Faaborg has cobbled streets and buildings from the 1700s to modern day. A lot of the houses are unique and especially a walk down Holkegade, Torvet, Vestergade, Grønnegade and Bøjestræde will take you past many buildings that have been preserved and are historically significant. Bøjestræde was used in the filming of the TV series 1864, it has antique and art shops. During the summer, the flower common hollyhock grows up the sides of the buildings.

Syd Fyenske Veteranjernbane. A veteran train line with the types of trains which were common in Denmark in the 1950s. This corresponds to the same time in which the railway line was disbanded by the original railway operator. The trains will take you from Faaborg to Korinth. The original line went all the way to Ringe, but today the rest of the train line has been converted to a hiking path. It is mainly open during the holidays and especially during the summer months. The train makes a return journey three times a day. The organisation who holds the trains and the corresponding line is entirely run by voluntary railway enthusiasts.

Klokketårnet. The clock tower is an iconic central landmark, close to the high street and harbour. It has great views of the town from the top of the tower. Its history dates back to the Middle Ages. The corresponding church was dismantled in the renaissance. The tower has melodic bell chimes which can be heard all through town. Every evening, during the summer months, from 21:00 to 22:00, it is possible to walk around the streets with the night watchmen. They dress in black, in their hands they have carry a mace and a bundle of keys. Instead of keeping order in the streets during the night, they are guides telling stories about the town's history. They can also be heard singing traditional folk melodies. It is free, but it is possible to give a monetary donation. The guided tour starts and finishes at the clock tower.

Faaborg Miniby. A miniature recreation of local buildings, open from May through the summer holidays.

Helios-teatret. Helios-teatret (Helios Theater) is a cinema with a large and a small theatre. It shows high-budget and low-budget films. It is run by 120 volunteers. The facade of the building is see-through. During the evenings the building is lit up with light from coloured tubes inside the facade. The lights fade and light up in a variety of colours. The foyer is floor to ceiling wood fibre boards in a golden hue. Half of the foyer is Cafe Soze. The volunteers are only there when there is a viewing, but you can still access the foyer during the opening times of Cafe Soze.

Vesterport. Faaborg, like many other towns from the Middle Ages, was walled. In order to access the town, you had to enter one of four gates. Vesterport (West Gate), built around 1470, is the only surviving gate to the town out of four. Until 1851 it was closed during the evenings and you had to pay to enter. The gate was quite unpopular with the locals, but it has survived because a building shared a wall with it and its owner protested its planned destruction. Another reason it was saved is that it stopped wind from rushing through the streets. It was restored in 1770 and 1917.

Den Voigtske Gaard. A merchants building with a courtyard where in there is a statue by Keld Moseholm, The statue is called "Toppen og bolden" (The top and ball) it is a reference to the romantic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It is here that Hans Christian Andersen fell in love with the rich merchants daughter Riborg. On one of the walls the name Riborg is written in large bold letters. There is parking close by.

Levins Hus. A building used by artist to exhibit their art works, it is also used for meetings and art lessons. It is free to exhibit in and visit.

Statues There are two statues by the artist Keld Moseholm, one is Toppen og bolden (the ball and top) in the court yard of Den Voigtske Gaard, the other is pige ved gynge (girl on the swing) in the court yard of torvet 8.

The town square has the statue Ymers Brønd (Ymirs well) erected in 1913 and made by Kai Nielsen. It depicts a story from the Prose Edda, where Ymir is drinking from the udders of the cow Auðumbla. It was made in sandstone, though in the 1960s it was replaced with a sculpture made in bronze.

Do

There are many options if you want to experience the outdoors, exercise and see local attractions.

Svanningebakker and Svanningebjerge, as the hills close by are called, have been used for outdoor pursuits for generations. To this day it is regularly used by enthusiasts of an active lifestyle, including mountain biking, horse riding and walks in the countryside. There are many marked routes, including Øhavsstien, which takes you on a journey across the south of Fyn, including several towns and island. It is also a perfect spot for a picnic; here you can see rolling hills, beautiful trees, flora and cows roaming free outdoors. If you lack food or refreshments, there is also a restaurant and a bistro close by.

The South Funen archipelago is an aspiring UNESCO global geopark.

Pipstorn Skov. A forest covering 6000 years of history with the densest concentration of ancient monuments on the island of Fyn. Here you can see megalith graves, dolmen and burial mounds, spanning from the neolithic to the iron age, some of which have stood there for 4000 years. Lucienhøj being notable due to its size, a mound with many stones and it is also the name of the railway stop just outside the forest. Right beside it, there are three dolmen placed beside each other, the only one of its kind in Denmark. It has paths catering for outdoor enthusiast, motor skill path, orienteering, horse riding, hiking, walking and mountain biking.The motor skill path, is a series of wooden objects, for training balance and other motor skills.The mountain bike tracks cover 4.5 km, ranging from easy the blue path, to the more advanced red path. The horse riding path, is part of a larger riding path going through ground owned by Svanninge bjerge, Holsteinshus, Brahetrolleborg and Steensgård. The entire riding path is 75km. In order to ride it you have to either buy a day card or a year card ridesydfyn.dk, during the buying process you can choose a single stretch of the route or the whole route. It is also possible to buy a guided tour on your own horse or a guided tour on a leased horse. The heart organisation, has a 2.4 km and a 3km route for walking, marked by their logo, a heart in a circle.Fåborg orienteerings club has placed 30 permanent orienteerings posts in the forest. On findveji.dk you can get maps, routes and place yourself on a rank list. There are places where you can have a picnic, including tables and fire places. It is possible to buy firewood at the site, as it is a private forest, where it is not allowed to collect wood for burning. In the daytime the shelter is often used by schools, as an outdoor classroom. Nearby there is parking spaces, a toilet and a tap with drinking water. It is possible to reach the forest, by veteran train, road, and from a 2.1 km long path following the railway line from Faaborg.

Sundsøen. Sundsøen is a lake with paths. It has many water birds, including swans, grey herons, mallards, Eurasian coots grebe and great cormorants. It is a recreative area, where people go for walks, eat picnics and enjoy nature. It has options for geocaching, posts for the sport of orienteering and outdoor fitness machines.

Svanninge bakker. The greatest continuous piece of nature on the island of Fyn, a group of hills and valleys, with grazing cows. It has mountain bike trails, paths for horse riders and trails for hiking.

Sollerup Skov. A forest connected to Svanninge Bakker and Svanning Bjerge, making it the largest connected area of nature on Fyn.

Svanninge bjerge. A forest and hills close to Svanninger Bakker. Its name suggests that it's a collection of mountains but, as is common knowledge, Denmark has no mountains. Nonetheless, it's a place of physical recreation, with routes for horse riders and hiking.

Naturlegepladsen på Gåsebjergsand. A playground made of natural materials, in and around Svanninge Bakker.

Dyreborg skov. A recreational area from the early 1800s, with a lot of oaks; the oldest is over 350 years old. There is a couple of prehistoric earth mounds (tumuli), It also has a shelter and picnic benches. As the name "borg" suggests, in the middle ages there was a fort in the area, it has most likely been washed in to the sea, because of erosion of the cliffs. The forest is used for picnics, taking a walk, fishing, bathing, taking photos of Bjørne Ø (Bear island) and Faaborg. Kayaking and sleeping in shelter. It is also possible to get a glimpse of black squirrels. Here Hans Christian Andersen, the writer of fairy tales, went on walks with Riborg the daughter of a salesman; she eventually broke his heart.

Bøjden nor natur reservat. Bøjden nor natur reservat (Bøjden north nature reservation) is wetlands, with beach, reeds, grasses and small cliffs amongst other types of habitats. Here about 60 species of wetland birds visit and nest. The road towards Bøjden harbour crosses the reservation. There are several places where it is possible to view the birds, including huts.

Svanningbakker, naturlegepladsen på gåsebjergsand, sundet and pipstornskov, have all orienteering routes, some of those have objectives and quizzes. You can get an orienteering map from the tourist office or on and there is an orienteering app on There is an orienteering club, at the entrance to Gåsebjergsand.

There is horse riding routes in Svanning bjerge (riding card required) and Sollerupskov.

Svanningebakker has a small yet challenging BMX route.

Sollerup skov has an enclosed forest where dogs can roam free.

There are many fishing spots close to the town, including Bøjden harbour, Dyreborg, Avernakø and Lyø. Adults between 18 and 65 need a fishing license in order to fish for free, it can be bought at fishing clubs, the post office, the tourist bureau or fisketegn.dk. There are rules for when you can fish, where you can fish and how big the fish should be. There are a few put & take lakes close to Faaborg, they are not free and they charge often per fishing pole and per hour.

Voigtsminde park. A park with trees and grass facing a walk way and the sea on one side and a busy road on the other. It has a monument to Lauritz P. Voigt, it states on the monument that it was erected by thankful workers. It also has Ploughs batteri, which is an earthen fortifications from the start of the 1800s, complete with two canons, the canons and their wooden bases are restored in the original period colours. They served originally to defend Faaborg from enemy ships, the fortification was in use under the war with England 1801 - 1814. The canons are still in use by the Faaborg kanonérlaug, a group of re-enactors, who also fire the canons on special occasions.

Klinteparken. A park with a grass and a variety of different trees. The park leads down klintenstrand a beach with sand, it has two wooden walkways leading to the sea. On one side is restaurant Klinten and Danland. Beside the road there is a small stone monument bearing the inscription "15 juni 1920", it is in celebration of south Slesvig being re-unified with Denmark, it has since been called Sønderjylland. There is at the top of the park, close to the road, a grill area, playground, toilets, the walls of the toilet building has a map and other tourist information. There are parking for bicycles and cars. There are also benches and stones to sit on. The view from here is the sea, the harbour in Faaborg, Dyreborg and Bjørnø.

Moseparken. A park with a small lake, grass and a variety of different trees. The park has an enclosed area, where there sometimes are sheep. On another end there is a scout hut and allotments. It has a control point from an orienteering course. It has benches and there is a bicycle path running through it. There are ducks, swans and other birds in the lake.

Buy

There are many places to go shopping in and around the town square and high street. There is also a local shopping center (Herregårds centret) and major supermarkets a short walk from the centre of town. Many of the shops are members of shopping Faaborg, an organisation that arranges amongst other things Christmas markets, fun runs, live music and days with late closing times. Every year there is a clean up in the spring, the employees of the local shops dress up in costumes and compete in having the cleanest area around their shop.

SuperBrugsen. A big supermarket with its own butcher.

The high street also has some small shops with art and crafts.

Føtex. A large supermarket, which has a bakery, butcher and post office.

Netto. A supermarket which is open late.

Faaborg Design. A shop where you can buy locally produced rustic furniture.

Sommergalleriet. Sommergalleriet (The summer gallery) sells and exhibits arts and crafts.

Ulf Nielsen Keramisk Værksted. A workshop and gallery with stoneware ceramics and paintings by Ulf Nielsen. It has been open since 1985.

In the suburbs and outside of town there are a lot of unmanned booths selling fresh produce and second hand items. They usually accept cash or mobile pay, which is an app connected to the users bank account making it possible to make small cashless transactions.

Hattehuset. Hattehuset (the hat house) is a shop, which sells hats by the hatter Grete Hjorth. It also houses a collection of old instruments from the 1800s until the 1960s for hat making. The hatter also does talks and group viewings of her hats.

Eat

Dang - ved brønden. Thai restaurant and takeaway, placed close to Kai Nielsen's "Ymer brand", a sculpture from 1912 about the Nordic myth of Ymer gaining nourishment from the cow Audhumla. The restaurant is in a historic building from 1817 called "Ortmann's Palæ", Ortmanns Palace. Humble in size, the interior is exotic, an eclectic mix of Western and Asian styles. The rooms inside are dotted with small tables, making it an intimate experience to eat there. Outside there are also tables, placed by the well on the town square. You can also order take away food from the restaurant.

Restaurant TreKroner. A pub and restaurant, often with live music, in one of Faaborg's oldest buildings, erected in 1686. It has been a called TreKroner since 1897, but its culinary history dates back to 1785. It was owned by local fishermen and makers of strong alcoholic beverages. Trekrone is spread across two rooms, in the largest of which with a bar. It has live mike evenings, karaoke and an in house blues band.

Frøken Jensens. In a building from 1761, it has been a bakery from 1776 to 1847, amongst many other things. They have a cafe menu for the daytime and a restaurant menu for the evening. The serve Danish dishes.

Ristorante Roma. An Italian restaurant and beef house.

Det Hvide Pakhus. A restaurant which serves meat and fish dishes. It is closed for à la carte during October to December, where it is open for groups and events.

Spisehuset. A restaurant that serves fish dishes and burgers.

Faaborg Røgeri Café. A functional smokehouse and café which serves a lot of fish dishes, ice cream, warm and cold beverages. In the summer season they turn on their smoke ovens at 11:00 and smoke the fish. On Wednesdays from April to October, veteran cars line up on the harbour outside of the smokehouse. It is right beside a small playground.

Det blå is hus. An ice cream shop serving Hansens ice cream.

Vaffelbageren. Ice cream shop serving frisko ice cream. It is the oldest ice cream shop in town, around since 1984. They bake their own ice cream cones.

Drink

A lot of the cafés and restaurants here also serve alcoholic beverages, and there are also a few pubs, where you can enjoy a refreshing beverage. They are within walking distance. The nightlife generally ends at 02:00.

Blækhuset. A pub open since 1974. It is easy to find, as a giant pen hangs above the door.

Klokken, tid til hygge.... Open long hours. They serve drinks, have a billiard table and sometimes live music.

Peter & Jannie's cocktails, beer & dance. A bar and disco that is open long hours. Sometimes they have events, including DJs, pubquiz and grill.

Gåsen. Gåsen (the goose) is a little pub, with an old fashioned jukebox, two one armed bandits and a billiard table. Inside the pub there is a collection of troll dolls and statues of geese behind the bar. The decor is traditional, with small wooden tables, benches and chairs. There are many prints of places in Faaborg on the wall.

Café Sunshine. A cafe serving warm and cold drinks. They also serve simple dishes.

Soze kaffe og risteri. A cafe that serves hot and cold drinks, as well as tapas and sandwiches. They roast and grind coffee beans in house.

Café Fruens Vilje. A cafe that serves hot and cold drinks, as well as simple dishes. They also sell decorative items.

Aronia galleriet. A café, that also sells clothing, art and crafts. It specialises in products with aronia berries.

Flow sustainable living. A café with an interior made up of pallets and upcycled materials. They serve coffee, teas, smoothies and cake. It sells amongst other things ceramics, clothing, candles and beauty products.

Sleep

Faaborg has many options if you need a place to sleep, this includes hotels, bed and breakfast, hostels, camping and other primitive outdoor accommodation, including tent and shelter spots close by.

Hotel Faaborg. In one of Faaborg's oldest buildings, it has 24 rooms, and garden. The restaurant makes food inspired by the French and Nordic kitchen.

Hotel Faaborg fjord. Close to the coast. It has various facilities including a restaurant, bar, conference room, exercise room and its own beach.

Hotel Færgegaarden. A hotel and restaurant.

Hvedholm Slot. A castle from 1587, surrounded by parkland. It has 160 beds.

Danhostel Faaborg. A local hostel beside the main shopping street and other conveniences.

Pipstorn shelter. A shelter placed in Pipstorn forest. It has a toilet and drinking water nearby, as well as a veteran train track and a railway platform. The forest has the greatest collection of neolithic tombs on the island of Funen.

Solbjerg shelter. A shelter in the fynske alper (Funen Alps) close to Svanning Bakker and Munkebjerg skov. It has a mulch toilet.

Horne Næs shelters. A group of shelters in Horne Næs. It has a mulch toilet, parking and water. It is also close to a cliff, where there is a metal stair case down to a beach.

Millinge Klint shelters. A collection of 7 shelters, as well as a common area, a toilet building and a wooden furnace sauna. Close by there is a set of steps leading down to a small beach with a walkway leading to the sea, where from it is possible to bathe.

Faaborg Byferie. A collection of 11 rooms and small apartments placed by the town square. It has parking and free Wi-Fi.

Danland. A holiday centre with a restaurant. It has a swimming pool and is beside a child friendly beach.