ZEALAND, FUNEN AND ISLANDS

The island landscapes of southern Denmark

In addition to Zealand, Møn, Lolland-Falster, Funen and Langeland, which are linked together by bridges, this region includes many small scenic islands mainly in the southern-most part of Denmark. The region accounts for a large share of Denmark’s territory and includes a wide variety of landscape types, including the South Funen Archipelago with its unique geology and the characteristic cliff landscapes at Stevns and Møns Klint.

North Zealand is characterized by large wooded areas, lakes and inlets as well as smaller towns, market towns and several royal palaces with impressive parks. The rest of the region includes a network of market towns, numerous villages, large swaths of farmland, manor houses, landed estates and palaces. The coastal areas are dominated by beach and holiday home developments, some of them having evolved around small fishing hamlets.

From single-family houses to eco community

Over the past five decades, the single-family house has remained the preferred housing type. Suburbs with single-family houses have developed around the existing cities. With local supermarkets and big box stores, they are independent of the city centres, many of which are struggling with vacant shops. Køge is a good example of a town that has preserved its city core by placing new shops centrally rather than near the large approach roads.

Settlement patterns vary throughout the region, but one of the main trends is a move from the country and small towns into the larger towns and cities. Urban growth is mainly concentrated in the transport corridor between Copenhagen, Odense and Jutland. As a result, rural areas, in particular, are struggling with a growing number of vacant properties.

In a separate trend, a growing number of people are choosing to leave the cities. Some settle in the most attractive market towns nearby, such as Svendborg and Roskilde. Others choose new paths entirely. The eco-village Dyssekilde near the village of Torup has been around for more than 30 years, while the co-housing community Skråningen in Lejre was established just a few years ago. Permatopia near Karise is another recent example, where a group of singles, couples and families aim to build a sustainable living and working community with an emphasis on self-reliance.

Hiking trails and art

In much of the region, the landscape was shaped by landed estates, and on Funen, Langeland and Ærø, a 660 km bike route takes tourists and local visitors on a tour passing 123 castles and manor houses. In the south of Funen, former fishing cottages along Øhavsstien (the Archipelago Trail) have been transformed into shelters, offering basic accommodation throughout most of southern Funen.

Camønoen (the Camøno Trail), ‘the friendliest hiking trail in the kingdom’, includes the scenic islands of Møn, Nyord and Bogø. The trail is 175 km long and based on the notion of sustainable hiking tourism which is continually developed to the benefit of hikers and local islanders alike.

The region also features several art museums, including Faaborg Museum, Fuglsang Museum on Lolland, the Johannes Larsen Museum in Kerteminde, Arken in Ishøj and the internationally acclaimed Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk. Some museums are specifically dedicated to local nature and cultural heritage, including Øhavsmuseet, housed in a former seed store on Faaborg’s harbour-front, and the Stevns Klint Experience on the edge of the limestone quarry, Boesdal Kalkbrud.

Entrepreneurship

Creativity and entrepreneurship flourish many places in and outside the cities and large towns. In places that lack the economic or population growth to drive development, dedicated local individuals and associations play a key role, typically in cooperation with the municipality. There are numerous examples of recreational, association and culture centres run by volunteers in disused buildings. Møn, in particular, has flourished in recent years. A network of small enterprises in the hospitality industry have shot up based on the Camøno Trail and the scenic landscape, especially at Møns Klint.

Lolland is preparing for the opening of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link to Germany and is planning new holiday centres and homes and a new cultural institution aiming to bring in art installations to revive the island’s impressive architectural heritage.

Odense, located on the island of Funen, has transformed its city centre with a new light rail system and a bold decision to eliminate the main traffic artery that has split the city in two since the 1960s. This transformation shows the way for a sustainable approach to urban development which no longer allows cars to dominate the city. In the town of Årslev, the ‘suburb of the future’ is taking shape, with a disused factory as the venue of leisure activities, entrepreneurial endeavours, community building and a brand-new residential area based on community and proximity to nature. Farthest to the west, the town of Middelfart is putting climate at the top of the agenda with an annual climate festival, among other initiatives.

The smaller islands, too, have a strong entrepreneurial culture, for example at the former engine works Motorfabrikken (the Engine Factory) in Marstal on the island of Ærø, which has been transformed into a modern culture centre with entrepreneurial activities and an exhibition on the area’s industrial and maritime history.

Climate measures and quality of life

Climate is also on the agenda on the islands, especially with regard to the risk of rising sea levels. Many of the market towns are located close to the coast. Hence, they have a strong emphasis on coastal protection and engage in a range of initiatives. In Roskilde, climate measures aimed at protecting the areas around Roskilde’s inner harbour and Jyllinge Nordmark against flooding include integrated recreational solutions that take advantage of the proximity to the many qualities offered by the inlet. In the centre of Korsør, high-water protection is planned to create recreational spaces that encourage the use of urban spaces near the coast and tell the history of Korsør. At Svendborg’s Søndre Havn (South Harbour), there are plans to prevent future flooding from the sea with a high-water protection installation that serves as a long-desired public path across the water.

A common feature of these projects is that in addition to being practical and technical installations intended to keep the water out, they also include concerns for local development and quality of life.