Kerteminde combines discoveries in cultural history with maritime themes: in the Old Town, you’ll encounter historic buildings and museums; at the harbour, the focus is on life by the water and at sea. To help you plan, consider the specific differences: would you like to learn about the town’s history, art and fishing, or would you prefer to include a route through the harbour and town?
Old Town and architectural history
The Old Town dates back to the Middle Ages, but few visible signs remain from that period. You’ll find several Renaissance buildings on Langegade; they represent individual historic buildings, not the character of the Old Town as a whole. Kerteminde Church stands in the middle of the market square. According to tradition, it was built in 1476, in the late Gothic period. Inside is a Gothic cabinet dating from around 1525.
Toldboden also tells of Kerteminde’s former role as a port town for Odense. Odense merchant Niels Bager had the building constructed around 1590. After it was destroyed during the Swedish War, it was rebuilt in 1735. Today, Østfyns Museer and Kerteminde Kunstforening take turns presenting exhibitions there; the specific exhibition themes may change. Svanemøllen stands on Møllebakken. Built in 1852, it is the only surviving one of the three windmills that once stood there.
Art, fishing and town life
The home of Johannes and Alhed Larsen was a central meeting place for artists of their time. Today, it is largely preserved as it was when the Larsen family lived there. The Johannes Larsen Museum includes a garden with rare trees and plants, as well as birds and other animals; from there, you can enjoy views of the Great Belt. The house and garden offer two different perspectives on the place: the artists’ cultural environment and the garden’s design.
Exhibitions at Farvergården are spread across three floors. They cover, among other things, the lives of craftspeople and fishermen in Kerteminde. A small cinema shows films recorded between 1938 and 1962. Lillestranden, meanwhile, is an old fishing quarter where fishing still takes place. These places offer different points of focus: museum exhibitions explore themes from the town’s history, while Lillestranden makes its continuing connection to fishing visible.
Harbour, sea and routes
By the harbour is Fjord&Bælt, an aquarium and a research and visitor centre. A long underwater tunnel offers a view of life on the seabed. Kerteminde Marina is located at the entrance to Kerteminde Fjord. At Nordstrand, the beach is characterised by chalk-white sand and shallow water that extends far out to sea; local conditions may vary.
For a route through the harbour and town, the Blue Clover Route is one option: it is 4.6 kilometres long. The town walk starts at Tornøes Hotel on Strandgade. Alternatively, there is a 24.5-kilometre cycling route from Kerteminde to Odense. These details describe different plans: a route through the town and harbour, the starting point of a town walk, and a cycling route with Odense as its destination. This makes it easy to choose the right option depending on whether you want to explore Kerteminde itself or plan a longer journey by bike.
Discover more destinations: Tårup, Martofte, Kertinge, Marslev, Midskov, Dalby, Langeskov, Mesinge.
Return to the main travel overview: Kerteminde.
