Middelfart has 117 kilometres of coastline; the municipality has 14 official beaches, five of them Blue Flag beaches. Explore the landscape on foot, on the water or through its cultural sites, and you’ll encounter the region’s many different sides.

Coast, cliffs and birdlife

At Røjle Klint, a 40-metre-high cliff of moraine clay and meltwater sand—formed during three ice ages—rises above the shore. Visitors may be able to find fossils on the beach below the cliff. Gamborg Fjord is part of the EU Habitats Directive site Lillebælt and an internationally protected bird protection area. At Føns Vang, a birdwatching tower offers a good view across the area and the birds that live there.

Lillebælt can also be explored from the water: there are many places along the coast where you can launch a kayak. Conditions are often sheltered from the wind and suitable for beginners, while experienced paddlers will find challenging currents. Conditions vary, so it’s particularly important to check the wind and current before setting out.

Walking trails of varying lengths

The 27-kilometre Lillebæltsstien runs from Strib in the north to Gamborg in the south, passing through Middelfart and across the Hindsgavl Peninsula. Check current access conditions before hiking. A shorter, measured route is the 6-kilometre Kongebroruten, which passes Hindsgavl Castle, goes through the forest and follows the peninsula’s northern coast.

At Hindsgavl Dyrehave, you can choose between short, medium and long self-guided circular routes. They pass through the forest, along the coast and, in part, through the wildlife enclosure. You can choose a route to suit your preferred walking distance without needing an exact distance for each one.

In Middelfart, the free, 2.3-kilometre Keramikruten connects the CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art with the waterfront promenade and the old town. It is freely accessible 24 hours a day. The Clayfinding system, made up of glazed tiles and stones set into the cobblestones, marks the route. The 3-kilometre Klimaruten has a different focus: on this walk through peaceful urban nature, channels and depressions show how rainwater is carried away over the surface and infiltrates the ground locally.

Water activities and exercise

Føns has an officially registered and approved open-water swimming course measuring 200 × 50 metres, as well as changing facilities. For a guided experience above the water, Bridgewalking on the Old Lillebælt Bridge lets you stand 60 metres above the water. The tour follows the steel structure and lasts about two hours.

Excursions into deeper waters depart from Gl. Havn and Nyhavn 2. During the trip, look out for distinctive dorsal fins. The focus is on observing the animals; the excursion description does not promise a particular sighting.

Staurby Skov has a 5.6-kilometre mountain biking trail with a technical area. It is a one-way route marked with blue arrows; check the trail signs before riding. Another option in the forest is the 12-hole disc golf course. The different activities let you choose between riding the marked route and playing a round of disc golf.

Ceramics, local history and maritime culture

The CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art is the Nordic region’s largest museum of ceramic art, crafts and design. The history of ceramic production is also part of what you can discover: the Middelfart Earthenware Factory used locally available blue clay and made practical and decorative items from the 1890s to the 1940s. Café CLAY serves a light lunch featuring seasonal dishes such as soup, sandwiches and salads made with fresh ingredients, as well as homemade cakes with coffee. The menu changes with the seasons.

Gl. Havn is Denmark’s first cultural harbour and received an award from the Ship Preservation Foundation in 2023. There are around ten ships worthy of preservation, a maritime exhibition in the boat sheds and a listening station with the sounds of harbour porpoises. At Lillebæltsværftet, volunteers keep maritime crafts alive and continue to build boats using the traditional clinker-building method.

The MIND Museum is housed in a patient building at the former Middelfart psychiatric hospital, which operated from 1888 to 1999. Its collection of objects relating to the history of psychiatry is Denmark’s largest. The museum is wheelchair accessible, and parking is available behind the building. A visit brings together the history of the former hospital and a look at the objects that preserve this history of the field.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Båring, Båring Strand, Føns, Asperup, Brenderup, Ejby, Middelfart, Husby, Røjle, Hjorte, Vejlby Fed, Viby, Bro, Nørre Aaby, Gelsted Parish.

For the main travel overview: Funen.