Photos from Tønder

Snapshots from my first visit to Southern Jutland, Tønder commune in Denmark. (May 2024)

The very southern part of Southern Jutland is gorgeously picturesque. We really lucked out, weather-wise, with wide blue skies and cool winds from the north most days. I had hoped to make it to the seaside but it wasn't in the cards this trip, but Tønder's architectural charm and quick access to the surrounding farm and woodland more than made up for the lack of shorelines! I shared a few selfies over on Instagram, but as Tønder is one of Denmark's oldest mercantile towns, I knew I would want to make a photoblog of our trip.

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These photos were taken with my iPhone 12 and my Canon SX620 HS (which I found myself fighting with whenever lighting was less-than-optimal, more experimentation required). It was my first time using my Canon as my main camera for photos and not simply as vlogging support. There was definitely a learning curve in the evenings when the light softened, I had a hard time without ISO control.

The sight that greeted me from the rail station. The train journey between Niebüll in northern Germany and Tønder was completely charming.

A delicately painted birdhouse on a beech tree in the woods. — The southern tip of Tønder, where the port was historically, is surrounded by walking paths frequented by children going to school, and there were many little treasures in the woods if you kept your eyes open.

Brick row-houses with charming wooden balconies and bargeboards. — There were architectural details on every Tønder house, no matter the era, to examine.

Some of the houses (and trees) in town showed their age in a few ways. The angles of this building, the moss growing on the roof, the visible tinder frames, have me guessing that some parts of this building could be as old as the mid 1700s. (I’m far from an expert on this, however, so don’t take my word for it!)

In a driveway that tucks behind several buildings there is a rowboat and a tiny bright red car. — Even the little driveways and tucked-away corners had some fun sights. And on many buildings, like the yellow one here, you could see imprints of what had been there before.

Elevated view of the town from its southernmost side, the red and orange bricks are the dominant colours. — From the old water-tower (now part of the town’s cultural museum), Tønder’s architectural cohesiveness is especially noticeable.

Because it’s such a small village, the main streets and old part of the town really empties out in the long evenings, even though the sun is still very bright in the sky.

The old and very large seminary across the Vidå, surrounded by enough trees that it looks secluded in the wilderness. — The stream Vidå, which today no longer connect the town to the North Sea, is lined by walking paths and offers many beautiful sights.

Many, many photos of the same part of the Vidå, by the Skulpturhaven. I love how this part of the stream is constructed, allowing for slow and fast water flow. There were so many river and field birds to be seen, and if I understand a nearby sign correctly, there are even river otters that sometimes hang out here. I loved the floral design of the fountain, and walking by this area every day was a real pleasure. (I was so distracted by the water every time we walked by the sculpture park that I completely forgot to take photos of the other sculptures! Ooops…)

On the Vidå stream, a little boathouse has a characteristic thatched hay roof. — Something I noticed in southern Denmark (and in neighbouring Germany as well) was the prominence of thatched roofs, from this little boathouse to houses and many large buildings as well. I know from my jaunt through southwestern Ireland that there are sometimes municipal funds to maintain these thatched roofs in the name of historical preservation as well as environmental friendliness. I wonder if Denmark has similar programmes.