Tønder

Tønder is a beautiful town in the southern part of Denmark. Tønder is the oldest market town in Denmark. Today Tønder is a modern town with factories, modern schools and big companies such as Hartmann, Hydro and Ecco. The city is surrounded by beautiful nature, and it makes for some pleasant strolls on the ditches.

Torvet i Tønder

Get in

There are regional trains from Esbjerg and Niebull, in Germany.

• 1 Tønder railway station (Tønder station). (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 Tønder Nord railway station (Tønder Nord station). (updated Nov 2020)

Get around

Tønder is small enough to be navigated on foot. Buses leave to the villages dotted around the city from the bus station.

See

Ved Tønder Kirke

• 1 Drøhses Hus (Drøhse House), Storegade 14, ☏ +45 74724990. Apr-Dec: M-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 10:00-14:00. Museum about the house and Bobbin Lace. 30 kr.  
• 2 The Zeppelin- and Garrison Museum, Gasværkvej 1, ☏ +45 74727254. May-Oct: Sa Su 11:00-16:00. There was a German Zeppelin base here from 1914 to 1918. See the remains of the only existing foundations of Zeppelin sheds in Europe. 45 kr or €6.5.  
• 3 Tønder Art Museum, Kongevejen 51, ☏ +45 74728989, kunsttoender@museum-sonderjylland.dk. 50 kr, combination ticket with the Nolde Stiftung 80 kr.  
• 4 Schackenborg & Møgeltønder (5 km west of town). Experience the well-preserved quaint old village of Møgeltønder and the Schackenborg Royal Castle. Participate in cultural events at the castle or book a guided tour, including the large beautiful garden park.  

Further afield

inside Løgumkloster Abbey

• 5 Løgum Abbey (Løgumkloster), Slotsgade 11, Løgumkloster (in Løgumkloster town), ☏ +45 74745240. M-Sa 10:00-18:30, Su 12:00-17:00. The Cistercian Løgum Abbey was founded in 1173 by Bishop Stefan of Ribe. The church is closed for renovation until Easter 2015, but the monastery is open to the public. free.  

Ballum Pump Mills

• 6 Ballum Pump Mills. Small museum operated by volunteers documenting local events. The Pump Mill were used to provide drinking water for cattle. free.  

Do

• 1 Tønder Festival, Papegøjevej 4. One of Europe's biggest folk festivals is held the last weekend of August. The program is composed of international artists from especially Ireland, Scotland, Canada, United States, England & Scandinavia. The genres vary from Irish and Scottish folk music to Nordic Folk Music, Americana, Country and world. Camping available for 425 kr/tent + 100 kr/person (2023), teepee and lodges available from 3000 kr/teepee + 100 kr/person. (updated Sep 2023)

The South Jutland region has some beautiful countryside, with good opportunities for hiking. From Tønder, good hiking trails includes:

• If you are into long-distance hiking, Tønder is a starting point of the truly epic Nordsøstien trail, leading along no less than two-thirds of the Jutlandic coast. Embark on the entire hike, or enjoy shorter, individual parts.
• Drivvejen is an ancient trail, used for driving cattle to Germany in former times, and it forms a larger part of the North Sea Trail. Hike shorter parts of this marked route from Tønder to nearby Løgumkloster monestary, the historic town of Ribe, or on to Varde further north.
• More manageable hikes around Tønder, includes Marskstien (The Marsh Trail) roundtrip, to the Wadden Sea coast and back. The whole trail is 54 kilometres, but it also offers eight even shorter routes.
• 2 Draved Forest (Draved Skov) (10 km northeast of Tønder). 200 hectares (490 acres) protected, deciduous forest. Although small, it is the largest primary forest in all of Denmark. (updated Jul 2024)

Eat

There are several cozy cafes around the square (Torvet)

• 1 Klostercafeen, ☏ +45 73724104. M-Sa 10:00-16:00. Nice cafe in the oldest house in Tønder 100 kr. 
• 2 Torvets Restaurant (Torvebistroen), ☏ +45 74724373, mail@torvettonder.dk. 
• 3 Café Victoria, Storegade 9, ☏ +45 74720089, jessensvictoria@hotmail.com. Bar and restaurant in the same place. The menu is a mix of Danish food, light snacks and steaks. 
• 4 Johanne's Kaffebar, Storegade 12, ☏ +45 7472 2022. M-W 10:00-17:30, Th-Sa 10:00-21:00. Cosy cafe and store. Very traditional. (updated Jul 2015)

Drink

Not many options for having a long night out in Tønder, unless you hit the festival. But these places normally see a relatively large crowd, especially Friday and Saturday. Thursdays get busy sometimes too, but it is pretty much hit and miss.

Tønder Torv on a summer day

• 1 Queens. Located just next to Cafe Victoria, this small club occasionally offers special events and gets quite crowded. The music is what you would expect, nothing great but makes for a decent night.(popular amongst gay) 
• 2 Central Halle, Vestergade 11. a small bar popular with the old timers as well as the "gymnasium" students. Definitely the best place to talk to people and play billiards (not pool though!). Can get pretty rowdy at times and is often very crowded in the wee hours, or just after a party at the gymnasium has ended. (updated Oct 2016)
• 3 Cafe Victoria. A good place to get some food and enjoy a couple of beers. Thursday from 10:00-23:00M as well as Friday afternoon is "Blaa Time" (Blue Hour), where beers are half price. 
• Barkleys. After a couple of bad years Barkleys got a new owner and now is it the most popular nightclub/bar in the city centre. Always worth a visit! 
• 4 Cafe Engel, Frigrunden 3, ☏ +45 21824602. This small cosy cafe is a great place to relax and have a drink. (updated Jul 2015)

Sleep

• 1 Tønder Hus. (updated Jul 2015)
• 2 Hostrups Hotel, Søndergade 20. (updated Jul 2015)
• 3 Hotel Bowler Inn, Ribelandevej 56, ☏ +45 7472 0011. (updated Jul 2015)
• 4 Sovgodt 8, Grænsevej 8, Sæd (Bus number 602 or Niebull Bus from the main bus station, outside the trainstation), ☏ +45 74725806, post@sovgodt8.dk. Nice family run Bed & Breakfast, in a restored traditional inn - probably the cheapest option in Tønder, about 3km outside the city. Call in advance for pick up service. They also offer a city house, just 5 min walk from the town market (450kr - room for 4 people). Single rooms from 255kr, Strawhouse with eight beds 725kr. 
• 5 Abild Kro & Hotel, Ribelandevej 66 (on highway 11, just 4 km north, in the South Jutland), ☏ +45 42241136, abildbnb@gmail.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Abild Kro & Hotel is just 10 km from the German border. Restaurant, banquet hall and rooms with private bath. Free parking. 898. (updated Jul 2023)