Located at the western end of the Kolding Fjord, Kolding is a historic Danish seaport and manufacturing hub that has long been renowned for shipbuilding. It’s home to a 13th-century royal castle and one of Denmark’s largest modern art and design museums, as well as a former sanatorium that celebrates the country’s nurses and health care system.
Things to do in Kolding
Founded in the 13th century, Koldinghus is a royal castle that’s served as a fortress, a residence and a political meeting place throughout its history. It’s open to the public as a museum, with antique furnishings, religious artefacts and locally-made silverware on display, together with regularly changing exhibitions about the people and events of Kolding’s past.
Art enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the Trapholt, a contemporary art museum where Danish paintings, crafts and design pieces are showcased. Browse the collection of paintings by Richard Mortensen and wander through the surrounding sculpture park, which also features the Kubeflex summer house of Arne Jacobsen.
A short drive along the northern shore of the Kolding Fjord takes you to the Danish Museum of Nursing History, which details the relationship between nurses and their patients in the Danish health care system since the Middle Ages. It’s housed within buildings that were constructed in 1911 as part of a tuberculosis sanatorium for children. A walking trail offers scenic views across the fjord and connects to the magnificent Hotel Koldingfjord, which is the ideal spot for lunch.
Getting around Kolding
Billund Airport is a 40-minute drive from Kolding and has flights to destinations across Europe and North Africa. Regular trains connect to Aarhus and Copenhagen from the Kolding railway station while buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Kolding is compact enough to explore on foot.