Stage 14

AABENRAA – SØNDERBORG

In Sønderjylland, you find Denmark’s only land-based border with Germany. On Stage 14 you will ride through the towns of Aabenraa and Sønderborg and pass three castles; Brundlund Castle, Gråsten Palace and Sønderborg Castle. A large part of the route follows Flensborg Fjord. Along the way you will pass sites where historic and cultural clashes have, for better or for worse, occured in the borderland. Sønderjylland used to be part of the Duchy of Schleswig, a fiefdom under the Danish king.

In 1864 war erupted between Denmark and Prussia, when Denmark attempted to integrate Schleswig and make it part of Denmark. Denmark lost the war and a new border was established by Kongeaaen (The King’s Lake), south of Kolding. Denmark lost a third of its land and south of the border there were now many Danes that belonged to Germany. After the German defeat in the First World War, it was decided that a new border was to be
drawn. In 1920 there was a referendum, and the people agreed on the location of the border.

Stage 14 can also be ridden in both directions. If you choose Aabenraa as starting point, you can choose to select Stage 1, once you reach Sønderborg. If you select Sønderborg as starting point, it is possible to continue onto Stage 13 after Aabenraa. Stage 14 also has a side route that leads from Kollund to Kruså and Padborg.

In 1864 war erupted between Denmark and Prussia regarding the ownership of Schleswig. The Danish military took refuge at the Dybbøl trenches after the retreat from Dannevirke.

The Prussians attacked and defeated the Danes on 18th April 1864, which culminated in Denmark having to resign the rights to Sønderjylland. At the historical centre, reenactments tell the story of how it was to be a Danish and a Prussian Soldier in 1864.