From coast to coast – cycling holiday from tent to tent

Sønderjylland from coast to coast is an 8-day tour that connects the flat Wadden Sea coast in the west to the hilly east coast. You cycle from campsite to campsite and stay overnight in a 5-metre- diameter teepee tent from De Waard. The tents are furnished with camp beds with pillows and duvets, with a stool and tabletop acting as a bedside table. There’s a dining table with chairs, tableware, pots & pans and cutlery. 

Each of the stages is approximately 65 kilometres in length, and you’ll pass by many of Sønderjylland’s market towns and attractions on the route. 

Day 1

Arrival at Kruså Camping. The campsite is situated at the edge of the plantation at Kiskelund, not far from the German border. Relax at the lovely pool area, play a round of miniature golf or explore the area on foot. You can leave your car at the campsite while you’re cycling from coast to coast. 

Day 2

Your first day in the saddle starts at the Danish-German border. Here you join National Cycle Route N8 – the Baltic Sea Route – through Aabenraa, which lies at the base of Aabenraa Fjord. From here, the route runs across the hilly peninsula of Løjtland and past the beach of Genner Strand to Gaasevig Strand Camping. Gaasevig lies at the end of the road and has its own beach.

Day 3

The day’s route takes you over the cape at Haderslev Næs, where you cycle along sections of the Camino Haderslev Næs pilgrim hiking trail. The day’s cycle ride is approximately 50 km long, and the route will take you through small villages and delightful clusters of holiday homes running all the way down to the coast. If you wish to extend your day trip, you can take the ferry to the island of Årø – it sails every hour from Aarøsund. Once on the island, you can visit the craft brewery at Aarø Bryg, the island’s vineyard or any one of a handful of places to eat. From Aarøsund, the route passes through small villages on the way to Haderslev, which is famous for its beautiful cathedral. The campsite at which you’ll be staying the night is part of Haderslev Byferie, which offers views of the lake of Haderslev Dam. 

Day 4

Today you’ll be crossing the ridge that makes up the backbone of Jutland, as you leave the moraine hills and the fjords behind you. A tour through the tunnel valley of Haderslev Tunneldal, past the mill at Tørning Mølle and the town of Gram awaits you. Here you can visit the castle at Gram Slot, go for a walk in its beautiful gardens, get a bite to eat in the café or on the terrace at the castle inn. The route then runs through woodlands and meadows, past streams and lakes, until you arrive at Arrild. Here in the forest is Arrild Ferieby, which, in addition to the campsite, has a restaurant, swimming baths and its own grocery store. 

Day 5

Having crossed Jutland’s ridge yesterday, the landscape now slopes down to the Wadden Sea coast. Near the small village of Hjemsted near Skærbæk is the Marsk Tower, an observation tower designed by architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group, BIG. The tower is part of Marsk Camp, which has a campervan site, glamping tents, café, restaurant and ice cream parlour, as well as adventure mini-golf – all in all, an ideal place to take a break and enjoy a delicious lunch, get a cup of coffee or eat an ice cream before cycling onwards across the causeway to Rømø.  

The landscape on the Wadden Sea island of Rømø is completely different to the scenery that you’ll have seen on the route thus far. Here you’ll find heather, forests and bogs. The island also has broad sandy beaches and dunes. Cycle all the way round the island, take a trip to the nature exhibition centre at Naturcenter Tønnisgaard or the National Museum of Denmark’s former whaler’s estate at Kommandørgård and learn more about the flora and fauna on the island. Once back on the mainland, head south on National Cycle Route 1 – the West Coast Route – to Ballum Camping. 

Day 6

The day’s stage runs more or less as the crow flies back to the east coast. If lady luck is smiling on you, the wind will be blowing from the west, which means it’ll help you all the way. You’ll be riding through the towns of Bredebro and Løgumkloster. Løgumkloster is well-known for its attractive white church and the partly preserved east wing of the abbey that gave the town its name. The church is open to visitors, and if you need a short break, you can explore its history. From Løgumkloster, the route runs onwards past Hellevad and the railway town of Rødekro, before following winding forest roads to Aabenraa City Camping. The campsite is situated on a hill on the outskirts of the town and has a view of the town and the sea. 

Day 7

On the last day of the trip, the route leads through hilly terrain east of Aabenraa to Sønderborg. Here there’s plenty of opportunity to discover more about the history of the region at Sønderborg Castle or History Centre Dybbøl Banke. Enjoy lunch at one of the town’s cafés or restaurants with a view of the water. The hill on which the historic windmill at Dybbøl Mølle is built is the highest point on the day’s stage. From here, the route heads to Broager, with its twin towers, before running down to the coast, where it offers great views of Germany. 

At Kollund, the route turns away from the coast and leads you back to Kruså Camping. 

Day 8

Departure

The campsites offer various extras, including breakfast and dinner. These can be added to your booking by clicking on “change options” under the campsite concerned when you’ve selected the date of your trip.

You can also purchase baggage transfer between the tents. See more under the transport tab at the top of the page.

If you experience any problems when booking, please contact Destination Sønderjylland on +45 81824570 from Monday until Friday, or send us an email on info@dssj.dk