We spent quite a bit more time in Denmark than we spent in Belgium or the Netherlands. This was mainly because the west coast of Denmark lies on a major migration route for hundreds of bird species. The birds fly north in the Spring season, making their way into Scandinavia and the arctic to mate and roost, and then south to warmer locations in the Fall where they hang out during their non-breeding seasons.
The Waddell Sea, on the southwest coast of Denmark, is a particularly significant stopover location for birds due to the large amount of food and resources available in the miles of reedbeds, marshes and wetlands that exist there. We first camped near the charming little town of Tønder, which sits just over Denmark’s southern border with Germany. We then made our way further up the west coast, near a large swath of marshland called the Ballum Sluse for a few days. In all, we spent just over a week’s time camping on the Waddell Sea, surrounded by an abundance of nature, Danish style!
The Thunder Puffin on the cobblestone streets of Tønder
Tønder, pronounced tsuna, was famous for its production and sale of lace, mainly during the 17th to 19th centuries. At its height, over 20,000 people were employed making lace in Tønder and its surrounding environs.
Tønder is in the middle of an area that was known as the Duchy of Schleswig, which was a fiefdom of Denmark until 1918
The Duchy of Schleswig used to stretch coast to coast across Modern Denmark, for 35 miles north, and 45 miles south of the current border of Denmark and Germany
After WWI, the Treaty of Versailles allowed the people of the Duchy to pick their allegiance to, and permanently incorporate into either the Danish or German States
The treaty broke the Duchy into two regions, North and South, and held a plebiscite (referendum) to allow each region's residents to vote for which country to join
The North voted overwhelmingly to join Denmark, while the Southern region voted equally overwhelmingly to incorporate with Germany
Over 75 percent of the residents of Tønder, which was located in the very southern end of the Northern region, voted to join the German state
So, despite the wishes of the vast majority of Tønder’s residents in 1918’s plebiscite, the city has been part of Denmark for over a century now
After WWI, Tønder continued to have pro-German sympathies, and was officially bilingual up until 1945
As of 2025, Tønder boasts a population of just under 7,500 residents, and has embraced a growing reliance on tourism to support its inhabitants
Further north, AJ walks by the Ballum Sluce gatehouse hoping to spot some of the rare birds that migrate through the area
Sunset over the Wadden Sea at Ballum Sluce
Not even the clouds of mosquitoes could ruin such a beautiful evening for us!
After leaving the Wadden Sea, we stumbled onto a classic car show in the Danish city of Hobro
Here’s a lovely example of German craftsmanship on display in neighboring Denmark
This American pony traveled quite a distance to be shown here!
A pair of Opal GT’s parked in front of a beautiful old wooden sailboat
And finally, our last stop in Denmark is at the Port of Hirtshals, where we prepare to board a car ferry bound for Oslo, Norway! 🇳🇴
