Stop 8 of 11

The Hanging Gardens

Town gardens stepping down to the water

Middelfart's old town occupies a slope above the Little Belt. Between Gl. Vestergade and the harbour, narrow gardens descend in green terraces, earning the affectionate name De Hængende Haver—the Hanging Gardens.

These are not a single formal park. They are a patchwork of private garden spaces, retaining walls, paths and planted edges that connect the houses above with the maritime landscape below. Their layered form makes the old town feel almost theatrical when seen from the harbour.

The gardens we recognize today were largely shaped between 1945 and 1960. They show how modest domestic spaces can become part of a town's shared identity: private ground that contributes to a public view. Please admire them from the public lanes and harbour paths.

Good to know

Extra background — not part of the original printed guide.

The gardens occupy the harbour-facing side of Gl. Vestergade, where the steep terrain creates a natural series of terraces.
Historic photographs show the name 'Hanging Gardens' was already in local use before 1935, even though much of the present terracing dates from the post-war decades.
Red and yellow timber-framed houses, local brick and wooden harbour buildings give this part of Middelfart its distinctive material character.

On to the next stop

Continue east along Havnegade for less than a minute to the sheltered basin of Gl. Havn. Find a safe place on the public quay where you can take in the harbour as a whole.

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