Stop 3 of 11

Sankt Nicolai Church

A landmark for sailors, royalty and townspeople

From the water, the church looks almost like a lookout over the Little Belt. Its dedication to Saint Nicholas, patron saint of sailors, fits a town whose fortunes depended on ferries, fishing and the narrow crossing between Funen and Jutland.

The present brick church probably replaced an older stone church around 1200. What began in Romanesque form was repeatedly enlarged and reshaped in the Gothic style. The tower, chapels, aisles and porch belong to different building campaigns, so the church reads like a timeline made of brick.

Inside, if the church is open, look for the Renaissance pulpit from 1596, the Baroque altarpiece and C. W. Eckersberg's 19th-century paintings. Royal monograms on the front pews recall the close relationship with Hindsgavl Manor and the many powerful travellers who passed through this strategically placed town.

Good to know

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Extra background — not part of the original printed guide.

  • A timber staircase in the tower, dated to about 1510, is described by the church as Denmark's oldest wooden staircase still in use.
  • The porch was completed in 1667; that date above its door marks the end of a building phase, not the church's foundation.
  • The church's 15th-century enlargement may also have projected royal authority over ships using the Little Belt, where the Crown collected a water toll until 1655.

On to the next stop

Our next stop is only a minute away. Make your way through the old-town lane to Brogade 8 and look for the projecting timber-framed storeys of Henner Friisers Hus.

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