Nyborg might not be on every traveler's radar, but it's full of unexpected charm.

We hadn't planned on stopping in Nyborg, but it ended up being the last spot we visited in Funen.

If you're heading from Copenhagen to Odense, chances are you'll pass right through Nyborg without even noticing. There's not a whole lot to do there, so it doesn't really grab visitors' attention.

Another reason Nyborg gets overlooked? The main E20 highway linking Funen to Zealand via the Great Belt Bridge completely skips the town. Unless you're purposely heading there, chances of pulling over just because you spotted a charming port or a cool castle are pretty slim.

We nearly ended up just like everyone else, skipping right past Nyborg. When we planned our Denmark trip, it wasn't even on our radar. Since it was our first visit, we were all about hitting the big highlights like Ribe and Egeskov Castle, leaving not much space for the lesser-known spots.

Everything changed the night before while we were in Svendborg. We spotted a major flaw in our plan for the next day. We had Trelleborg Viking Fortress on our list, but the museum wouldn't open until 10 AM. With the drive being barely an hour and us being early birds, we had to figure out what to do for a few hours in the morning.

After a quick look at the map, Nyborg seemed like the easiest choice. We dug up some details and found out there were some castle ruins and a nice marina. It was not exactly thrilling, but we figured, why not? So, did Nyborg surprise us with more reasons to visit, or was it one of those towns we forgot the minute we left? Let's see what we found!

We came to Nyborg to check out the castle.

Getting to Nyborg

Located on the eastern edge of Funen, Nyborg marks the start or the end of the Great Belt Bridge, depending on which way you're headed. Before 1998, getting between islands meant taking almost an hour-long ferry ride, but now, a quick 15-minute drive does the trick.

Crossing the Great Belt Bridge was an awesome (and not-so-cheap) experience.

We drove from Svendborg to Nyborg as part of our Denmark road trip, and it only took about 40 minutes. If you're looking for other nearby cities, Copenhagen's only 90 minutes away, and Odense is a short 30-minute trip - you can compare rental car prices in Denmark here.

One thing Nyborg has going for it is its train connections to both Copenhagen and Odense. Especially the super short 12-minute ride from Odense makes it an easy escape for anyone wanting a break from the crowds and a cool shot of the Great Belt Bridge. As for buses, they're really only useful if you're coming from smaller towns like Svendborg.

Parking

We rolled into Nyborg Harbor Parking around 7:30 AM, and even though it was pretty busy, snagging a spot wasn't a problem. Plus, being right next to the town center, it was the perfect place to park.

We had Vestervold Parking as a backup, but it turned out we didn't need it. It's closer to the castle and (also) free to park, but we chose the other lot since we wanted to soak in some sea views first.

Our Visit to Nyborg

It wasn't a long stop, but considering the situation and the fact that Nyborg isn't bursting with big attractions like LEGO House or Frederiksborg Castle, we actually really liked it. Maybe it was because we didn't expect much or because there were no tourists around. With so many places overcrowded these days, having such a peaceful start to the day was a nice surprise.

Nyborg's town center was tiny, yet surprisingly charming.

Nyborg Harbor

The first thing we did in Nyborg was that we just wandered around the harbor. Given that we parked there anyway, it only made sense. It was a gorgeous sunny morning in mid-September, but the cool temperature made it clear that autumn was slowly coming, especially after the recent cold front.

The sun was out, but the air had a crisp chill to it. Honestly, it just made the sea breeze feel even more refreshing. As we took it all in, we realized the harbor looked totally different from what we expected.

With shiny new condos on both sides, the harbor had a super clean, polished look. We had read about its transformation since the Great Belt Bridge replaced the ferry, but actually seeing it that morning still felt unexpected (in a way, we had already experienced something similar in Aalborg).

Crisp sea air and squawking gulls, that's what our morning walk around Nyborg Harbor was all about.

Then we started wondering exactly where the car ferry between Nyborg and Korsør had begun its journey across the water, and it turned out to be Midtermolen, the pier just to our left.

Another thing that caught us off guard was the stunning marina hidden behind the buildings to our right. Sitting between Lystbaadevej and Fiskerivej streets, it had about 600 berths and looked absolutely beautiful.

Sure, it was just a simple harbor walk, but honestly, we couldn't have picked a better way to kick off our quick visit to Nyborg. And before we forget, we also saw a Kayakomat, a little self-service shed where you can rent a kayak and paddle around the harbor on your own.

If you're up for some paddling, you can easily rent a kayak at Nyborg Harbor.

Nyborg Castle

Even though Nyborg Slot isn't open to visitors, it's still the town's main attraction. It's closed simply because renovations are still in progress. While we couldn't go inside, we could still walk around it, and despite that, Nyborg was definitely worth a visit. I'll admit, the castle itself wasn't much to look at, but the massive moat and embankment, once a key part of the fortress, were actually pretty cool.

Later in the trip, we made it to Kastellet and Kronborg, and their fortifications instantly reminded us of Nyborg. The west and north sides are still well preserved, while the moat at the southeastern corner has kind of blended into the town. Together with the castle and surrounding buildings, it creates a truly charming scene.

Built in 1193, Nyborg Castle has plenty of history, but the real standout fact we learned about it was that this was the spot where Erik Klipping signed Denmark's first constitution back in 1282.

As we wandered along Nyborg's fortifications, we came across some restored cannons that were once part of the town’s defense.

As both a fortress and a royal residence in medieval Denmark, Nyborg Castle held a key place among other castles, largely because of its strategic setting. Over time, though, the castle's significance faded, especially after the Swedish Wars, and by the 20th century, it was in rough shape.

One final detail we picked up about Nyborg Castle's past was that the restoration has been in the works for a couple of decades, and at this point, who knows when it'll finally be finished?

Another element of Nyborg's stronghold was its watchtower.

Borgmestergaarden - A Historic Merchant’s House

As we made our way back to the car, we walked past Borgmestergaarden, a stunning half-timbered mansion built in 1601 by Mayor Mads Lerche. With its striking red facade and three-winged layout (hidden behind a wooden gate), it was hands down the most beautiful house we saw in all of Nyborg.

Today, this house is a textbook example of a Renaissance merchant's home and serves as a small museum. Inside, visitors can explore a variety of exhibits, some rotating, some permanent, like a blacksmith's workshop, a farmhouse kitchen, and even a space dedicated to maritime history.

Despite what the sign indicated, Borgmestergaarden's museum wasn't open yet at that hour.

There was a sign saying the museum was open, but the door seemed shut, which matched up with the info we checked earlier that it only opens from 10 AM to 4 PM. To be fair, we weren't sure if we'd ever seen a museum open that early, so it almost seemed like the sign was just always there.

Since it was closed and we were starting to get behind schedule, we had to keep going, so we just enjoyed it from the outside. Still, if regional museums interest you, Borgmestergaarden is a nice way to spend an hour, especially with free entry.

Great Belt Bridge

If you ask us, the biggest reason to visit Nyborg is to see the impressive 18-kilometer-long Great Belt Bridge. Driving across it was a pretty awesome experience, but honestly, even just seeing it from a distance was incredible.

This bridge is a true engineering wonder, with one part featuring one of the world's longest suspension spans. And if you're in Funen, the Nyborg area offers some of the best vantage points to take it all in.

Traveling from Nyborg, we were treated to stunning views of the Great Belt Bridge's suspension span.

Nyborg's side of the Great Belt Bridge has a few car parks right before the bridge entrance, but the biggest one, Storebæltsbroen Nødparkering, sits on the southern side. Something tells us that Nyborg Badestrand (or Fyn Badestrand) has even better views, but that's just a guess.

We've got to admit that we liked the views from Halsskov a little more (that's the town across the bridge). Being positioned on the eastern side, it has an amazing suspension bridge, while Nyborg's box girder bridge just doesn't have the same visual appeal.

It's not that big of a deal, though, since the experience is more about seeing this incredible structure than the perfect angle. Plus, you can always zoom in with your phone's telephoto lens or use binoculars if you've got them handy (take us, for example, we had ours in the trunk because we took them along for the Black Sun Tour and some wildlife viewing in Thy National Park).

Anyway, the beach is just 2 kilometers from Nyborg's marina, and Storebæltsbroen Nødparkering is around 3.5 kilometers away, so if you're tired of driving, you can easily walk. Just take Hjejlevej Road, which has a walking and cycling path.

Travel Insurance

We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.

Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.

SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.

Travel smarter and safer!

Things We Missed in Nyborg

Since our time in Nyborg was short, there were a few spots we missed: a beach, a castle, and a windmill. On paper, they looked like great places to explore, but apart from the beach, they're not so accessible.

StorebAEltsbadet

We'll start with the beach since it’s the easiest spot to check out. We've already mentioned that Nyborg's strand has some fantastic views of the Great Belt Bridge, but what really surprised us was that Storebæltsbadet (that's its official name) is a Blue Flag Beach with ideal swimming conditions.

Given how chilly it was, the idea of jumping into the North Sea at Storebæltsbadet wasn't tempting in the slightest. It made us think of Ireland's Blue Flag Beaches, where we also couldn't bring ourselves to get in the water.

Holckenhavn Castle

On our way to Nyborg, we noticed a striking bright red building with what looked like a castle behind it. Lucie checked the map and realized we had just passed Holckenhavn. It's a popular venue for weddings, conferences, and private occasions, but unfortunately, the only section open to day-visitors is the 12-hectare park.

As we headed toward Nyborg, we caught a glimpse of Holckenhavn.

Dyrehave Mølle

At 25 meters tall, this Dutch-style windmill from 1858 is one of the tallest in Denmark. Dyrehave is beautifully restored and open for visitors, but only on Mondays and Sundays between 10 AM and 3 PM and only from April to October.

We passed it just a few minutes after the castle, but Lucie wasn't quick enough to snap a photo. We'd already seen a few windmills in Skagen (which we visited mainly to walk to Denmark's northernmost point) and near Rubjerg Knude Fyr, a breathtaking lighthouse in Jutland, so we didn't stop here.

To our surprise, there was a mill right in Nyborg's town center. It was relocated there by Christian III in the 16th century, operated until 1929, and now serves as a theater hall.

The mill in Nyborg's town center looked nothing like the usual windmills.

Hotels in Nyborg

While Nyborg isn’t the most buzzing destination, partly because of where it’s situated, it does have some lovely hotels. If you want to be right in the town center, the only option is the cozy and charming Hotel Villa Gulle, housed in a building from 1873.

Just two kilometers east of town, Nyborg's beach is home to two large hotels. Nyborg Strand Hotel and Storebælt Sinatur have a similar vibe. Both are located right by the beach and have fairly modern rooms and free parking, but Nyborg Strand stands out with a sauna and hot tubs (and a slightly higher price tag).

Travel Resources

Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.

Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.

Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.

We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.

Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.

Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.

Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.

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A Guide to Nyborg, Denmark