Every design for Aabenraa

Aabenraa sits at the head of Aabenraa Fjord on the east coast of Sønderjylland, a short drive north of the German border and Flensburg. Its name once meant 'open beach', and the harbour has set the rhythm of daily life ever since: today it is the largest in Sønderjylland and one of the deepest in Denmark, with shipping and harbour industry right at the edge of town.

What makes Aabenraa unusual is how openly its past lines the streets. Sailors once brought home wealth and customs from the East, and the old quarters around Slotsgade, Nygade and Skibbrogade are still remarkably intact. Danish, German and the local dialect have each named the town – Aabenraa, Apenrade, Affenrå – and when the spelling reform tried to take away its double a, the town simply refused.

Whether you walked to school past Hans Falcks Hus or spent a Sunday among the paintings at Kunstmuseet Brundlund Slot, you know this is a town you can find on any map, right where the fjord ends.