Dronningens Bastion & Nyborg Water Tower

Fortress earthworks turned green haven

Dronningens Bastion, the Queen’s Bulwark, was once part of the front line protecting Nyborg Castle and the royal power centred here in the Middle Ages. Shaped as an angular earthen rampart thrusting into the surrounding moat, it formed one of several bastions that allowed cannons to cover every approach to the castle. Today the guns are gone, but the geometry of war remains in the crisp lines of banks and ditches, now softened by grass and trees. Walking onto the bastion you quite literally step onto the old defensive ring of Nyborg. The elevation is modest, yet enough to give you a sense of how the town, castle, ramparts and water were all interlocked in a single fortified landscape. The original water regulation system that fed the moats still shapes the terrain, and the bastion’s outline mirrors the shapes seen on old fortress maps.

The red-brick water tower above the ramparts

The most eye-catching feature of Dronningens Bastion is the brick water tower that rises from its crest. Built in 1899 as part of Nyborg’s modern water supply, the tower adds a vertical accent to the low earthworks below. Round-arched openings, decorative brick bands and a compact, almost castle-like silhouette tie the industrial structure back to the fortified setting around it. The tower has long since become a local landmark, visible from many angles around the town and across the castle grounds. Its protected status underlines its architectural and historical value: industrial heritage placed directly on top of medieval defence works. From the foot of the tower you can appreciate how engineers in two very different eras both chose this high point for strategic reasons, first for cannon fire, later for water pressure.

A quiet park within the old castle landscape

Despite its military origins, Dronningens Bastion today feels more like an intimate park than a fortress. Grassy slopes invite slow climbs and casual sitting, while small trees and shrubs break the outline of the banks. The surrounding moats and castle lake, still following their historic lines, add a sense of enclosure and calm when you pause to look across the water. The bastion links naturally with paths around the wider Nyborg fortifications, so it often forms part of a longer loop taking in other bulwarks and viewpoints. Yet it also works well as a short standalone stop: a place to stretch your legs, let children run up and down the banks, or simply sit and listen to birdsong along the water’s edge.

Layers of royal and civic history

Nyborg was once a royal seat where medieval kings gathered their council and where major decisions for the kingdom were taken. Dronningens Bastion belongs to this story as one of the bulwarks that guarded the castle and the approach routes. Its name, invoking a queen, echoes the royal associations that long defined the town. When the military role of Nyborg faded, the area did not lose its importance; it was repurposed for civic infrastructure and recreation. The siting of the water tower on the bastion in the late 19th century marks a shift from royal defence to public utility. Today both layers are legible in the landscape, making a visit here a compact lesson in how towns adapt and reuse their strategic spaces over time.

Experiencing the bastion on foot

Exploring Dronningens Bastion is straightforward and informal. There are no gates or ticket booths; instead you simply follow the paths that wind up onto the ramparts. Underfoot, the ground is mostly grass and compacted soil, with gentle inclines that reward slow walking rather than strenuous climbing. The modest height offers pleasing views across the castle grounds, the moats and towards Nyborg’s roofscape without ever feeling exposed. Photography-minded visitors will find varied angles: close-ups of the brickwork on the tower, long shots that capture the bastion’s profile against the sky, and compositions that frame the tower with trees and water. At quieter moments, the space invites you to pause and imagine how different the atmosphere would have been when cannon crews once occupied these same banks.

A small but memorable castle-side detour

Although Dronningens Bastion is only one part of the broader Nyborg fortress landscape, it stands out through the striking pairing of earth and brick. It is an easy addition to any exploration of Nyborg Castle or the old town, requiring only a short detour to experience a different perspective on the historic centre. The combination of open air, layered history and clear, readable shapes in the land make this a spot that lingers in memory longer than its modest size might suggest.