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Infotavle Gendarmstien, Vemmingbund – Høruphav

A modest information board on Denmark’s Gendarme Path that unlocks coastal views, border history and stage‑planning between Vemmingbund and Høruphav.

4.6

This discreet information board on the Gendarme Path between Vemmingbund and Høruphav is a handy orientation point along one of Denmark’s most scenic coastal trails. Here you step directly into the story of the former border gendarmes who once patrolled the shores between Denmark and Germany, with maps, history and route details bringing the 84 km Gendarmstien to life. It is an ideal place to pause, check your stage and appreciate the mix of beaches, forest and war-history landscape around Sønderborg.

A brief summary to Infotavle Gendarmstien, Vemmingbund - Høruphav

  • Sønderborg, 6400, DK
  • Visit website
  • Duration: 0.5 to 2 hours
  • Free
  • Environment icon Outdoor
  • Mobile reception: 4 out of 5

Local tips

  • Bring a detailed map or offline trail app; the board is useful for orientation, but coastal bends and woodland sections can feel similar after several kilometres.
  • Wear waterproof or quick‑dry footwear, as parts of the Vemmingbund–Høruphav stretch can be damp or involve short sections directly on the beach.
  • Pack snacks and water before setting out; refreshment spots cluster in towns like Sønderborg and Høruphav rather than right at the information board.
  • Allow extra time for short detours up towards Dybbøl Banke or to viewpoints above the bay if you are interested in the 1864 battlefield landscape.
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Getting There

  • Regional train and local bus from Sønderborg Station

    From Sønderborg Station, take a regional bus towards Vemmingbund or along the coast east of the town; services typically take 15–25 minutes depending on the specific stop. A single adult ticket within the local zone system usually costs around 20–35 DKK and buses run roughly every 30–60 minutes during the day, less frequently in the evening. Expect limited departures on weekends and public holidays, and note that you will walk a short distance from the nearest bus stop along signed paths to reach the information board.

  • Car access from Sønderborg and surrounding area

    By car from central Sønderborg, the drive to the Vemmingbund stretch of Gendarmstien is generally 10–20 minutes depending on traffic and your exact starting point. There are small parking areas near beach access points and roadside lay‑bys, which are usually free but can fill up on warm summer days. From these, expect a few minutes’ walk on footpaths or along the beach to reach the information board. Surfaces are a mix of gravel and sand, and some approaches may not be suitable for low‑mobility visitors.

  • Walking approach from Sønderborg via the Gendarmstien

    If you are already in Sønderborg, you can join the Gendarmstien in town and follow it east along the bay towards Vemmingbund, treating the information board as a waypoint on a longer hike. The walk typically takes 2.5–4 hours one way for an average walker, depending on pace and photo stops. Terrain is mostly easy coastal path with some stretches on sand or slightly uneven forest track, so sturdy shoes are recommended. This option is free aside from any refreshments you buy en route and is best attempted in daylight and stable weather.

Infotavle Gendarmstien, Vemmingbund - Høruphav location weather suitability

  • Weather icon Clear Skies
  • Weather icon Mild Temperatures
  • Weather icon Any Weather
  • Weather icon Cold Weather
  • Weather icon Windy Conditions

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Coastal stop on Denmark’s historic border trail

This information board lies on the Gendarmstien section running between the bay of Vemmingbund and the harbour town of Høruphav on the island of Als. Here the long-distance path follows the coastline east of Sønderborg, threading together sandy beaches, low cliffs and quiet woodland. You are in the heart of Southern Jutland’s borderland, where sea views across Sønderborg Bay constantly remind you how close Germany lies just over the horizon. Gendarmstien itself stretches roughly 84 km from Padborg near the Danish–German border to Skovby on Als, tracing the old patrol route along the shore. The Vemmingbund–Høruphav reach is one of its gentler, more contemplative stages, a place where the rhythm of waves and the cry of seabirds accompany you as you follow the blue gendarme symbols from cove to cove.

Stories of smugglers, soldiers and shifting frontiers

The board introduces you to the gendarmes who gave the trail its name. From the nineteenth century until 1958, these border guards walked this same coastline, watching for smugglers using inlets and small coves to slip untaxed goods across the frontier. After the 1920 reunification of Southern Jutland with Denmark, the men in blue uniforms became a visible symbol of the new border, pacing the cliff tops, dunes and pebble beaches. Around Vemmingbund the landscape still carries traces of much older conflicts. Across the bay rises Dybbøl Banke, a key battlefield during the 1864 war, when Denmark lost a large part of Schleswig to Prussia. Interpretation along the path helps link what you see today – farmed fields, windmills and forest edges – with the artillery lines, trenches and lookout points that once dotted these slopes.

Reading the landscape between bay and beech woods

Moving south and east towards Høruphav, the character of the coast shifts repeatedly. Open sand gives way to narrow shingle, low clay cliffs and occasional patches of salt meadow cut by small streams. Inland, beech and mixed woodland step in to shelter the route, offering cool shade, birdsong and spring wildflowers. The information board typically highlights these transitions, pointing out common coastal plants, birdlife on the bay and protected wetland areas nearby. Høruphav itself lies at the edge of a shallow inlet with calm water, used today by small boats and kayaks rather than patrol craft. Between the two points you experience how closely nature and culture intertwine along Gendarmstien: sea eagles and terns overhead, war memorials on the hills, livestock grazing right down to the strand.

Practical pause for planning your Gendarmstien stage

As a waymarker rather than a stand‑alone attraction, the board is designed to help you understand where you are on the larger route. Clear maps show the division of the Gendarme Path into themed stages – from the more undulating "mountain" stretch near Padborg to the beach and mill sections closer to Als. Elevation profiles, distances and suggested day stages make it easier to decide whether to continue to Sønderborg, stay around Vemmingbund’s family‑friendly beach or push on towards Høruphav and Skovby. The panel also orients you to nearby facilities such as bathing spots, picnic places, simple campgrounds and villages where you can resupply. For multi‑day hikers this short stop can be where you check the weather, adjust your timetable and choose whether to stick to the shoreline or take small signed detours to viewpoints, mills or historic sites.

Quiet atmosphere along a certified quality trail

Gendarmstien is recognised as a European Quality Trail, meeting high standards for varied scenery, cultural interest and waymarking. That quality shows even at modest stops like this one. The surf is seldom far away, and on calmer days you may hear only water against stones, the rustle of leaves and occasional voices from the beach or the path. In summer, light lingers long into the evening, giving this stretch a soft, almost luminous feel as the sun dips behind Dybbøl and the colours of the bay deepen. Whether you are thru‑hiking the full 84 km or just exploring a short segment from Sønderborg, the Vemmingbund–Høruphav information board acts as a small gateway into a much wider story. It invites you to see the border landscape not only as pretty coastline, but as a living corridor of nature, history and quiet everyday life in Southern Jutland.

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