1. Kongeskansen (the King’s redoubt)
Immediately after their victory in 1864, the Prussians decided to build a large defence works around Sønderborg. Kongeskansen – German redoubt 10 – was the first part of the construction. It was built over the remains of the Danish redoubts V and VI. However, the defences were never used, and in 1885 they were abandoned.
The name Kongeskansen (the King’s redoubt) was given to the redoubt at the Reunification in 1920. This was when King Christian X was received by the people of southern Jutland. As many as 50,000 people watched as the King was presented with an old Dannebrog (the Danish flag) by four young girls dressed in white.
Kongeskansen is now grazed by sheep so that it does not become overgrown with trees and bushes, and to keep the grass down so that people can easily walk around the redoubt.
2. Redoubt IV
Redoubt IV was the strong redoubt to the rear of the Dybbøl position, with a total of 12 cannon.
Only four of the cannon were in working order when, after six hours’ massive artillery bombardment, 2,400 men from the Prussian forces stormed the redoubt. The redoubt fell after just 30 minutes’ fighting.
After 1864 the redoubt was demolished and a German redoubt was built on the remains. The white marking shows the outline of the original Danish redoubt. The remains of the oldest concrete in Denmark, from 1864, can be seen in the redoubt.
In 1872 a 24m-high Prussian monument to the Battle of Dybbøl was raised on the concrete foundations of the blockhouse. The monument stood until May 1945 when it was blown up by unknown persons.
3. Redoubt II
Redoubt II was the only redoubt from which the Danish cannon could reach the German batteries at Broagerland. There was a good view over Vemmingbund from the redoubt. You can see where the German batteries were positioned in the area above the camp site near Gammelmark.
A memorial has been placed in the redoubt to the three soldiers who have since become symbols for both armies in the battle. The are lieutenants Johan Peter Anker and Carl Vilhelm Castenschiold, who in turn had command of Redoubt II, and Karl Klinke, a Prussian skirmisher. Klinke was killed when he tried to blow a hole in the palisade surrounding the redoubt.
4. Dybbøl Mill
The existing Dybbøl Mill is the fifth mill on the site. The first was a timber mill built in 1744. The mill which stood here in 1864 was made of brick. However, it stood directly in the line of fire and was shot to ruins during the battle. The current mill was completed in 1936. The sails of the mill and the old grinder have been restored, and when the wind is right the mill works just as it did in olden times.
Since 1995, the Museum at Sønderborg Castle has organised exhibitions in the mill and the corn store.
Read more at 1864.dk (in Danish)
5. Dybbøl Banke History Centre
Enter Dybbøl Banke History Centre and step straight back to the battle in 1864. Together with the soldiers in the trenches, you too can experience the tense wait for the signal to attack, seek cover in the redoubt blockhouse, and visit the barracks where the reserves live. You can also see a film about the war and the events leading up to it.
The distinctive building forming the framework of the History Centre was designed by architects Ernst Lohse and Michael Freddie. Their project won the architectural competition in 1990 and the Centre was officially opened by Queen Margrethe on the 128th anniversary of the battle in 1992.
Read more at 1864.dk (in Danish)
6. The museum at Sønderborg Castle
Sønderborg Castle was built as a fort in the first half of the 13th century. The Danish King Christian II was imprisoned here from 1532 to 1549. In 1852-64 the castle was a Danish barracks and later a Prussian/German barracks until 1919. After the Reunification in 1920, the owner sold the castle to the Danish state.
The Museum has a comprehensive collection of original weapons, uniforms, paintings and other items from the wars in 1848-51 and 1864, from the period under German rule and from the Reunification.
Read more at msj.dk (in Danish)
7. The common graves
Some of the soldiers who fell during the attack on 18 April lie in the mass graves. Both Danish and Prussian soldiers were buried together here. A total of 334 Danish and 28 Prussian soldiers lie in the four large graves. The injured who died at field hospitals after the battle were buried in cemeteries near churches in the local area. Throughout the entire Dybbøl area and on the Arnkil peninsular north of Sønderborg stand memorials at places where Danish and Prussian soldiers fell. Some of the memorial stones are in private gardens and along residential streets.
8. Brohovedskansen (bridgehead redoubt)
Brohovedskansen is close to Christian X’s bridge which today connects Sundved and Als. In 1864 the most important task for the redoubt was to protect two pontoon bridges which linked the Dybbøl positions with the Danish forces on Als.
Rowan, ash, apple and cherry trees as well as thorn bushes grow on the redoubt. All the trees are protected.
9. The Dybbøl stone
Barstene is one of Denmark’s 10 largest stones. It weighs more than 200 tons, has a circumference of 26 meters, and is made of reddish, coarse-grained granite. The stone was transported to its current location during the last Ice Age, about 18,000 years ago, with the large ice masses that also formed the hills in the area.
The Bar Stone was once larger than it is now. Throughout history, it has almost been used as a quarry, with smaller pieces being blasted or hewn off. Small fragments of it still lie in the area.
Many stories are associated with Barstenen. One of them tells that the stone was once so large that you could turn a cart on it, and that 18 pairs could dance on it.
Other legends say that the stone was thrown by a giant or a giantess to hit the twin towers of Broager Church.
10. Gendarme Path
The Gendarm Path along the coast and the national border is one of Denmark's most beautiful hiking trails. From the Reunification in 1920 and for almost 40 years afterward, the blue-clad border gendarmes patrolled here to monitor the border and shipping traffic along the coast. Each gendarme was responsible for their section of the path. Foot patrols ended in 1958, and the border was thereafter monitored by patrols in vehicles. In 1995, the police took over the guarding.
74 km of the Gendarm Path – from Padborg to Høruphav – has since been restored through a collaboration between the then Sønderjylland County, Sønderborg Municipality, and the Danish Nature Agency. The path is marked with special signs featuring a blue gendarme as the logo.
Read more about the Gendarm Path
11. Coastal Cliff
Geologically, Dybbøl Banke consists of clayey soil layers. Due to coastal erosion and seepage of groundwater, parts of the high slopes near Vemmingbund regularly erode. Sometimes sections of fields and paths disappear into the depths. On the slopes and in the landslides, an impenetrable thicket has grown over time. The area is left undisturbed as a primeval forest without human intervention. It has a special microclimate with a very varied flora, including impressive stands of the large horsetail, which grows along the east coast of Jutland.
12. Stævningsskoven
The small deciduous forest between Skanse I and Skanse II, like other old Danish coppice forests, has been managed through coppicing. Coppice forestry is the oldest form of forest management known in Denmark and has been used since the Stone Age. This historical method of management has now been resumed.
In the forest, you can experience a rich display of flowers in the spring, including hollow-rooted toothwort and two species of orchids.
13. Avnbjerg
About 2 km west of the fortifications, immediately south of the main road, lies the mound of Avnbjerg (52 meters above sea level). From here, there was an excellent view of parts of the fortifications, and the Prussian high command observed the battle from the top. It was from Avnbjerg that the Prussian commander-in-chief, Prince Friedrich Karl, gave the signal for the attack on the Dybbøl positions.
Avnbjerg was subsequently excavated, but the mound has now been restored with earth that was surplus from the construction of the History Center and various roadworks. From Avnbjerg, there is a trail connection to the Gendarm Path.
14. Arnkil
On the peninsula of Arnkil, north of Sønderborg, the last major battle Denmark fought on Danish soil took place. Early in the morning on June 29, 1864, the Prussians crossed Als Sund in 166 rowboats and pontoon ferries. The main force set out from Sottrup Storskov and landed 10 minutes later at the forest ranger’s house on Arnkil. Within a few hours, the Danish army lost more than 3,000 of the 12,000 soldiers on Als. Of these, 216 were killed, and the rest were either wounded, captured, or missing. The Danish army withdrew to Kegnæs on South Als and was evacuated to Fyn. A few months later, Denmark signed the treaty that ceded Southern Jutland to Germany.
Some of the Danish soldiers who fell during the battle for Als were buried by the local population as they were discovered in the fields. This is why there are so many graves at Arnkil. The graves have been maintained by the local community since 1864. The largest war grave, with 64 fallen soldiers, is located behind the farm Rønhave. You can park at Rønhave Skov and walk through the forest to the grave.
15. Sandbjerg castle
The farm at Sundeved, north of Dybbøl, was built in 1571 by Duke Hans the Younger. In 1673, the estate was sold to Chancellor Conrad Reventlow, whose family owned the farm until 1929.
Read more at graenseforeningen.dk
The main building at Sandbjerg Castle is one of Southern Jutland’s most beautiful palaces. It was built in 1787-88 by Count Conrad Georg Reventlow. The Reventlow family is known as pioneers of the major land reforms, and in 1787-88, about 400 acres of the estate’s land were parceled out and sold to farmers and smallholders. This created the agriculture that still exists around Sandbjerg.
In 1864, the castle was used as a Prussian field hospital and later as a headquarters. The castle’s tower clock gave the Prussian forces the signal to cross Als Sund when it struck 2:00 AM on June 29, 1864.
In 1954, Karen Blixen's sister Ellen Dahl, who then owned the estate, donated the entire property of 131 hectares to Aarhus University. Today, Sandbjerg Castle is operated as a conference facility.
16. Nydam Mose
At Sundeved lies Nydam Mose – Denmark's most famous sacrificial bog. Originally, the bog was a lake, and during the Iron Age, large quantities of war booty in the form of weapons, ships, tools, and jewelry were offered here.
In 1859, archaeologists discovered that treasures lay in the bog, and four years later, the sensation emerged. The bog concealed two well-preserved ships from around the year 300. The war in 1864 halted the excavation work, and one of the ships was lost. The other – the famous Nydam boat – can now be seen at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig.
Excavations continue at Nydam Mose, and more exciting finds are emerging. Nydam Mose is worth a visit year-round. The Society for Nydam Research provides information about finds and excavations at the parking lot and in the bog.