Bridges to the Past in Sæby

Bridges to the Past in Sæby is a walking route where you follow the river through landscapes shaped by nature, history and everyday life. The route takes you from the historic surroundings of Sæbygaard through old beech forest and on towards the town centre, harbour and beach. Along the way, the bridges become small landmarks in the story of Sæby.

The walk brings together nature and cultural history. You can sense how the Ice Age shaped the landscape and how the Sæby River helped form the town’s development. Sæby received its market town rights in 1524, but long before that, the town played an important role as a trading place. The river connected the hinterland with the sea and became a natural line through the life of the town.

The bridges along the Sæby River

Each bridge has its own story. At Sæbygaard’s moat bridge, you meet the connection to the old manor landscape, while Humlebroen leads your thoughts towards the historic Kærlighedsstien, the Love Path, in the forest. Further along the route, Guldalderbroen and Skovlystbroen tell stories of artists, forest pavilions and green surroundings that inspired painters and writers.

You also pass Portalen, better known locally as Rottehullerne. This striking concrete bridge forms a transition between the quiet forest and the town. At Jernbanebroen, the story of the former railway emerges, while Langebro and Møllebro bring you closer to the old market town, the river and the historic views through central Sæby.

Literature, harbour and beach

Adda Ravnkilde’s Bridge is a quiet point on the route. The bridge is linked to the writer Adda Ravnkilde, who grew up in Sæby and left her mark on Danish literary history with works about longing, freedom and inner life. Here, the walk takes on a more reflective atmosphere, where nature and history meet in a calm urban space.

Towards the end of the route, the landscape opens towards the harbour, beach and coast. Røde Bro, also known as Promenadebroen, connects Sæby Harbour with the beach path and gives the route a natural ending by the water. Here you experience Sæby’s close connection to the sea, trade and the gentle beaches that remain part of the town’s special atmosphere.

Digital Walking Tour

Discover Sæby at your own pace with Storyhunt’s digital walking tour. The stories are available directly on your smartphone and can be experienced in Danish, German, and English.

On the Bridges to the Past tour, you follow an approximately 5 km route along the Sæby River, where each bridge has its own unique story to tell. The tour takes around one hour, but you are free to explore at your own pace.

Find the digital guide here.