Tønder marsh
Tøndermarsken is Denmark's largest marshland area. The marsh is a distinctive landscape created by the sea and shaped by man. In the towns and landscape of Tøndermarsken you can experience a rich architectural culture surrounded by magnificent nature that harbours some of Europe's most important bird habitats. That's why part of Tøndermarsken is part of the Wadden Sea National Park and the outer part has UNESCO World Heritage status.
Højer city and Marskgården Højergård
The town of Højer is located on an island on the edge of the marsh behind the outer dikes. From here you can look out into the damp low-lying marsh to the south and west. The town originated in the Middle Ages and was an early port of call for merchant ships and oyster boats. By 1736, Højer had grown so large that it was granted the status of a hamlet, i.e. an urban community where trade and crafts had to be carried out.
Højer is one of the rare examples in Denmark where farms and town houses can still be seen side by side. The town centre consists of narrow streets and squares in a varied layout, where well-preserved buildings built in the traditional building style with regional characteristics form a vibrant cultural environment. Højer is rich in architectural heritage, and the town centre has one of the highest concentrations of listed and preservation-worthy buildings in Denmark.
In the centre of the town square, Realdania By & Byg has transformed two historic houses and a barn building into a food camp school. With the Marskgården project in Højer, the aim has been to preserve the valuable local building culture while revitalising the buildings and giving them new content and a modern use.
Højergård is a classic West Schleswig-style marsh farm built as a longhouse. The building was previously part of a larger farm complex with several buildings and was at one time a four-winged farmhouse. Today, Højergård consists of the farmhouse from 1823, an older barn from the 1700s to the east, a villa from 1906 to the north and a new wing from 2019 to the west. The four buildings are located on a 3721 m2 plot with a garden and courtyard.
Højer Sausages
South Jutland butchery products and sausages are known throughout Denmark, because South Jutland butchery is synonymous with quality. Many recipes have been passed down through generations and have their roots in Germany, where special rules for purity and meat content have been in place for centuries. This also applies to Højer Pølser from 1897, owned by the same family for four generations and arguably Denmark's most awarded butcher craftsmen. The company has won over 300 medals at competitions at home and abroad and received an honourary diploma from the Danish Gastronomic Academy. We go into the kitchen with the butchers and learn how to make sausages with the original ingredients from Højer Pølser.
Pacific oyster
Since the Middle Ages, oysters have been dredged in the Wadden Sea. From 1759 they were packed and stored in the oyster warehouse at Kiers Gård in Højer before being shipped to the Russian court and elsewhere. In recent years, Pacific oysters have formed new beds in the Wadden Sea. Experienced guides take us out to the oyster beds at low tide, where we collect all the oysters we can eat and take home. At the salt meadow, we collect herbs that can be included in the meal that we prepare at home in the kitchen.
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