Missionshotellet Stella Maris

Swineburgh -UNDER CONSTRUCTION

by bluesmama

I know I live here so I'm biased but this really is one of my absolute favourite towns in Denmark. It's so charming! So now I'll make a page on Svendborg - my home... More photos will be added later.

"A little bit of history"

Svendborg is an old seaport town, but not much is known about when it was actually founded. The first document that mentions the town is a letter from 1229 stating that the southern part of Fyn (including Svendborg) was given to Princess Eleonora, the wife of Valdemar the Younger.
Svendborg?s priviliges as a merchant town is first documented in a letter written by Christoffer I in 1253. So last year 2003 Svendborg held its 750 year anniversary as a merchant town.
There are different opinions as to where the name Svendborg comes from. It is known that its first name was Swineburgh, but the meaning of this is not clear. It could come from the ?marsvin? (small whales) that used to inhabit the waters around the town in great numbers. Or maybe the name comes from ?svin? ?pigs ?that was being fed up in the forests. Another explanation is that it is ?the town by Suine Sund (Sound). Nowadays people tend to stick with the last explanation. Personally I think the one with pigs is much more fun!

I?ve lived here practically all my life. At least as far back as I can remember, and it is a wonderful town. The location is so beautiful. Svendborg has many hills and in the old days there used to many creeks ? unfortunately they are now all paved over. Only one of the many mills remain; Christian?s Mill standing on top of the hill looking out over the town and the sea.