Christiansfeld - UNESCO - Visit Christiansfeld, a wonderful history filled city

Visit the world cultural heritage in Christiansfeld - the atmosphere and history make a visit to Christiansfeld a very special experience.

Christiansfeld is a world heritage site

Since 2015, Christiansfeld has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"The stamp of quality has been placed on our unique Brethren town. Many people have a stake in the fact that it has succeeded. But when it can happen, it is real, because our then king Christian the 7th gave permission for the Congregation of the Brethren to build the unique town centre. It was the start of what is now a world cultural heritage. I look forward to the fact that both tourists and the rest of Denmark will open their eyes to the very special things that are in Christiansfeld."
- Jørn Pedersen, former mayor, Kolding Municipality.

Designation of World Heritage sites is based on UNESCO's World Heritage Convention. It aims to preserve the world's unique natural and cultural heritage for future generations.

Christiansfeld is included in the world heritage list as a unique testimony of a very special religious community and its establishment in Denmark. With its right-angled streets and large church located in the absolute center of the town, Christiansfeld was and is completely unique. In addition to being the only town of its kind in Denmark, Christiansfeld is globally the best preserved of all similar towns. The church has an active congregation where some members can even trace their lineage back to the very first who traveled here from Herrnhut in Germany to build Christiansfeld.

Read more about the UNESCO World Heritage Christiansfeld.

The town center in Christiansfeld

Christiansfeld is special in that it was planned in advance and built according to the same pattern as the first Brødremenigheds town in Herrnhut.. The town thus did not arise gradually like so many other small towns in Denmark. The majority of the historic city center was built from 1773 to 1812. It is today both a living cultural monument - and part of the city and its citizens' everyday life. The center of the town is the beautiful church - Salshuset, around the church you will find the town's most important buildings.

Europe's best-preserved Brethren town
The Brethren congregation in Christiansfeld is part of a worldwide faith community with congregations in many countries. Christiansfeld is one of several parish towns in Europe built to exactly the same design, but the town is the best preserved of them all. The buildings stand today as they did when the city was founded at the behest of King Christian VII in 1773.

Visit a different cemetery (Gudsageren)

Gudsageren is the Brethren church's cemetery. As is the tradition in the Church of the Brethren, where the women sit on the right and the men on the left in the hall, women are buried at Gudsageren on the right to the east and the men to the left to the west. Most graves are exactly the same as a symbol that in the congregation everyone is equal, even after death. Since 1774, when Gudsageren was consecrated, no grave has been erased.

Christinero

Southwest of Christiansfeld is the listed building Christinero, which was built by chamberlain Christina Fridericia von Holstein at the end of the 18th century. The facility is almost a small forest with special plant and tree species. Throughout the year, Christinero is a favorite place for a walking or cycling tour. In the facility there is a cookhouse, a pavilion and a small chapel at the Lord Chamberlain's grave. Furthermore, there are small ponds with naturally occurring artesian springs from which the water sprays up. From Christinero, a path leads to Tyrstrup Old Rectory with the Bullade, which was built in oak in 1668 and is the largest bullade that still stands where it was built. The bulla is protected.

Gingerbread and tiled stoves
Christiansfeld is also known for its gingerbread and beautiful tiled stoves.

Early in the town's history, both a baker and an oven setter each started their own craft in the town. The gingerbread was not just a success in Christiansfeld but also far outside the city limits. Today it is possible to visit both the Brethren's Gingerbread Bakery (Xocolatl) in the center and the Gingerbread House in the southern part of the city.