Between Abenra and Haderslev, E3 runs at some distance from the coast. Along the coast are some of the most popular beaches in Jutland. The inland area is heavily wooded. The climate of the Baltic is much milder than that of the North Sea.
Haderslev (pop. 21,000; Haderslev Motel, 66 Harmonien Hotel, 48 Norden, 80 youth hostel; camp site), on the narrow Haderslev Fjord, was a busy trading town as early as the 12th c. The present town is dominated by the Cathedral, dating in part from the 13th c. with rich furnishings including a bronze font and a Baroque pulpit; the altar has a modern altar screen with 15th c. figures of Apostles; 13th c. crucifix. To the W of the old town stands St Severin’s Church; to the E is an open-air museum with prehistoric exhibits and old houses.
3 km E of the town, on the Arosund road, is Starup church. The oldest parts of the church date from the 11th or 12th c. From Arosund a ferry crosses to the island of Aro.
E3 continues to Christiansfetd, founded in 1773 by the Moravian Brethren; the old part has preserved its original unity. The church (1776), plain and undecorated, has neither altar nor pulpit, only a liturgical table. NE of Christiansfeld rises the hill of Skamlingsbanken, a memorial site which attracts many visitors (good views, extending as far as Funen).
Kolding (pop. 42,000; Saxildhus Hotel, 59 Kolding, 69 Tre Roser Motel, 71 youth hostel; several camp sites), on the Kolding Fjord, is an old trading town and hub of communications. Koldinghus Castle, built as a frontier fortress in the early 13th c. is surrounded by a lake which was formerly part of the fjord. Destroyed by fire in 1808, it was completely restored in 1933. It contains a collection of art, handicrafts and militaria. A romantic path, the Lovers’ Walk, runs along the shores of the castle lake. In the middle of the town are a number of well-preserved 16th and 17th c. houses. To the SE of the town is the Geographical Garden, with plants from all over the world (largest bamboo grove in Europe, gigantic trees from California).
