Juelsminde Havn & Marina

Juelsminde Havn & Marina sits on the east coast of Jutland, on the peninsula between Horsens Fjord and Vejle Fjord. Its position is the main draw: the harbour lies right beside the main shipping and cruising route through the East Jutland waters, making it a natural stop whether you are heading north towards the Kattegat or south towards the Little Belt and the archipelago. It has been named Harbour of the Year several times, and took the title of Marina of the Year in 2012.

The harbour is not one basin but four. Gammel Havn is the original fishing harbour and the liveliest part; the Stormolen quay here is reserved for vessels over 15 metres. Østhavnen and Juelsminde Marina are the two large marina basins, while Sandbjerg Marina — the old ferry harbour to the west — is the quietest of the four. Together they hold around 500 berths.

There are no dedicated visitor berths. Instead every berth carries a red/green sign: if it shows green, you may moor. The harbourmaster walks the pontoons each morning and turns the signs before nine, and a berth whose regular owner is returning must normally be vacated by noon the same day. You may also lie alongside the moles in the old fishing harbour and in Sandbjerg Marina. With over 10,000 visiting boats a summer, arriving early in the day is worth it.

The harbour is in the middle of Juelsminde, a couple of hundred metres from the high street. Around the old basin you will find a fishmonger with its own smokehouse and bistro, a café and ice-cream shop, a sourdough bakery and a couple of restaurants.

With children aboard this is one of the better stops on the Jutland east coast: a crab-fishing jetty for children only, with lifejackets to borrow, sits at the head of the old fishing harbour, and a free nature playground with a toboggan hill, climbing towers, slides and a zip line is within walking distance. There are sandy beaches on both sides of the harbour, with lifeguards in high season.