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The Old Lillebælt Bridge
Photo: VisitMiddelfart
Photo: VisitMiddelfart
Photo: VisitMiddelfart
From railway bridge to viewpoint over Lillebælt
Steel against the sky, current beneath the bridge. The Old Lillebælt Bridge is 1,178 metres long with a navigational clearance of 33 metres. It connects Middelfart with Jutland and can be crossed free of charge by car, train, on foot or by bike. From the bridge you look out over Lillebælt, the town of Middelfart and the Hindsgavl peninsula.
The opening in 1935
On 14 May 1935 – almost exactly 80 years before Bridgewalking opened – the bridge opened with a royal visit. 50,000 spectators came, and the king arrived by sea aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog.
The same day, the first of DSB's red express trains was inaugurated. It ran across the bridge and cut the red ribbon. On board were 850 prominent guests. They boarded in Middelfart and stopped at Middelfart's new railway station.
The road was built at the same time. Some shopkeepers feared for their sales if the road ran outside the town, but an extension of the main road solved the problem.
Tourist destination then and now
The construction itself drew visitors to Middelfart, and kiosks, guesthouses and eateries sprang up. Boats full of curious people sailed from the harbour out to the building site. Since 2015 you have been able to climb the bridge's steel structure with Bridgewalking. Every May, the Lillebælt Half Marathon runs across the bridge.
Beneath the surface, the belt – shaped in the Ice Age – hides a vertical clay wall 40 metres deep, which divers like to explore.
You can cross the bridge free of charge by car, train, on foot or by bike.
