Latest news with #NorthernGermany
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Denmark's adventure playground: why the Aarhus region is a must-visit for outdoor-lovers
Whether you're a seasoned adventurer ready to take a multi-day canoe trip through Denmark's varied landscapes, or you just want to find some peace in nature on an afternoon hike, the diverse outdoor attractions of Aarhus and the surrounding region offer everyone a chance to explore at their leisure. Located in Jutland, the mainland peninsula of Denmark that borders northern Germany, this area is full of spectacular nature experiences, from glorious sandy beaches to ancient landscapes shaped by the ice age. Can you be outdoorsy in a city? Aarhus says you can. From its numerous biking routes to its royal hunting forest, not to mention its harbour, Denmark's second city has a lot to offer. The city's harbour baths, floating swimming pools in the clear, clean harbour, are a great place to start. Opened in 2018, they quickly became a popular hangout on a sunny day, and incorporate a range of different pools, sundecks and diving platforms. It's all free – just bring a swimsuit and a towel. There are plenty of other water-based activities to try in Aarhus, too. At La Sauna, you can try the Danish tradition of saunagus. It's a combination of sweat, scent oils, music and low lighting, with a saunagus master on hand to guide you through three intense sessions over the course of about an hour. Surf Agency, also in the city, offers paddleboard trips and kiteboarding options, led by certified teachers. You don't have to have any experience of these sports as there are courses suitable for all levels. The calm waters around the Aarhus coastline offer ideal conditions for paddleboarding in particular, so it makes for an unforgettable day out that the whole family can share. Beyond the water, head to Marselisborg Forests just outside the city centre for walks under beech trees and a 16-mile mountain bike trail. The 550-hectare forest has a deer park, campsites, old watermills and even an amusement park among the trees. Locals love the True Forest, a favourite picnic spot and hiking and running area. Funny you should ask: Djursland, 40 minutes' drive north-east of Aarhus, happens to be the area's unofficial adventure playground. Much of it is given over to Mols Bjerge national park, a beautiful, diverse area of landscape that includes forests of ancient trees, little harbours, swathes of sandy beaches and pastures. It's also home to the very pretty town of Ebeltoft, where you can pick up the ingredients you need for a picnic. Mols Bjerge is renowned as a great place to go hiking – the 50-mile Mols Bjerge mountain trail is one of the best known – and you'll find everything from castle ruins to troll forests in the ice-age scenery along its route. Beyond the national park, there are some lovely coastal cycling routes in this gentle scenery. As well as paths that wind in and out of woodlands and small villages, there are a number of routes along old railway lines and, near Ebeltoft, an established mountain bike route. Much of the scenery in this area is harmonious and gentle – rolling hills that sink down to gently shelving beaches. Karlby and Sangstrup Cliffs are a neat counterpoint to all of this: two rather unusual sandstone cliffs three miles long and 17 metres high on the northern part of Djursland. On the rocky beaches beneath them, you're likely to find fossils, including petrified sea urchins, and even stone-age flints. Look out for porpoises just offshore. An hour's drive to the north-west of Aarhus, Viborg offers more adventures in Danish nature. It's the starting point for one of Denmark's most ancient routes: the Hærvejen, or the ancient road, which runs down the spine of Jutland. The full 620-mile route can be done on foot or by bike, staying at little hostels along the way. A bit like the South West Coast Path in the UK, it can be broken up into distinct sections so you do it over multiple trips, exploring forests and lakes and towns established by the Vikings. The main stage is from Viborg to Jelling, along which you can discover some of Jutland's most beautiful scenery, from heather-clad hills to quiet paths winding past large dolmen and burial mounds. You'll end your journey at the Jelling Stone, one of Denmark's most significant Viking sights. Viborg may be inland, almost equidistant from Jutland's east and west coasts, but there's still lots of water to enjoy. At the Viborg lakes Nørresø and Søndersø, you can swim, fish for carp or go paddleboarding. A bike ride around the lakes shows the town off from all its angles. It's also a good place for a troll hunt: scrapwood artist Thomas Dambo has hidden one of his many trolls in the Viborg area. The river delta at Randers, 45 minutes' drive north of Aarhus, is the ideal location if you like to canoe. The country's longest river, the Gudenåen, flows through the city and from there you can pick up a number of extraordinary canoeing adventures, suitable for all abilities, where you can travel across broad lakes, paddle past old mill villages and explore the natural wildlife as you go. Kingfishers flit across the water and the peace and quiet you'll discover is magical. It's easy to do it as a day trip from the city. Beyond the river, Randers offers plenty of space to breathe, notably along the Randers Fjord, where reed beds grow, ready to be used in thatched roofs, and yachts sail gently by. For wildlife lovers, Naturpark Randers Fjord is not to be missed. This stunning nature reserve encompasses the area where the fjord meets the saltwater of the Kattegat, the strait joining the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and tidal flats and salt meadows fringe the water. It's a lovely area for hiking and birdwatching – eagles have been spotted – as well as boating. In the summer, the area's many shelters offer a chance to sleep out under Denmark's wide, starry skies. Discover the outdoor soul of Denmark in the Aarhus region
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect in Hamburg station attack to be placed in psychiatric clinic
A magistrate has ordered the 39-year-old suspect in the knife attack at Hamburg's central train station to be placed in a psychiatric institution, police said on Saturday. The stabbing on Friday saw 18 people injured in the northern German city. The 39-year-old suspect, who was detained shortly after the incident, is accused of 15 cases of attempted manslaughter combined with grievous bodily harm. According to earlier police reports, the act was not politically motivated. "On the contrary, there are now very concrete indications that the suspect is mentally ill," police said.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Several injured in knife attack at Hamburg train station
Eighteen people were injured in a knife attack at the central train station in the northern German city of Hamburg on Friday, police said. Earlier, emergency services had reported 17 injuries. Four people suffered life-threatening injuries, six were seriously injured and seven others sustained lighter injuries on the platform, officials said. All of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Police said a 39-year-old German woman was detained at the station after stabbing people at random on platform 13/14. She is to be brought before a judge on Saturday, a police spokesman told dpa, adding that the woman remains in police custody. The homicide squad has launched an investigation. Investigators currently believe that this was the act of a lone perpetrator. Police spokesman Florian Abbenseth told dpa that the suspect did not resist arrest. The police do not believe that the stabbing was a politically motivated act. "Rather, we have findings that lead us to investigate whether she may have been in a state of mental distress," Abbenseth explained. The knife used in the attack has been secured. There are many eyewitnesses who need to be interviewed, police said. The incident, which occurred around 6 pm (1600 GMT) on Friday sparked a major police operation at Hamburg's central train station, one of the busiest public transport hubs in Germany. Police said that a train on the track next to the platform seems not to have been involved in the incident. While the platform where the stabbings occurred was cordoned off, the rest of the station continued to operate normally on Friday evening, albeit amid a strong police presence. Four tracks were temporarily closed but reopened overnight after evidence was collected at the scene, railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) said. Passengers were advised to check schedules online, though services were expected to run on time by morning. In a statement, DB expressed its "deep dismay" at the attack. "Our thoughts and sympathy are with the injured," the company said, warning of disruption to journeys. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a phone call with Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher following the knife attack. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Merz had offered the assistance of the federal government. Merz wrote on X: "The news from Hamburg is shocking. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. My thanks go to all the emergency services on the ground for their rapid assistance." Tschentscher wrote on X that the incident was shocking. He thanked the police and emergency services for their quick response and added: "The perpetrator is in custody. I wish the victims of the incident much strength and hope that those who are seriously injured will be saved." Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt condemned the knife attack, calling it shocking that people were targeted in such a "cowardly" way, according to the Interior Ministry. He expressed his sympathy for the victims and extended his gratitude to the police, emergency services and volunteers at the scene. A ban on carrying knives has been in place at the station since October 2023, with another ban on knives on public transport having taken effect in December 2024. Germany saw a number of attacks in public places in the run-up to parliamentary elections in February.
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
18 injured in Hamburg station knife attack, German woman detained
Eighteen people were injured in a knife attack during rush hour at the central railway station in the northern German city of Hamburg on Friday, police said. Earlier, emergency services had reported that 10 people had suffered serious or life-threatening injuries. All of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Police said a 39-year-old German woman was detained at the station after stabbing people at random on platform 13/14. She would be brought before a judge on Saturday, police spokesman Florian Abbenseth said, adding that the woman remained in police custody. The homicide squad has launched an investigation. Forensic experts inspect the scene at the central station in Hamburg on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE Investigators believe that the woman acted alone and the stabbing was not politically motivated. 'Rather, we have findings that lead us to investigate whether she may have been in a state of mental distress,' Abbenseth said, adding that the suspect did not resist arrest.
Al Jazeera
24-05-2025
- Al Jazeera
German woman arrested after mass stabbing at Hamburg train station
Authorities in Germany have arrested a woman after at least 17 people were injured in a knife attack at the main train station in the northern city of Hamburg. At least four of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries in Friday evening's mass stabbing incident, which took place in the middle of the city's evening rush hour, emergency services said. The suspect, a 39-year-old German woman, was arrested at the scene by law enforcement, a Hamburg police spokesperson said. Officers 'approached her, and the woman allowed herself to be arrested without resistance', spokesman Florian Abbenseth told journalists in comments carried by public broadcaster ARD. 'We have no evidence so far that the woman may have had a political motive,' Abbenseth said. 'Rather, we have information, based on which we now want to investigate, whether she may have been experiencing a psychological emergency.' The suspect was thought to have 'acted alone', Hamburg police said in a post on X. Four of the victims have suffered life-threatening injuries, Hamburg's fire department spokesman said, revising down an earlier figure. The suspect was thought to have turned 'against passengers' at the station, a spokeswoman for the Hanover federal police directorate, which also covers Hamburg, told the AFP news agency. Images of the scene showed access to the platforms at one end of the station blocked off by police and people being loaded into waiting ambulances. Four platforms at the station were closed while investigations were ongoing, and railway operator Deutsche Bahn said it was 'deeply shocked' by the attack. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also expressed his shock in a call with the mayor of Hamburg following the attack. Germany has been rocked in recent months by a series of violent attacks that have put security at the top of the agenda. The most recent, on Sunday, saw four people injured in a stabbing at a bar in the city of Bielefeld. The investigation into that attack had been handed over to federal prosecutors following the arrest of the suspect, who is from Syria.
