The Hanging Gardens

Terraced gardens down to the Little Belt, in the heart of Middelfart's old town

We know the Hanging Gardens of Babylon only from the accounts of Greek historians, and to this day no one knows whether they ever existed. Middelfart's hanging gardens, on the other hand, are a fact – they are right here.

On the slope down to Gammel Havn and the Little Belt lie the Hanging Gardens: terraced gardens stacked in tiers up the hillside, many with a small summerhouse or orangery. Seen from the harbour or from out on the belt, they form a green, flowering frontage along the old town.

The gardens belong to the houses along Gl. Vestergade, where the narrow buildings facing the water once housed the town's fishermen and craftsmen. Walk up through the old town and you will pass cobbled streets, leaning houses and views of the two Little Belt bridges.

The Hanging Gardens sit by Gammel Havn, Denmark's first maritime heritage harbour, and can be viewed freely from outside all year round. Combine your visit with a look at the Lillebælt shipyard and a walk along the water – a quiet experience for anyone who loves architecture, cultural history and still moments by the Little Belt.