Thurø and Troense
When the people of Thurø talked about the fishermen from 200 years ago, they said that “they were so poor that they had to live by the water.” Today, this statement is no longer true. The shores surrounding Svendborgsund (Svendborg Strait) are densely built-up, and in order for as many as possible to get the coveted view of the water, the hills have also been put to use. The wealthiest of the Svendborg residents built the first mansions in the 19th century, all the way from the old market town to Skt. Jørgens Kirke (St George’s Church). Later, in the 1960s, the houses started to stretch from Skt. Jørgens Kirke to Rantzausminde – today, this section of the shore is popularly known as Guldkysten (The Gold Coast).
In previous times, the hills, forests, church spires, and neon lights helped the sailors navigate the labyrinth-like strait. These days, they have been replaced by leading lights, GPS, and buoyage to ensure a safe passage. Navigating the strait has become easier over time. The worst curves have been deepened and straightened making the passage a lot safer.
Thurø, Troense and Svendborg were united as one customhouse, and their extent corresponds almost exactly to what is today Svendborg Municipality. The whole area was a maritime centre, and for several decades in the 19th century, Svendborg was the largest shipping town in Denmark outside of Copenhagen. In the 19th century, more than half of the total Danish tonnage of wooden ships was built in more than 29 shipbuilding sites. The ship owners and builders supported each other well, and this led to a period of great building activity: In the years from 1870 to 1910, the shipbuilders in Svendborg, Thurø and Tåsinge managed to launch no fewer than 370 ships. At Pilekrogen west of Troense, in Svendborg Harbour and in Thurøbund, the numerous local ships would be laid up for the winter. After World War I, however, traditional sailing experienced difficulties as the number of steam ships increased rapidly, and the carriage charges fell from the record highs of the war.
Whilst Thurøbund still has two shipyards, schooners are no longer launched, but rather luxurious yachts. The old fishing hamlet of Gambøt with its small sheds and jetties is more modest and is a testament to the old fishing industry. The crescent-shaped islet of Kidholm, which is now uninhabited, is located in the middle of Thurøbund.
The skippers’ town of Troense with its well-preserved half-timbered houses is located on an almost rectangular point in the eastern part of Tåsinge facing Thurøbund. From Troense, skippers headed out on their long voyages, but the shipbuilding business was also a factor here. The peculiar parcellation of Troense – with plots of one hundred metres or more – is a testament to the extensive fruit growing. Almost every garden in the city still has old fruit trees growing in them. The growing of fruit lent its name to a particular form of shipping: “pæreskuderne” (the pear crafts), which transported fruit from South Fyn to Copenhagen. This tradition is still upheld; each year in October, boats from all over South Fyn head out from Troense for the yearly “æbleræs” (apple race) towards Svendborg, where apples are sold directly over the railings.
