Vadehavscentret

About the museum

The Vadehavscentret near Vester Vedsted, southwest of Ribe, presents the nature and culture of the Wadden Sea and the marshland. The institution was founded in 1992, and the first center building was built in 1996. It is owned by Esbjerg Municipality and operated by an independent foundation; a friends' association called Baglandet supports its work.

After about a year and a half of construction, a new building designed by the architect Dorte Mandrup, into which the old center was integrated, opened on February 2, 2017. The floor area doubled to 2,800 square meters. The reed-thatched facades and roofs pick up the traditional building style of the Wadden Sea region; in 2017 the building was named Building of the Year in Denmark.

The permanent exhibition "Trækfuglenes Vadehav" by designer Johan Carlson uses migratory birds as its common thread: up to 15 million birds rest in the Wadden Sea each year, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Interactive stations explain tides and storm surges, aquariums and screens show the food chains from plankton to seals, microscopes invite you to do your own research, and a storm surge cinema shows the force of the North Sea. The exhibition received the German Design Award in 2018. The center's nature guides also offer year-round tours onto the mudflats, to Mandø, and to natural phenomena such as the "Sort Sol."

Highlights

• Exhibition "Trækfuglenes Vadehav" on bird migration in the Wadden Sea
• Reed-thatched building by Dorte Mandrup
• Storm surge cinema in Danish, German, and English
• Aquariums, microscopes, and interactive stations
• Guided tours to oysters, seals, and the "Sort Sol"

Permanent exhibitions

• Trækfuglenes Vadehav – Exhibition of more than 1,000 square meters that uses migratory birds to open up the landscape, tides, food chains, and storm surges of the Wadden Sea.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Fonden for Vadehavscentret

Director

Klaus Melbye

Admission & discounts

Tickets online or at the reception on the day of your visit. Admission covers all exhibitions, but not tours and activities.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The exhibition is easily accessible by wheelchair or walker. On most tours with nature guides, a specially built electric wheelchair for trips onto the mudflats at low tide can be borrowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

The exhibition offers children activities, interactive stations, and microscopes; outside there is a tundra garden and a play area. Family activities take place during the fall break, such as building birdhouses.

Getting there & parking

A new cycle path (signposted "Kystruten") leads from the center of Ribe to the Vadehavscentret, about 9 km away; about half an hour by bike.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Café with a largely organic offering (drinks, light lunch, cake); groups of 10 or more should pre-order food. Café and shop are open only to visitors of the center. The shop carries gift items and literature on the Wadden Sea.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 100 guests.

Four meeting rooms (Sandkutlingen up to 70, Skrubben and Krabben up to 40 each, Udsigten up to 56 people); the largest room holds up to 100 people for lectures. Corporate events can be combined with tours and catering.

Plan your visit