Welcome to Horsens

Horsens welcomes the joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly

Welcome to Horsens

The Municipality of Horsens welcomes the joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly and offers a series of exiting and attractive activities to our guest.

Information flyers will be available when arriving to Horsens. We present information flyers with the following themes: Culture Café and restaurant Nature and sport Shopping

You can find more information about activities on our webpage www.horsens.dk/eu2012 (in Danish and English) – read about exiting activities as: Grab a bike Try an electrical car City Ambassadors Clima and Environment in Horsens Green Expo Horsens Running Horsens The Pressroom

Contact the Municipality of Horsens Meet us at Horsens Municipality's information desc at Forum Horsens - here you can get information about Denmark and Horsens, and sign up to various activities and excursions.

Charlotte Walkusch

EU 2012 Project Coordinator Municipality of Horsens Tel.: +45 53 33 85 07 Email: [email protected]

Table of Contents

General Offers ...... 4

Grab a Bike...... 4

Try an Electric Car ...... 4

Try an Electric Car ...... 5

City Ambassadors ...... 6

The Wetlands around Horsens Meadows ...... 7

Don’t Forget Your Running Shoes ...... 8

Events ...... 9

International Football Event ...... 9

Green Expo Horsens – Get up close and personal with sustainability ...... 10

What To Do – Excursions ...... 11

Endelave – An Island in Horsens Fjord ...... 11

Solar Panels in Brædstrup ...... 12

Activities in Walking Distance ...... 13

Boat trip on Horsens Fjord ...... 13

FÆNGSLET – the former state prison ...... 13

Visit public institutions ...... 14

General Offers

Grab a Bike

Denmark has a long lasting tradition for being a “bicycle nation”. Biking is healthy, is better for the environment, and it contributes to reaching our climate goals. For these reasons, Horsens Municipality offer our guests an option to experience the city by bike.

The bikes are recycled, and the local Centre for Job and Clarification prepares the bikes as a part of a job training project in one of the Centres workplaces.

The bikes are painted pink as a tribute to Giro d´Italia – the world’s toughest bike race, which starts from Horsens the 7th May 2012.

The 100 bikes are available to the guests, - and can be borrowed from the hotel and the conference centre, Forum Horsens.

If you wish to use the bikes for a group outing, they can be reserved by contacting Charlotte Walkusch, EU Project Coordinator, Horsens Municipality, [email protected]

Try an Electric Car

The electric car is a more climate friendly and sustainable means of transportation the regular cars. In this sense the electric car is a part of the solution to future climate challenges. It is energy efficient and if the power is taken from sustainable energy sources such as wind turbines, the car is even CO2 neutral. This means that you do not hurt the climate every time you go for a ride.

Behind the try an electric car project is the Municipality of Horsens, Energy Horsens Fund, NRGI, the Municipality of Hedensted and Technological Institute. In addition, the project is supported by the Ministry of Climate and Energy together with Region Midt (Central Denmark Region).

Try an electric car is the first demonstration project in Denmark, where ordinary people are testing the electric cars in their everyday lives. For the moment, families in the Municipality of Hedensted are testing the electric cars. The families write about their experiences with the electric car on the blog found on www.elbilforum.dk. In the future, a part of the internal transport in the municipalities and the home care will use the electric cars.

The Municipality of Horsens offers ours guests an opportunity to try the electric cars during the European presidency. There are 11 electric cars available to the guests during the informal meetings.

To try an electric car, please book ahead with Mette Vestergaard Rasmussen, Communication Officer, Energy Horsens Fund, +45 41 32 98 40, [email protected]

City Ambassadors

City Ambassadors is a common term for volunteers, who like to spend their spare time helping visitors to get a good experience when they come to Horsens. During the European Presidency, Horsens has two different kinds of City Ambassadors – the volunteers from around the city and international students from VIA College.

In Horsens, we have a tradition of working together – and to engage our workforce of volunteers in various situations and events.

Therefore, during the EU- chairmanship meetings, the city has a corps of volunteering city ambassadors, who welcome the European and international guests. They will offer to assist with practical matters, guide the guests around town and even extend invitations into Danish homes. They all speak both Danish and English and some speak other international languages as well.

Contact Charlotte Walkusch, EU project coordinator, Horsens Municipality +45 53 33 85 07, [email protected]

International Students in Horsens VIA University College is the 3rd largest educational institution in Denmark. Campus Horsens is the campus with the largest proportion of international students, as about half of its 3.500 students are internationals, coming from more than 42 countries.

The students are divided among 18 exciting educations within the fields of nursing, teaching, technology and engineering.

Campus Horsens has a team of ambassadors consisting of students from different countries, who are willing to talk about their background, their stay in Denmark, their studies, Horsens and other interesting topics. Find out more on www.viauc.dk/horsens or www.viauc.com/horsens

Contact Annemette Glyngø, Communications manager, VIA Horsens, +45 87 55 43 25, [email protected]

The Wetlands around Horsens Meadows - When Co2 reduction, climate adaptation and natural green areas go hand in hand.

In the area behind Hotel Opus are, one of three meadows, which are a part of a 75ha large wetlands area. The purpose of the project is to reduce the nitrogen levels, which reach Horsens Fjord, and thereby improve the environment in the fjord.

Simultaneously, the wetlands function as water storage, preventing heavy rains from increasing the water levels in the river Hansted Å to over its capacity, and thereby, the wetlands help prevent floods in nearby residential areas. In addition, biodiversity in the wetlands are increased and new public footpaths provide citizens with improved outdoor- and exercise options in their community.

In connection with the establishment of wetland areas in Bygholm and Horsens’ meadows, outdoor facilities will be established such as public footpaths, bird hides, parking lots, resting areas and benches.

The establishment of Horsens Meadows’ wetlands area was completed in December 2011. Bygholm and Hansted Meadows are expected to be completed during 2012.

Horsens Municipality provides guided tours through the wetlands in Horsens Meadows, starting from Hotel Opus’ parking lot. The duration of the tour is approximately 45-60 minutes. Registrations should be sent to Tony Bygballe, Department for environment and nature, Horsens Municipality at [email protected]

Don’t Forget Your Running Shoes

If you need a boost of energy in the morning, local running clubs are teaming up to offer guided runs around Horsens. This is a great opportunity to get some exercise while taking in the local sights.

Find more information at your Hotel or Forum Horsens.

Please contact EU Project Coordinator Charlotte Walkusch at the City of Horsens on +45 53 33 85 07, [email protected]

Events

During the Danish Presidency of the European council, the Municipality of Horsens will arrange various events for our guests around the city. These include everything from receptions at the Art Museum to an international football event and a Green Expo.

International Football Event Football is one of the largest, if not the largest, gathering point across the world. In cooperation with the local football club AC Horsens, The Players Association (DBU) and the main sponsor of AC Horsens, Hummel, The Municipality of Horsens plans to organize an international football event for the delegated from all the different ACP countries.

The international football event is planned to be held as an evening event on the 29th May, preferably after 7 PM.

The international football event will be a friendly match between a team made up of delegates from the ACP countries and a team made up of various famous personalities from Denmark. This may be players from the national Danish football league or it may be former world stars as Allan Simonsen. The football match will take place at the local stadium, CASA Arena, which can seat up to 10.000 people.

Additionally, there will be famous people from Denmark to comment on the football match in an entertaining and welcoming way, which will off course be in English.

Green Expo Horsens – Get up close and personal with sustainability

The area behind the Forum Horsens conference centre will be home to an Expo established in cooperation with Horsens Business, the City of Horsens, VIA University College, and the Horsens Energy foundation.

The purpose of Green Expo Horsens is to turn the spotlight on sustainability and provide opportunities to experience technologies like solar panels, electric cars, solar-powered agricultural robots, wind turbines, and other innovative products and projects.

For more information about the Expo and possibilities for visiting local businesses, please contact Ann Cathrine Lebech Hoe at Horsens Business Council, +45 27 61 49 02, +45 75 61 18 88 or [email protected].

What To Do – Excursions

Endelave – An Island in Horsens Fjord Half-day trip

Visit a unique Island in Horsens Fjord – winner of the price “Village of the Year 2011”. It is possible to get around the island in a tractor, and to see the Endelave’s seaweed project which have just won the price as the most promising development project in EU’s fishing districts. Moreover, we offer a guided tour in the ecological medical herbs garden, where it is possible to enjoy a nice lunch or dinner. http://www.oen-endelave.dk/

Information about the ferry trip The sailing plan depends on the date and time of the day. An example is departure from Snaptun harbor 8.20 AM to Endelave with return from the island at 13.45 PM (about 100 kr. per person). The ferry itself can be rented for en extra trip for 16.000 kr.

In addition, it is possible to borrow bikes at the harbor on Endelave.

Solar Panels in Brædstrup

Brædstrup is situated just 25 minuts drive from Horsens. Here you can experience solar energy and learn about sustainable - CO2 free energy source that is helping to ensure the health of our environment and climate in the future.

CO2 free energy production from a clean renewable energy source. Solar energy is gaining ground in Denmark in general, and the town of Brædstrup is home to the country’s first solar facility on the main grid (1993). This is CO2 free energy production from a clean renewable energy source, so it is both economically and environmentally sustainable in the long term.

EnergiMidt has organised a number of projects within 1 km of the centre of Brædstrup. The projects focus on the following: Demonstration installations of solar panels on various buildings Development of new systems solutions Examination of the effects on the power grid Identification of added value in connection with solar panel installation on private houses Clearing the way for lower prices for the technology

There is ample opportunity for interested parties to view the various houses with roof-mounted solar panels in 'Solbyen’ (30 single-family houses) and ‘Sol 300’ (60 houses) in Brædstrup.