Sønderhav (or as jokingly and lovingly called by the locals Hot Dog Havn) has always been a resort on the Flensburg Fjord. There was a steamship connection with Flensburg and the wealthy Flensburgers had their summer houses and villas here. Today still stand on the slopes on Fjordvej the stately, built in the 30's summer hotels and holiday homes.
Sønderhav is also known for the Förde Crossing, a swimming event that starts here and ends at the pier of Glücksburg. Each year, up to 500 swimmers swim the approx. 3 km long route, past the ox islands, over the Flensburg Fjord to exhausted in Glücksburg but happy to go ashore. The winners need about 30-40 minutes depending on their age and category. Admirable.
The big and the small ox island are like two green pearls in the Flensburg Fjord.
According to legend, a giant has jumped over the fjord here. In this attempt, which failed, fell from his shoes two lumps of clay and from this the ox islands were born. The islands probably got their name from the fact that they served for centuries as cattle pastures of the fortress Duborg. About the Ox Trail, which led through Flensburg and handed to Viborg in Denmark, there was a lively cattle trade. On the big ox island there was once a boatyard, later a tourist restaurant and a campsite. In the summer months a ferry from Sønderhav drove to the island. Unfortunately, the ferry service was discontinued when the consortium of the last tenants of the island disbanded. Since then you can only reach the island on its own keel, but it is still freely accessible. The jetties of the island are often used by pleasure boats in the summer.
The small ox island was formerly privately owned, later a school camp was built there. Today the island is left to itself.
Both islands are owned by the Danish nature conservation authority. Further use of the islands is still uncertain.