Aabenraa, Denmark

Capital City

Life in this historic Danish port town comes with a hefty dose of maritime heritage and some surprisingly wild weather - including two recent tornadoes that flipped cars and ripped roofs off buildings. Home to roughly 16,000 residents, this former shipbuilding powerhouse sits 26km north of the German border, where roughly 55% of locals actually voted to remain German during the 1920 border referendum.

Today's economy revolves around its deep-water port (the Baltic's deepest at 18m), organ manufacturing, and machine works. The town fiercely guards its double-A spelling, refusing Denmark's 1948 spelling reform to maintain its first-place position in alphabetical listings. The historic core features well-preserved 1800s neighborhoods, while landmarks include the 13th-century St. Nicholas Church and Brundlund Castle, built in 1411 under Queen Margaret I. For American expats, the German minority presence means access to German-language media and services, though the nearest rail connection requires an 8km trip to Rødekro station.