bælt

Definition

A belt, the Danish word for the straits between the larger islands. The Great Belt, Storebælt, separates Zealand from Funen, and the Little Belt, Lillebælt, separates Funen from Jutland. Both are crossed by major bridges, so a traveller by road or rail usually meets a bælt as a long bridge rather than a ferry. On older maps and in route names the word signals a main route between regions. See also: sund, bro, and the guide Getting Around Denmark: Trains, Buses and Ferries.