I guess most people visit Denmark for the friendly atmosphere and nice food. But then again, I’m not like most people.
During this road trip across Denmark, the main topic was German bunkers from World War II. I believe we saw almost a hundred of them and entered several dozen. For some it may seem like a weird vacation, but it’s a very real part of history which we always need to learn more about.
Denmark was occupied by Germany in 1940 and remained so for five years. During this time the western part of the country was made part of the “Atlantic wall” which stretched from the Pyrenees to Nordkap. A total of 7500 German bunkers were built in Denmark, and 6000 of them were located along the coast.
Bunker in Hirtshals.
The 10th battery of Hirtshals is the only complete German defense installation left in Denmark. The area contains 54 excavated bunkers along with gun emplacements, scattered around the town’s most visible landmark, the 35 meter high lighthouse.
The population of Hanstholm were evacuated by the Germans who built Europe’s biggest fortress in the area. It held tree 38 cm cannons with a firing range of 55 kilometers, halfway to Norway!
Part of the fortified area in Hanstholm.
Similar cannons were located in the Norwegian town of Kristiansand across the water, effectively blocking the entrance to Kattegatt.
The area around Hanstholm is full of old concrete caves. We explored some of the rusty pitch black bunkers with flashlights.
2 comments
This looks amazing! What was the name of the tour operator and how do I get in contact with them? Thanks!
There was no operator involved, we just rented a car and drove there! A friend of mine had looked up the sites of interest in advance and Denmark is quite small, so you can easily reach all of the places in a few days.
Leave a reply