Skagen

Jutland

District: Nordjyllands amt

Population: 14,000

Situation

Skagen, the northernmost town in Denmark, lies at the northern tip of Jutland. On the far side of this popular seaside resort the Grenen Promontory stretches far out into the sea. Some years ago the remains of a shipwreck were found here.

History

Archaeological finds have established that the site was populated in the Stone and Bronze Ages. In the Middle Ages Old Skagen (Gammel Skagen or Hojen) had a settlement on the coast facing the Skagerrak, but it was not until later that the Kattegat coast was also populated. The houses were scattered among the dunes. In 1413 the town received its charter, when the principal occupation was fishing. From the 17th to the early 19th C. storms and flooding caused great damage in Skagen. In the second half of the 19th C. an artists' colony, with Danes predominating, settled in the town. In 1858 a new lighthouse, 46m/151ft high, was brought into use near Grenen. The railroad came to the town in 1890.