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Hirtshals is known for its highly varied landscape, big hills, flatlands, streams cutting through the landscape and large areas of dunes. Three ice ages and millions of years have contributed to the appearance of our landscape today.
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People have lived in the area since the end of the last ice age, as can be seen by the 4,000-year-old dolmen near Tornby. At the church in Horne you can see a stone cist dating back to the Stone Age. A burial mound (89 metres above sea level) viewpoint – Hellehøj – is from the Bronze Age. There is also a 2,000-year-old Iron-Age grave in Lilleheden Klitplantage and ramparts at Asdal are from the 14th century. Many of the ancient finds are intact and can be seen at Vendsyssel Historiske Museum in Hjørring.
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"Lilleheden" copyhold farmThe desolate and poor fields were the venue of "Lilleheden" farm. This copyhold farm dates from the 18th century and belonged to the manor house at Asdal.
The copyhold farm also gave its name to the area in which the first inhabitants settled. The name Hirtshals wasn't used until the lighthouse was built in 1862.
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In around 1874 thirty families made their living from fishingFishing originally began as a supplement to housekeeping on the land. Barges in the 19th century were used for long-line fishing, jig fishing and for catching lobster.
Many fishermen also caught plaice, which were then salted and dried, and this tradition remains popular to this day.
In around 1874 there were around 30 families that made their living from fishing. These fishermen were very keen to have a breakwater at Hirtshals, and indeed one was constructed in 1880. However, the fishermen had to wait a further 10 years before a lifeboat was made available to them.
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Basis for greater growthA strong-willed woman by the name of Margrethe Gaardbo managed to convince the king that a lifeboat was justified. When the harbour was built, it became possible to begin fishing further out to sea, which thereby established the basis for greater growth. At the beginning of the twentieth century Hirtshals was just a small fishing village. The people of North Jutland have a reputation for being resolute and persevering. This also applied to the locals in Hirtshals, as evidenced by the fact that it took 113 years from the original idea of building a harbour until the government finally granted permission in 1917. So saying, in 1919 the construction of the harbour began. Further development over the years has made the Port of Hirtshals into one Denmark's biggest landing facilities for fish for human consumption. |
Tuesday, February 16 2010
Sculptural terminalThe large ferries at Color Line's sculptural terminal connect the town to Kristiansand and Larvik. Fjord Line's ferries is situated at Containerkajen and travels to Stavanger/Bergen and in summer also to Kristiansand.
Hartzhalss. The outermost pointIn around 1568 Dutch seafarers called the point Hartzhalss, which means stag neck. The name is almost certainly due to the fact that the point which stretches out into the sea resembles the neck of a stag. The Danes called the place Hornsnæs.
Hirtshals Kro "Lilleheden" later became an inn with royal privileges, but had previously been a wreck master's premises and a grocery store. Today the inn is situated in the middle of the town.
The boats that came from the south had nothing on which to take a bearing, which resulted in many ships running aground near Hirtshals. The lighthouse was therefore built on the point between 1860-1863. The lighthouse is located some 57 metres above sea level.
Come to Hirtshals Museum and make your own bitter. Bring a bottle of Brøndum Snaps and choose the essence you wish, and you'll soon have your very own bottle of aromatic local Bjesk (bitter). You can also buy the book - Signes Bjeskbog - at the museum.
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