Frederikshavn-Thorshøj

Selected experiences on the route

Pikkerbakken
Elevated high above the city, the unique viewing platform on Pikkerbakken extends out like the Skagen Spit, offering an exceptional panoramic view of the city, the harbor, and the Hirsholmene islands with sights reaching to both Sæby and Skagen – on a clear day, you can see all the way to Læsø. At the platform, you can even see the King's Stone, where three times King Frederik has inscribed their signatures.

Pikkerbakken is part of a 3-kilometer-long coastal cliff formed by the Yoldia and Litorina seas during the ice age. The impressive cliff is, among other things, the result of the area experiencing Denmark's greatest land uplift, with Pikkerbakken itself majestically rising 71 meters above sea level.

But Pikkerbakken is more than just a beautiful natural area; here, you will find traces of the English War, World War II, and the Cold War. During the English War, an observation post was established at the top of the hill in 1809, during World War II the first German troops appeared just days after the occupation, and a total of 70 concrete structures were built in 1943. The positions in the area included an anti-aircraft battery for shooting at air targets, a coastal battery with the artillery ship Niels Juel's cannons, a radar installation, and the North Jutland commander's command bunker, which today is set up as a museum bunker. During the Cold War, the naval station in Frederikshavn played an important role in protecting the waters between Norway and Denmark, and today the surveillance of the area from the Great Belt to Skagen is controlled from Pikkerbakken.

Pikkerbakken, 9900 Frederikshavn

Bangsbo Fort
Located south of Pikkerbakken in Frederikshavn, Bangsbo Fort is a military facility built by the German occupying forces during World War II and expanded by the Danish navy during the Cold War. Compared to other German-fortified areas in Denmark, the fort has been used in two historical periods.

The fort consists of 80 concrete structures, of which 70 were built during World War II, the remaining 10 were constructed by the navy in 1950. Bangsbo Fort is situated at an elevation of 82 meters, offering a formidable view over Frederikshavn and the Kattegat, and on a clear day, you can see Skagen, Sæby, and Læsø.

Daily, you can join guided tours to explore the open bunkers and the terrain and experience interactive exhibits in the exhibition bunkers. With a ticket to the Coastal Museum, you also gain access to the Coastal Museum in Sæby and Skagen for seven days.

When you visit Bangsbo Fort, you will have a unique experience in the magnificent area, where the sky is high and the view over the Kattegat is fantastic.

Understedvej 21, 9900 Frederikshavn