About 15 kilometres north-west of Hjørring and situated right by the sea is the port of Hirtshals, with a population of almost 4,000. Fishing is the most important activity in Hirtshals, and its close ties with the sea give the town a special feel. The mood of the sea is reflected in the street scene, whether it is a warm summer’s day when the beach is filled with holiday-makers, or a storm in autumn that forces the town’s fishing fleet to remain behind the safe harbour walls.

Port of Hirtshals – a natural hub

The idea of constructing a port at Hirtshals was first mooted at the beginning of the 19th century. However, the town was forced to make do with a simple breakwater because the state was wary of starting a costly harbour construction project given the difficult winds and currents found off the point at Hirtshals. However, after intensive lobbying, construction of a modern fishing and ferry port started in 1919 under the management of an engineer called Jørgen Fibiger. The work was completed in 1929.

Today, the Port of Hirtshals is a busy and modern commercial port which is continuously being developed to adapt to the requirements of the transport sector. Due to its geographical location, the port is a natural point for linking traffic with destinations in the North Atlantic, the Baltic, central and southern Europe and the Scandinavian peninsula.

The development of the Port of Hirtshals as a cargo port focuses in particular on transit cargo in the form of containers and ro-ro. The port has all the technical facilities required to ensure the safe and fast handling of all types of cargo between road, rail and sea.

A varied and extensive fishing fleet
The Port of Hirtshals is one of the biggest and most important fishing harbours in Denmark. One of the reasons for this is that Hirtshals has decided to focus primarily on fishing for human consumption, i.e. fish which ends up on the dinner table. The fishing fleet in Hirtshals covers all types of vessels from open boats to large trawlers, and Hirtshals therefore offers a wide selection of fish of a very high quality. Here, you will find wet fish, iced fish and fish which are packed and prepared at sea.

Fish for human consumption is landed either for sale at the port’s fish auction in its new and top-modern Hirtshals Fish terminal or supplied direct to the processing industry.

Ferries 24/7
However, Hirtshals is not just about fish. Connected by unbroken motorway to southern Europe, the town is also a nodal point for the stream of tourists who every year head north from the European continent towards Norway – and in the opposite direction. The large ferries arrive and depart round the clock destined for Kristiansand, Larvik, Stavanger, Bergen and Langesund. It adds dynamism to the town and creates favourable conditions for Hirtshals’s business sector. Hirtshals is a popular shopping destination for Norwegian tourists who benefit from the short crossing time (only two-and-a-half hours by fast ferry from Kristiansand) and the varied selection of shops.

On both sides of Hirtshals, the dune plantations in Tornby and Kjul provide a picturesque setting for holiday homes, which also attract many tourists. The port, which never sleeps, and commerce, which flourishes all year, gives visitors to the town a feeling that they are not in a tourist centre as such, but in a town which lives and breathes all year – something which more and more people are coming to appreciate.

Three annual festivals
Hirtshals is not a large town. However, this does not stop it from holding three annual festivals for the enjoyment of both residents and tourists alike.

June sees the kick-off to the Skagerrak Sculpture Festival. Here, local and international artists exhibit exciting sculptures around the urban landscape. The sculptures remain standing for three months, and during this time the general public is encouraged to vote for the sculpture they like best.

The fish festival, which starts at the beginning of August, is a large food and cultural event at which it is possible to sample exciting fish dishes from various countries at stalls set up in the pedestrian shopping area.

In the huge marquee “The Ship” there is a plaice skinning competition, and the winner of the “Fish Dish of the Year” is selected from among competing local restaurateurs. Throughout the day, the town seethes with activity, and the festival ends with a massive fireworks display.

On the same day as the fish festival, the town holds another festival which appeals especially to children and the young at heart. This is the Kite Festival, which takes place on Leret, the area below Hirtshals lighthouse. As everyone knows, kite flying requires two things: kites and wind. The public bring along the kites – large and small, bought and homemade – and everyone can join in; as for the wind, Hirtshals is a pretty reliable supplier! It is a festive sight when all the colourful kites fly through the air above the blue sea.

North Sea Museum – northern Europe’s biggest aquarium
The North Sea Museum in Hirtshals is one of Denmark’s biggest attractions. The museum opened in 1984 with a number of aquaria and exhibitions about North Sea fauna and flora. However, in 1998 the museum really made a name for itself when it opened the Oceanarium – a gigantic aquarium containing 4.5 million litres of sea water and large shoals of fish. It made the North Sea Museum home to the largest aquarium in Europe and resulted in an almost twofold increase in visitor numbers. Today, the number of people visiting the museum each year is stable at about 270,000.

On 16 December 2003, the North Sea Museum was struck by catastrophe, which was covered extensively by the media. A raging fire swept through the building which housed the Oceanarium, and most of the aquarium’s fish were lost – including the rare and famous sunfish, which for three years had drawn crowds to the museum. However, the rebuilding work commenced immediately, and it was a day of celebration when, one-and-a-half year’s after the fire, the Oceanarium could again offer visitors an exciting glimpse of life beneath the surface of the North Sea. The North Sea Museum is part of the North Sea Centre, which also houses a number of research institutions that are all involved with fish and fishing. The museum therefore plays a key role in disseminating the knowledge and research generated by the North Sea Centre.