Hanstholm Fortress, Coastal battery in Hanstholm, Denmark
Hanstholm Fortress is a military installation on the North Sea coast in Thisted Municipality that spreads across a sprawling site with numerous underground passages and positions. The complex includes several fortified areas, ammunition storage facilities, and fire control stations connected by a network of tunnels.
Occupation forces built this defensive installation in the early 1940s to monitor access to the North Sea between the two Scandinavian countries. After the war ended, Denmark took over the site and later converted parts of it into a publicly accessible memorial.
The site takes its name from the nearby coastal settlement and sits at an exposed location with direct views of the sea. Visitors today still see the massive concrete walls and heavy steel fittings that show how soldiers lived and worked under extreme conditions.
The tour route takes you through narrow corridors and steep stairs, so comfortable footwear is advisable. Outdoor areas are freely accessible, while indoor spaces can be cool and damp in poor weather.
The four main guns were each housed in separate armored turrets whose thick steel domes could rotate. These domes were dismantled after the war ended, but the huge circular foundations remain visible and give an impression of the weapon dimensions.
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