Lighthouses of Denmark: Northeast Jylland

The Kingdom of Denmark (Danmark in Danish), located at the mouth of the Baltic Sea, includes the north-pointing peninsula of Jylland (Jutland) in the west and a large number of islands to the east. The capital, Copenhagen, is on the island of Sjælland. Other major Danish islands include Fyn (between Sjælland and Jylland), Lolland and Falster (south of Sjælland) and Bornholm (farther east in the Baltic). The Skaggerak is a sound separating Jylland from Norway to the northwest, while the Kattegat separates Jylland from Sweden to the northeast.

This page covers lighthouses of the northeastern coast of Jylland in the Nordjylland (North Jutland) Region. This coast faces the broad waters of the Kattegat sound. Nordjylland has additional lighthouses on the North Sea coast described on the Denmark West Coast page.

The Danish word for a lighthouse is fyr or fyrtårn. The front light of a range is the forfyr and the rear light is the bagfyr. Næs is a cape, odde a narrow promontory or isthmus, ø is an island, bugt is a bay, rev is a reef, fjord is an inlet, and havn is a harbor.

Danish aids to navigation are maintained by the Danish Maritime Authority (Søfartsstyrelsen).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. DFL numbers are from the Dansk Fyrliste. Admiralty numbers are from volume C of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 116.

General Sources
Danske Fyrtårne
A comprehensive site on Danish lighthouses by Ole Henrik Lemvigh, with many photos; the text is entirely in Danish.
Online List of Lights - Denmark East
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Many of the photos are by Capt. Peter Mosselberger ("Capt. Peter").
Leuchttürme.net - Dänemark
A fine web site by Malte Werning, with excellent photos.
Leuchtturmseiten von Anke und Jens - Denmark
Photos of more than 100 Danish lighthouses, with notes in English.
Dänische Leuchttürme
Photos of more than 175 Danish lighthouses posted by Klaus Huelse.
Denmark Lighthouses
Photos by Larry Myhre.
Lighthouses in Denmark
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Denmark
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Lighthouses in Denmark
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Dänische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
Danske Fyrskibe og deres Historie
Comprehensive information on Danish lightships (in Danish), posted by the group managing the Horns-Rev.
Dansk Fyrliste 2022
Official Danish light list (in .pdf format); the list also includes lights of Greenland and Faroes.
OpenSeaMap
Navigational chart information for Denmark.


1858 Skagen Light, Skagen, August 2023
Instagram photo
by Marcus Diemer

Skagen Lighthouses
Skagen Odde, sometimes called The Skaw in English, is a broad, sandy spit at the northern tip of Jylland, separating the Skagerrak on the west from the Kattegat on the east. The town of Skagen, located near the tip of the spit, is part of the Frederikshavn municipality.
* Skagen Vest (Skagen West)
1956. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); three white flashes every 10 s, white or red depending on direction (red flashes are seen by westbound ships sailing too close to shore). 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is green metallic. Ejlif Pedersen's 2022 photo is at right, Werning has a page for the lighthouse, Lemvig also has a page, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Ejlif Pedersen has a 2022 photo, Bent Nielsen has a 2017 photo, Christian Tietjen has a distant street view, and Google has a satellite view. This light replaced the former Højen lighthouse (1892); that light, located 2.5 km (1.5 mi) to the west, was blown up in 1976 when it was about to be destroyed by beach erosion. Located at the northernmost point of Jylland, about 2.8 km (1.75 mi) northwest of the main Skagen lighthouse. Accessible by hiking the beach from the end of the Batterivej; limited parking available. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS DEN-041; DFL-0325; Admiralty C0001; NGA 1520.
* Skagen (1)
1747 (Philip de Lange). Inactive since 1858. 21 m (69 ft) octagonal brick tower with gallery; lantern removed. Lighthouse painted white, gallery black. This historic lighthouse appears to be very well preserved. Nina Kolb's 2021 photo is below right, Tara Whitsitt has a good photo, Larry Myhre has a photo, Werning also has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard image in which the tower has a pyramidal roof and a signal mast. Locally the lighthouse is called Det Hvide Fyr (The White Lighthouse). Owned by the municipality, it is used as a venue for exhibitions. Located at the intersection of the Fyrvej and the Batterivej on the northeast side of the town of Skagen, about 1.6 km (1 mi) southwest of the 1858 lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Frederikshavn Kommune. . ARLHS DEN-039.

Skagen Vest Light, Skagen, May 2022
Google Maps photo by Ejlif Pedersen
**** Skagen (2)
1858 (station established 1747). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white flash every 4 s. 46 m (151 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached by a covered passageway to a large 2-story keeper's house. The lighthouse is unpainted; lantern dome is gray metallic; keeper's house and other buildings painted white. Marcus Diemer's photo is at the top of this page, Werning has a fine page for this lighthouse, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Birgit Damgaard has a 2007 photo, a 2021 photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Marking the entrance to the Baltic Sea, this is probably Denmark's best known lighthouse. Locally it is called Det Grå Fyr (The Gray Lighthouse). When it was built it was about equally distant from the Kattegat to the southeast and the Skagerrak to the northwest. However, the land has shifted steadily northwestward over the past 150 years, and the lighthouse is now perilously close to the Kattegat, as can be seen in Anke and Jens's photos. A series of groins has been built to slow the erosion. In 2013 the Maritime Authority sold the light station to Realdania, a company that develops historic and cultural properties. The company has a cooperative agreement with the Frederikshavn municipality, the Turist Nord tourist agency, and the Danish Ornithological Society (Dansk Ornitologisk Forening) to restore the lighthouse and establish it as a tourist attraction and ornithological research center. The restoration project was completed in the spring of 2017. Located on the northeast side of the town of Skagen. Site and tower open daily. Owner: Realdania. Site managers: Realdania (Skagen Grå Fyr) and Naturstyrelsen (Det Grå Fyr). . ARLHS DEN-040; DFL-0330; Admiralty C0002; NGA 1524.
#Skagen Østmole (East Breakwater)
1970 (relocated 1918 lighthouse?). Replaced in 2014. This was a 7 m (23 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted green. The light was replaced by a light on a short post (focal plane 5 m (17 ft), green flash every 5 s); However, that light was deactivated in 2020 when the breakwater was removed. Google has a distant 2009 street view showing the original lighthouses. Huelse has an interesting postcard image of similar Skagen Mole lighthouses, but these were located at the ends of the present inner breakwaters. It is likely that these earlier lighthouses were relocated to the new outer breakwaters in 1970. Located at the end of the east outer breakwater of Skagen. Accessible only by boat (the mole is not walkable). Site and tower closed. ex-DFL-1307; ex-Admiralty C0004.4; NGA 1540.
#Skagen Vestmole (West Breakwater)
1970 (relocated 1918 lighthouse?). Inactive since 2014 and later removed. This was a 7 m (23 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Trabas has a great photo in which the lighthouse appears freshly painted in a particularly brilliant red, and Google has a distant 2009 street view. The light was deactivated in 2014 and subsequently destroyed as the breakwater was replaced by the new Pier 10. A new South Breakwater was built; it is marked by a small post light (Admiralty C0004.3) seen in another Trabas photo. NGA continues to list the historic light. Located at the end of the west outer breakwater of Skagen. Accessible only by boat (the mole is not walkable). Site and tower closed. ex-DFL-1306; ex-Admiralty C0004.2; NGA 1536.

1747 Skagen Light, Skagen, October 2021
Google Maps photo by Nina Kolb
* [Skagen Outer Harbor (Leading)]
2021. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 18 m (59 ft) triangular skeletal mast. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located at the base of the South Breakwater. Site open, tower closed. DFL-1306; Admiralty C0004.9.
 

Frederikshavn Lighthouses
Frederikshavn is a port town of about 25,000 residents. It is an important ferry terminal, with Stena Line ferries departing for Göteborg in Sweden. There is also a ferry service to the Danish island of Læsø (see below).

Frederikshavn Nordmole (Northeast Breakwater) (1) (relocated)
1892. Inactive since 2015. 7 m (23 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted green. This lighthouse was formerly located at the end of the north outer breakwater mole of Frederikshavn. In 2015 the mole lights were removed and replaced by a leading light on a skeletal mast on the main quay. The lighthouse was saved and is on display on the waterfront. Heather Craven's photo is at right, Kim Mortensen has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. Trabas has a photo of the replacement lighthouse on the breakwater, but the new light was removed in 2021. Google has a distant 2019 street view and a satellite view of the former location. Located at the water's edge across from the Hotel Jutlandia. Site open, tower closed. ex-DFL-1364; ex-Admiralty C0028; NGA 1608.
#Frederikshavn Sydmole (Range Front, South Breakwater) (1)
1892. Inactive since 2015 and since removed. 7 m (23 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Werning has a good photo. This was formerly the front light of a range, but the rear light has been discontinued. In 2015 the two Frederikshavn mole lights were removed and replaced by a leading light (Admiralty C0029.5) atop a building on the main quay. There is also a replacement light (focal plane 7.5 m (25 ft); red flash every 3 s) on a post on the south mole. Trabas has a photo of the light and Google has a satellite view and a distant 2019 street view. Located at the end of the south outer breakwater mole of Frederikshavn. This mole is not walkable. Site and tower closed. Active light: DFL-1362; Admiralty C0029; NGA 1610.

Nordmole Light, Frederikshaven, August 2018
photo copyright Heather Craven; used by permission

Hirsholm Lighthouses
Hirsholm is a small island in the Kattegat about 7 km (4.5 mi) northeast of Frederikshavn. There is one small village on the island; the rest of the land is set aside as a nature preserve to protect nesting seabirds. Hirsholm is a popular stop for yachts cruising the Baltic and transportation is available from Frederikshavn on the mail boat, three times a week.

*
Hirsholm (Hirtsholm) (1)
1838. Inactive since 1886. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindical brick tower with lantern, attached to one end of a 1-1/2 story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted yellow with white trim, lantern black with a red roof. Niels Egdal has a 2023 drone view and Google has a satellite view. The lantern does not appear to be original. It is not known how this historic building is used. Located adjacent to the active lighthouse. Site open, tower closed.
* Hirsholm (Hirtsholm) (2)
1886 (station established 1838). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 27 m (89 ft) round granite tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is unpainted, except the lantern dome is painted red. A photo is at right, Lemvig has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has an excellent closeup photo by Klaus Kern, Torben Brandi Nielsen has a 2019 photo, Franco Coluzzi has a 2007 photo, Søren Mølholt Kjellberg has a nice view, Huelse has a historic postcard view of both lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the village of Hirsholm, at the highest point of the island. Site open; tower generally closed but there are guided tours from Frederikshavn several times each year. . ARLHS DEN-067; DFL-1350; Admiralty C0020; NGA 1584.

1886 Hirsholm Light, Hirsholm, August 2019
Google Maps photo
by Hein

Læsø Area Lighthouses
Læsø is one of the two largest islands of the Kattegat, located about 19 km (12 mi) east of the mainland south of Frederikshavn. The island has a permanent population of about 2000 and is a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer. Ferry transportation is available from Frederikshavn.
Nordre Rønner
1880. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 15 s. 18 m (56 ft) round granite tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story masonry keeper's house. The lighthouse is unpainted; lantern painted red. Several additional light station buildings survive at the station. Lene Nielsen's 2021 photo is at right, Frank Stjerne has a 2005 photo, Ralf Seip has a photo, another 2021 photo is available, Huelse has a photo and a historic postcard view, Trabas also has Huelse's photo, and Google has a good satellite view. The station buildings are the only structures on Spirholm, a small, sandy island in the Kattegat about 6 km (3.5 mi) north of Vesterø Havn, Læsø. The lighthouse is probably endangered by rising sea levels. Accessible only by boat; there is a distant view from ferries between Frederikshavn and Vesterø Havn. Site status unknown. ARLHS DEN-030; DFL-1400; Admiralty C0044; NGA 1648.
Læsø Rende
1965. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two long (2 s) flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern, mounted on a circular concrete caisson. A square helipad is mounted above the lantern. Tower painted white, helipad structure painted red. Huelse has a photo, and Trabas has a very distant view. The lighthouse replaced a lightship station established in 1887. Two lightships that served this station survive: Fyrskib XIII in private ownership in Copenhagen and Fyrskib XV at the Heikendorfer Yacht Club near Kiel, Germany. The Læsø Rende is the channel between Læsø and the mainland. Located about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of the mainland and 11 km (7 mi) west of the western point of Læsø. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS DEN-021; DFL-1425; Admiralty C0061; NGA 1696.

Nordre Rønner Light, Læsø, January 2021
Instagram photo
by Lene Nielsen

Ålborg Area Lighthouses

These lights mark the eastern entrance of the Limfjord waterway, which crosses northern Jylland. Other lighthouses of the Limfjord are listed on the Denmark's West Coast page. Ålborg (Aalborg) is Denmark's fourth largest city with a population of about 125,000. The city center is on the narrowest section of the Limfjord about 20 km (13 mi) west of the entrance from the Kattegat.

Korsholm (Egense) Forfyr Syd
1895. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off (synchronized with the Forfyr Nord and also with the rear light). 6 m (20 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower with a cast iron lantern, mounted on the same stone pier as the Forfyr Nord; the two lights are only 9 m (30 ft) apart. Tower unpainted; lantern painted red. Yvonne Schnell's photo is at right, Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Known locally as salt og peber (salt and pepper), the two lights guide ships into the Limfjord entrance. The common rear light for the two Forfyrs is on a skeletal tower onshore 2 km (1.2 mi) to the west. Located about 1.6 km (1 mi) east of Egense, on the south side of the entrance, and a similar distance south of Hals, on the north side. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. DFL-0700c; Admiralty C0072.1; NGA 1764.
Korsholm (Egense) Forfyr Nord
1895. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); green light, 1 s on, 1 s off (synchronized with the Forfyr Syd and also with the rear light); also a red flash every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower with a cast iron lantern, mounted on the same stone pier as the Forfyr Syd; the two lights are only 9 m (30 ft) apart. Tower unpainted; lantern painted red. Yvonne Schnell's photo is at right, Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. The Korsholm lights guide ships into the Limfjord entrance. The common rear light for the two Forfyrs is on a skeletal tower onshore 2 km (1.2 mi) to the west. Located about 1.6 km (1 mi) east of Egense, on the south side of the entrance, and a similar distance south of Hals, on the north side. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. DFL-0700b; Admiralty C0072; NGA 1760.
* Egensekloster Pynt (Korsholm Common Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a triangular daymark, point down. Entire lighthouse is red. Trabas has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located off the Kystvej (highway 541) in Egense. DFL-0700a; Admiralty C0073; NGA 1766.

Korsholm Forfyr Lights, Egense, September 2017
Instagram photo
by Yvonne Schnell
* Hals Øst Forfyr
Date unknown (station established 1849). Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. 4 m (13 ft) semicircular building; the light is shown through a rectangular window. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band. Trabas has a closeup photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The rear light is mounted on a mast 177 m (580 ft) northwest. Located on the west breakwater at Hals, on the north side of the Limfjord entrance. Accessible by walking the pier. ARLHS DEN-193; DFL-0706b; Admiralty C0076; NGA 1768.
Hals Barre
1912. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 10 s; also a passing light, white, red or green depending on direction, 1 s on, 1 s off. 15 m (49 ft) square cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, incorporating keeper's quarters, painted with red and white horizontal bands and mounted on a circular stone pier. A photo is at right, Thomas Hillebrand has a photo, Huelse has a photo and a historic postcard view, and Trabas has Erich Hartmann's very distant view from shore, but the lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. Originally serving also as a pilot station, the lighthouse was staffed until 1988. The photo at right shows the lighthouse after a restoration in 2014-15. Located in the Kattegat about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of Hals and the Limfjord entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS DEN-011; DFL-1462; Admiralty C0066; NGA 1744.
Hals Barre Syd
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three red flashes every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) round tower with a large gallery, painted red and mounted on an octagonal concrete pier. Trabas has a distant view but the lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. This light and the next one mark the beginning of the dredged channel leading to the Limfjord entrance. Located about 2 km (1.25 mi) southeast of the Hals Barre lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS DEN-194; DFL-1465; Admiralty C0069.5; NGA 1752.
Hals Barre Nord
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three green flashes every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) round tower with a large gallery, painted green and mounted on an octagonal concrete pier. Lennart Damgaard has a photo and Trabas has a distant view but the lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. This light and the previous one mark the beginning of the dredged channel leading to the Limfjord entrance. Located about 5 km (3 mi) east southeast of the Hals Barre lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. DFL-1464; Admiralty C0069; NGA 1748.

Hals Barre Light, Kattegat, July 2015
Instagram photo by nordjyske
* Tårs Forfyr (relocated)
Date unknown. Inactive. 4.5 m (15 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower; the light was shown through a slit-like window at the top of the tower. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band. Finn Andreas Thomsen has a photo, Huelse has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light stood near the ferry terminal at Tårs, Lolland, guiding ferries arriving from Spodsbjerg, Langeland, on the other side of the Store Bælt. Replaced by a small skeletal tower (DFL-3800b, Admiralty C1712, NGA 4170), the lighthouse has been relocated to the grounds of the the maritime museum in Ålborg. Site open, museum open daily, tower closed. Site manager: Springeren - Maritimt Oplevelsescenter. ARLHS DEN-183.
* Fyrskib 18 (mast and lantern)
1902. Lightship mast and lantern from Fyrskib 18. Finn Andreas Thomsen has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The ship itself survives, converted to the tall ship Den Store Bjørn. The mast is on display at the maritime museum in Ålborg, close to the Tars Forfyr. Site open, museum open daily, tower closed. Site manager: Springeren - Maritimt Oplevelsescenter.
Svitringen Rende Syd
1983 (?). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) post with lantern and gallery, centered on an octagonal equipment shelter and mounted on an octagonal concrete pier. The light also marks a pilot station, where pilot boats wait for arriving ships. Huelse has a photo but the light is not shown in Google's satellite view. Located in the Ålborg Bugt (Ålborg Bay) about 25 km (15 mi) east southeast of Hals. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. DFL-1455; Admiralty C0066.8; NGA 1724.

Mariager Fjord Lighthouse
* Thyborøn Bagfyr (relocated to Kongsdal Havn) (2)
1908 (station established 1897). Inactive since 1988. 17 m (56 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Randi Bæhr has the 2019 photo at right, Huelse has an excellent photo, Mikkel Barsøe has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was formerly the rear light of the Thyborøn Range, at the western entrance to the Limfjord (see the Denmark West Coast page). After many years rusting in a scrapyard, it was rescued in 2000, restored and relocated to Kongsdal Havn, where it stands in a parking lot at the Kongsdal Marina. Located on the south side of the Mariager Fjord about 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of Assens. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Kongsdal Baadelaug. ex-Admiralty B1900.1.

Thyborøn Bagfyr, Kongsdal Havn, August 2019
Google Maps photo
by cisco66

Information available on lost lighthouses

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: South: East Central Jylland | West: Jylland West Coast

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted December 16, 2006. Checked and revised March 23, 2024. Lighthouses: 22, lightships: 1. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.