Helgenæs
| Helgenæs | |
| Peninsula, Denmark | |
 Bay of Aarhus, seen from the hill, Ellemandsbjerg. | |
| Coordinates | 56°7′N 10°31′E / 56.117°N 10.517°ECoordinates: 56°7′N 10°31′E / 56.117°N 10.517°E |
|---|---|
  Helgenæs Peninsula in Denmark.
| |
Helgenæs is a peninsula stretching out from Mols in Denmark, as part of the peninsula Djursland, at the entrance to The Baltic Sea between Denmark and Sweden in Northern Europe. The name, Helgenæs, derives from Danish "hellig" (holy) + "næs" (headland),[1] and was in 1231 spelled "Hælghænæs".[2]
Helgenæs is approximately twenty square kilometres, and was formed during the ice ages ending 12.000 years ago. The narrowest part of the peninsula, Dragsmur, is 240 meters wide. It is said that the Vikings, when sailing out from Århus Bay transported their longboats over the narrow section,[3] perhaps by rolling them on tree trunks. By doing this, they were able to save approximately 4 nautical miles (7 km) of travel.
West of Helgenæs, 16 kilometres across Århus Bay, lies Århus, the second-largest city in Denmark. Ten kilometres to the east one finds Ebeltoft, a Danish coastal town, where an important income is based in tourism with many rentals in the surrounding countryside including on Helgenæs. Five kilometres to the northwest is Skødshoved, another peninsula. Villages on Helgenæs are Kongsgårde, Borup and Fejrup.
Tourists from other parts of Denmark, other Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Norway, and Germany often visit Helgenæs. Tourists represent a considerable percentage of the population in the summer. Especially the town of Fejrup and the hills of Stødovbakker have many summer rentals.
The hilly counteryside with a long and accessible coastline in a mild, not to hot, summer climate is an attraction. Sletterhage Fyr, an old lighthouse in southwestern Helgenæs, and Tyskertårnet, a concrete watchtower built during the occupation in World War II, are also visited by many guests. In the southwestern part of Helgenæs, in the town of Ørby, is a gallery with the paintings of Bo Bendixen, a noted Danish painter.[4]
Bus route 361 goes between Helgenæs and Rønde once an hour in weekdays between 05:00 and 18:00, going counter-clockwise around the peninsula. This connects Helgenæs with other bus routes going to larger cities such as Århus, Grenå, Ebeltoft and Randers. The main shopping facility on Helgenæs is the small "Dagli'Brugsen" supermarket in the village of Kongsgårde. Chiefly (though not only) in the summer, tiny stands in the roadside sell honey, fruits, potatoes, eggs or even homemade souvenirs; these are scattered all over the peninsula, although mostly in main streets going through towns. These small stands are normally unmanned, and payment works on the honor system.
Stødov Kirke is the only church on Helgenæs, and in a small building close to the church lies a museum of local history. In the middle of Helgenæs is also a community house, where summer and Christmas parties are held.
There is an exhibit at the Sletterhage ligthouse, with modern and old navigational instruments, and a geological exhibition, showing how the Helgenæs landscape was formed during the ice ages. On display are also characteristic stones that can be found on the beaches, that can be traced back to different prehistoric volcanoes in Norway and Sweden, brought to the area by ice sheet movements.
Helgenæs Naturefterskole; is also located on the peninsula. This is an independent boarding school for lower secondary students with educational focus on nature and outdoor activities, including angling from the shores of Helgenæs.[5]
External links
References
- ↑ Aage Houken, Håndbog i danske stednavne,pp 114, 179, 182, Gyldendalske Boghandel 1976, ISBN 87-01-31021-6
- ↑ Liber Census Daniæ
- ↑ http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_geografi/Jylland/Helgenæs last accessed February 2010
- ↑ BoBendixen.dk, Bo Bendixen. Last accessed February 2010.
- ↑ http://www.hne.dk/pages/om-skolen.php Last accessed February 2010
National parks of Denmark