Højen or Gammel Skagen on the west side of

Skagen Odde Skagen Odde, also Skagens Odde, sometimes known in English language, English as the Scaw Spit or The Skaw, is a sandy peninsula which stretches some northeast and comprises the northernmost area of Vendsyssel in Jutland, Denmark. ...

is an old fishing community which now forms part of the town of

Skagen Skagen () is the northernmost town in Denmark, on the east coast of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, part of Frederikshavn Municipality in North Denmark Region, Nordjylland, north of Frederikshavn and northeast of Aalbo ...

in the far north of

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. It has a permanent population of about 30. Højen was first settled in the 12th century, and by the 15th century had become a populated fishing hamlet. By the late 19th century, the village was a popular tourist destination. Today, Højen suffers from

coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of Wind wave, waves, Ocean current, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts ...

and drifting sand, though its fishing cottages and beaches continue to attract tourists.

History

The first building in the Skagen area was built in Højen in the 12th century. It belonged to the shepherd Tronder who became the first of Skagen's fishermen. Højen was the largest community on the peninsula until about 1340 when it was overtaken by what is now Skagen's Vesterby. The first documented reference to Højen occurred in the 15th century when it was a fishing hamlet. In 1884, a beacon was installed to guide mariners to the lighthouses on the tip of Skagen Odde. In 1892, a lighthouse was established in Højen itself, functioning until 1956 when it was replaced by Skagen West Lighthouse. It was demolished in 1956. A life-boat station was opened in Gammel Skagen in 1865."Tidstavle"
Skagen Lokalhistoriske Forening. Retrieved 10 October 2013. From the end of the 19th century, Højen became popular with tourists. In 1888, Rudolph Jeckel opened Jeckels Hotel and in 1904 today's Ruths Hotel was established by Hans Ruth as Vesterhus. Other small hotels opened later. Old Skagen - Denmark

Until 2005, Højen was a

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

on the

Skagensbanen The Skagen railway line () is a long standard gauge single track (rail), single track railway line between Skagen and Frederikshavn in Vendsyssel, Denmark. The railway links the fishing port and seaside resort of Skagen with the Danish rail netwo ...

, the railway from

Frederikshavn Frederikshavn () is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast on the North Jutlandic Island in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand. The ...

to Skagen which opened in 1890. Over the years, the oldest parts of Højen have been destroyed by

while the remaining area has suffered from the effects of drifting sand. There was once a thriving population of around 800 but this was reduced to only 30 a result of these difficulties."Gl. Skagen"
, Coast Alive. Retrieved 13 October 2013. It maintains the unspoiled appearance of a 19th-century fishing village with many of the old fishermen's cottages. Tourists are attracted by the beaches of Nordstrand on the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

. The beach is good for bathing although it can be stony in places. The southern section is popular with

naturists Naturism is a lifestyle of practicing non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms ar ...

Højen in art

P.S. Krøyer, one of the

Skagen Painters The Skagen Painters () were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the village of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century. Skagen was a summer destination whose scenic nature, local mi ...

, produced a fine painting of fishermen on the beach at Højen. His "Fishermen hauling nets" (''Krøyer fiskere trækker vod'') was painted in 1883. In 1909,

Laurits Tuxen Laurits Regner Tuxen (9 December 1853 – 21 November 1927) was a Danish painter and sculptor specialising in figure painting. He was also associated with the Skagen Painters. He was the first head of Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler, an art sc ...

painted a stormy sea at Højen."Tuxen, Lauritz Regner"
''Dansk biografisk Lexikon''. Retrieved 13 October 2013.

References

Literature

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hojen Skagen Frederikshavn Municipality Lighthouses in Denmark Seaside resorts in Denmark