Something is stirring at Bork Havn

If you visit Bork Havn in Denmark on a weekday, you could be forgiven for thinking that nothing ever happens there. Even at the height of summer, the old fisherman’s harbour situated by the west coast of Jutland sees little activity during the week, other than a tourist or two strolling through Bryggen on their way to buy their first “soft ice” of the day.

But over the past couple of years Bork Havn has seen a disproportionate increase in summer houses built on the outskirts of what traditionally has been seen as part of Bork Havn. This combined with new plans to build an adventure/entertainment complex could see Bork Havn change from a traditional come-enjoy-the-free-nature tourist area to a more all-round, all-year tourist hot spot.

What was and what is

While it is still possible to see the odd fisherman preparing his net for a day on Ringkøbing Fjord, the original aim of Bork Havn changed many decades ago from fishery to tourism. The local fishery association, Bork Fiskeriforening, keep a few photos of the harbour’s development over the years on their website (in Danish).

The first summer houses for tourists were built in the late 1960s and Bork Havn soon established itself as a popular destination for families who enjoy a laidback holiday in a safe environment close to the ocean and plenty of nature to go around.

Later the area became popular with windsurfers as well and now you will also see kitesurfers practising their moves on Ringkøbing Fjord.

Bork Havn remains very much geared towards the type of tourists that are capable of keeping themselves entertained. The attractions at Bork Havn are limited to a viking museum, Bork Vikingehavn and an old inn turned into a museum, Fahl Kro, so don’t expect to fill your days sightseeing.

Don’t expect to mingle with too many locals either. Bork Havn is very much geared towards tourists. Apart from during the annual 4-day music festival, Bork Havn Musikfestival, which has grown very popular with not only the locals but with Danes from all over, you are more likely to be sitting next to a table of fellow tourists than locals when you enjoy dinner at one of Bork Havn’s few restaurants.

What could be

As mentioned above it does look like changes are afoot at Bork Havn. The area has seen an explosion of new summer houses constructed over a short period of time, with more being built as I write this.

New houseboats for tourist rental have been berthed at the far end of the harbour, with more to come, following the latest trend in tourist accommodation in Denmark.

Perhaps the most exciting development is the proposed Adventure Land Bork, an adventure/entertainment complex which plans to offer amongst other things a water park, bowling alley, tennis courts as well as eating and drinking facilities. The complex is still trying to secure funding, but if it does get off the ground, the people behind the plan hope the complex will make Bork Havn more of an all-year tourist destination.

Bork Havn is, no doubt, trying to move with times, but the single most important thing it needs to achieve, if it is to retain its attractiveness for a tourist like me (even if I am a former semi-local), is the involvement of the locals. The places I enjoy visiting the most, are the places where I feel that I’m enjoying the area with the locals. I want to eat with or amongst the locals, enjoy a drink at the same bar as the locals and generally feel that the place exists for the locals not the tourists and that I’m allowed to share their area with them as a visitor.

To achieve this Bork Havn, in my opinion, will need to think far more radically than it currently does. It will need to finds its niche and offer something so traditionally Danish that even the locals want to come. I would want to see cafes serving traditional, delicious Danish breakfast complete with “rundstykker og wienerbrød” (rolls and pasteries) and restaurants serving traditional Danish food such as smørrebrød, fried eel and other fish. I can get burgers and pizzas pretty much anywhere in the world, but I will pay good money for decent smørrebrød and a cold beer. I would want small, quaint pubs where I can drop in for a quick pint or when the Danish weather is not playing nice, sit all day long enjoying a meal, a couple of pints and a chat with the locals.

Something is indeed stirring at Bork Havn and it has taken a step in the right direction by trying to create more activities, which both tourists and locals can enjoy. But more importantly it needs to create more of a local atmosphere. Yes, some tourists want more activities, but I bet you all tourists want to feel that they are in Denmark, when they visit Bork Havn.

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Map of Bork Havn

The map below is a map of Bork Havn. Use the zoom and directional buttons to navigate the map. Click on the red points to view more information and use the zoom out button to see more red points in and around Bork Havn. Use the “refresh page” icon in your browser to get back to the original map.

Photos

A short photo series from Bork Havn is available from Photographs from Bork Havn, Denmark.

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