Helgenæs
Encyclopedia
Helgenæs is a minor peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....

 stretching out from Mols
Mols
Mols is a small Danish peninsula located to the south of another peninsula, Djursland, located on the east coast Jutland. Two other peninsulas, Skødshoved to the west, and Helgenæs to the south, are adjacent to Mols....

, itself part of the peninsula Djursland
Djursland
Djursland is a Danish peninsula located on the east coast of the larger Jutland peninsula. Other minor peninsulas are also found stretching out from Djursland, such as Skødshoved and Helgenæs.Djursland is also Jyllands only round church in Thorsager....

, again part of the peninsula Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...

 in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

.

Etymology

Helgenæs derives from Danish "hellig" (holy) + "næs" (headland), and was in 1231 spelled "Hælghænæs".

Geography

Helgenæs has a total land area of approximately twenty square kilometres. It was formed during the ice age approximately 16000 years ago. The narrowest part of the peninsula is about 240 meters, and it is said that the Vikings, when sailing between Århus and Ebeltoft
Ebeltoft
Ebeltoft is a town with a population of 7,559 on the central east coast of Denmark, located in Syddjurs municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Danish peninsula of Jutland....

, transported their longboat
Longboat
In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...

s over the narrow section, perhaps by rolling them on tree trunks. By doing this, they were able to save approximately 4 nautical miles (7 km) of travel.
To the west of Helgenæs, 16 kilometres across Århus Bay, lies Århus, the second-largest city in Denmark. Ten kilometres to the east one finds Ebeltoft, an important Danish coastal town. Five kilometres to the northwest is Skødshoved, another peninsula which is slightly larger than Helgenæs. Some of the largest towns on Helgenæs are Kongsgårde, Borup and Fejrup.

Tourism

A relatively large number of tourists visit Helgenæs in the summer. The tourists are mostly German, but tourists from other Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

n countries such as Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, as well as tourists from other parts of Denmark who want to experience the mild weather on Helgenæs, also sometimes pay a visit.
Compared with the size of the peninsula, a comparatively large amount of it is covered in summer housing, especially the town of Fejrup and the hills of Stødovbakker which are heavily developed.

The main tourist spot on Helgenæs is the peninsula itself with its beautiful nature, but other attractions are also open to visitors. Sletterhage Fyr, a beautiful old lighthouse in southwestern Helgenæs, and Tyskertårnet, a concrete watchtower built during the occupation
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...

 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, are often visited by tourists. In the southwestern part of Helgenæs, in the town of Ørby, is also a gallery with the paintings of Bo Bendixen, a noted Danish painter.

Transport

Bus route 361 goes between Helgenæs and Rønde
Rønde
Rønde is a town in central Denmark with a population of 2,548 , located in Syddjurs municipality in Jutland.William Kvist, footballer was born in Ronde.-References:...

 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
Grenå
Grenaa or Grenå is a town in central Denmark with a population of 14,308 . The town centre is about 2 km west of the east coast of the Djursland peninsula in Jutland's Region Midtjylland...

, Ebeltoft
Ebeltoft
Ebeltoft is a town with a population of 7,559 on the central east coast of Denmark, located in Syddjurs municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Danish peninsula of Jutland....

 and Randers
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...

.

Shopping

The main shopping facility on Helgenæs is the small "Dagli'Brugsen
Brugsen
right|thumb|250px|A Dagli'Brugsen in Northeast Copenhagen. Brugsen is a shorthand for the Danish word 'Brugsforeningen', which means consumers' cooperative. It is also the name of a Danish supermarket chain which was born as a consumers' cooperative....

" 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
Honor system
An honor system or honesty system is a philosophical way of running a variety of endeavors based on trust, honor, and honesty. Something that operates under the rule of the "honor system" is usually something that does not have strictly enforced rules governing its principles...

.

Other points of interest

Stødov Kirke is the only church on Helgenæs, and in a small building close to the church lies a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

of local history. In the middle of Helgenæs is also a community house, where summer and Christmas parties are held.
On Helgenæs is also Helgenæs Naturefterskole; an independent boarding school for lower secondary students with educational focus on nature and outdoor activities.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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