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Thy (district)
Encyclopedia
Thy is a traditional district in northwestern Jutland
, Denmark
. It is situated north of the Limfjord
, facing the North Sea
and Skagerrak
, and has a population of around 50,000. The main towns of Thy are Thisted
, Hanstholm
and Hurup
.
Since the Danish municipal reform of 1 January 2007, Thy is roughly identical with Thisted Municipality
which belongs to the North Denmark Region. The southernmost part of Thy, the Thyholm Peninsula
, belongs to Struer Municipality in the Central Denmark Region. Before the merger, Thy consisted of four municipalities: Hanstholm
, Thisted, Sydthy
and Thyholm.
Thy forms the western part of the North Jutlandic Island and borders Hanherred
to the northeast with Vendsyssel
even further northeast. South of the Limfjord is the island of Mors
, considered a twin district of Thy, and Hardsyssel in western mainland Jutland. Thy is traditionally regarded part of northern and western Jutland alike. The dialect belongs to the West Jutlandic group.
s which were covered by sea in neolithic times, but fell dry because of the . These are interrupted with higher-lying plains that were islands in the neolithic sea. In the slopes that formed the coast in these times, high-lying limestone
is often visible - hence the name of the Limfjord
. The eastern stretch, facing the Limfjord, has quite fertile soil, is slightly hilly and dotted with small villages and farms like the landscape in most of rural Denmark. The landscape is marked by strong western winds, most trees bending eastwards.
The west coast has wide beaches and high dune
s with Leymus
grass and sea-buckthorn
. Behind the dunes, there is heath
with stretches of Calluna
heather, Iceland moss
, Cladonia
, crowberry
, bilberry
, blueberry
, cranberry
and orchids including the unique Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. calcifugiens. This is the result of huge sand drift in the 15th to 19th centuries which covered much formerly fertile land. The sand drift affected the whole west coast of Jutland, and some other parts of Denmark as well. Since Thy is exposed to winds from both the north and the west, even from the North Atlantic, the sand drift went the furthest inland in this area, as far as 18 km (11.2 mi). Parts of the sandy stretches have been turned into conifer woods. A line of lakes, believed to have been caused by the sand drift's blocking the outflow to the sea, mark the border between the western, sparsely populated sandy area and the eastern, fertile farmland.
The wetlands Vejlerne in the northeast are the largest bird sanctuary in Northern Europe. Nearby is the bird cliff
Bulbjerg
.
On 29 June 2007, the dune and heath landscape of Thy was officially selected to be the first national park
in Denmark proper (national parks already exist in Greenland
). Three other areas in Jutland, the Wadden Sea
, the areas around Skjern
river and the hills of Mols
, will follow suit in the next couple of years. In total, seven outstanding areas are candidates for the status. The governmental Forest and Nature Agency states:
The national park was officially opened on 22 August 2008. The total area of the national park is 244 square km (94 square miles).
On 10 July 2007, a police officer from Hanstholm
found a hermit
in the state forest of Hjardemål Klit, one of the more deserted areas in the north of Thy. For three years, the middle-aged man from Zealand had been living in the primitive forest shelter
s of the district and made a living from collecting empty bottles
. For the same period he had been missed by his parents, who thought he was dead, but he was now re-united with them on the initiative of the police officer. Forest workers told they were aware of the man's existence, particularly that he had left behind many eggshells at the shelters and seemingly was nourished on eggs, but since he didn't do any harm they had left him alone.
þjóð ("thioth"), meaning people. The Danish Census Book
of King Valdemar II of 1231 mentions Thiuthæsysæl, i.e. the syssel of Thy. Thy is by some scholars thought to be the origin of the Teutons
; Ptolemy
placed the Teutons and the Cimbri
at the northern end of Jutland on his ancient map.
, probably before it got its later name, Thy exported fine flint
present in the limestone. A Neolithic flint quarry has been restored at Hov east of Thisted. Thy was densely populated in the bronze age
and has a great number of burial mounds
.
the area had vital trade links across the North Sea, being Christianised from England by Saint Theodgarus, a missionary originally from Thuringia and trained in England, unlike other parts of Denmark that were Christianised from the south. The former cathedral
and monastery
of Theodgarus in Vestervig
is today the largest village church of Scandinavia. In 1085 Thy was the gatehead for King Canute the Holy
's plans to retake England from William the Conqueror, with 1,000 ships gathered in the Limfjord until the expedition was cancelled and a peasant uprising broke out.
. The German Wehrmacht
built huge fortifications along the west coast of Jutland for fear that the allied invasion
would take place here. The vast bunker
complexes in Hanstholm
have been restored and are open to the public.
and fishery
being more prevalent than in many other areas of Denmark.
is a major business in summer, the coastal villages receiving many German tourists and smaller numbers of Norwegians, Swedes, Dutch and others. Although the coastal resorts have areas with individual holiday houses, they maintain a native population as well. The only major hotel-like holiday complex is at Vigsø Bugt east of Hanstholm. Thy has become a major destination for windsurfing
.
, with no single company exceeding 1,000 employees. These include wooden furniture ( NJA in Nors), prefab windows (Ideal Combi in Hurup) and Sjørring Maskinfabrik in Sjørring (subsupplier to Volvo
and Scania
). The harbour of Hanstholm with related ferries and fish processing industries employ about 2-3000 people. Most major employers are based in Thisted: Cimbria (combine harvesters and grain dryers), Coloplast (medical plastic products), Oticon
(hearing aid
s), and HM Automatic/Thy El-Teknik (industrial electrical systems). Food industry includes Tican (meat processing/slaughterhouse), Dragsbæk Maltfabrik (malt
), Dragsbæk Margarinefabrik (margarine
), and Mejerigaarden/Polar Is (one of Denmark's largest ice cream
manufacturers), all in Thisted. Thisted Bryghus
was the first Danish brewery
to introduce ecological beer and has a growing sale of its many speciality beer types.
and EUC Nordvest of Thisted. The latter offers technical and mercantile secondary education as well as a Market Economist programme. The School of Nursing in Thisted is the only other higher educational institution in the area. Many youths leave the area for major centres of higher education such as Ålborg and Århus, and only a few of them return to Thy after finishing their education.
The Nordic Folk Centre for Renewable Energy at Hurup
is internationally known for its research in wave energy and small-scale windmill
s for developing countries.
harbour to Western Norway
and the North Atlantic.
A railway from Thisted to Aalborg
via Fjerritslev
existed from 1904 to 1/4-1969.
, Iceland
and Norway
:
Small internal ferries on the Limfjord
:
The closest airports with scheduled flights are Aalborg Airport
and Karup Airport
.
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...
, 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...
. It is situated north of the Limfjord
Limfjord
The Limfjord is a shallow sound in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula. It extends from Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat. It is approximately 180 kilometres long and of an irregular shape with several bays, narrowings,...
, facing the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
, and has a population of around 50,000. The main towns of Thy are Thisted
Thisted
Thisted is a town in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, in Denmark. It has a population of 13,005 and is located in Thy, in northwestern Jutland....
, Hanstholm
Hanstholm
Hanstholm is a small town and a former island, now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in the northern part of Denmark. Coordinates:...
and Hurup
Hurup Thy
Hurup, in postal and railway terms Hurup Thy, is a railway town in the municipality of Thisted in northwestern Jutland, Denmark. It has a population of 2,803 ....
.
Since the Danish municipal reform of 1 January 2007, Thy is roughly identical with Thisted Municipality
Thisted municipality
Thisted municipality is a municipality in North Denmark Region, Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,072 km², and has a total population of 45,549 . Its mayor is Erik Hove Olesen, a member of the Social Democrats...
which belongs to the North Denmark Region. The southernmost part of Thy, the Thyholm Peninsula
Thyholm Peninsula
Thyholm is a peninsula in Denmark located in Limfjorden north of Struer. It is connected by causeway with North Jutlandic Island and the rest of Thy...
, belongs to Struer Municipality in the Central Denmark Region. Before the merger, Thy consisted of four municipalities: Hanstholm
Hanstholm municipality
Until 1 January 2007 Hanstholm municipality was a Danish municipality in Viborg County on the northwest coast of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 216 km², and had a total population of 5,786...
, Thisted, Sydthy
Sydthy municipality
Until 1 January 2007 Sydthy municipality was a Danish municipality in the former Viborg County on the west coast of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. It is on the north bank of the Limfjord. The municipality covered an area of 322 km², and had a total population of...
and Thyholm.
Thy forms the western part of the North Jutlandic Island and borders Hanherred
Hanherred
Hanherred or Hanherrederne is a traditional district in northern Jutland, Denmark. It lies between Thy in the west and Vendsyssel in the east. To the north it faces the North Sea and to the south the Limfjord. There are only two towns with more than 1,000 inhabitants, Fjerritslev and...
to the northeast with Vendsyssel
Vendsyssel
Vendsyssel is the northernmost traditional district of Denmark and of Jutland. Being divided from mainland Jutland by the Limfjord, it is technically a part of the North Jutlandic Island. Vendsyssel is part of the North Denmark Region....
even further northeast. South of the Limfjord is the island of Mors
Mors (island)
Mors or Morsø is a 367.7 km2 land locked island in the shallow sound called Limfjorden in Denmark. As of 1 January 2010, it has a population of 21,800. The main town on the island is called Nykøbing Mors. Geologically Mors is unique...
, considered a twin district of Thy, and Hardsyssel in western mainland Jutland. Thy is traditionally regarded part of northern and western Jutland alike. The dialect belongs to the West Jutlandic group.
Nature
Thy has a very varied landscape. In the north it is marked by flat coastal plainCoastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
s which were covered by sea in neolithic times, but fell dry because of the . These are interrupted with higher-lying plains that were islands in the neolithic sea. In the slopes that formed the coast in these times, high-lying limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
is often visible - hence the name of the Limfjord
Limfjord
The Limfjord is a shallow sound in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula. It extends from Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat. It is approximately 180 kilometres long and of an irregular shape with several bays, narrowings,...
. The eastern stretch, facing the Limfjord, has quite fertile soil, is slightly hilly and dotted with small villages and farms like the landscape in most of rural Denmark. The landscape is marked by strong western winds, most trees bending eastwards.
The west coast has wide beaches and high dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s with Leymus
Leymus
Leymus is a genus of the true grass family . The common name for this genus is "wild rye"; however, members of the genus Elymus are also sometimes given the same common name...
grass and sea-buckthorn
Sea-buckthorn
The sea-buckthorns are deciduous shrubs in the genus Hippophae, family Elaeagnaceae. The name sea-buckthorn is hyphenated here to avoid confusion with the buckthorns...
. Behind the dunes, there is heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
with stretches of Calluna
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
heather, Iceland moss
Iceland moss
Iceland moss is a lichen whose erect or ascending foliaceous habit gives it something of the appearance of a moss, whence probably the name...
, Cladonia
Cladonia
Cladonia is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer and caribou. Cladonia species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets in Russia. Antibiotic compounds are extracted from some...
, crowberry
Crowberry
Crowberry is a small genus of dwarf evergreen shrubs that bear edible fruit. They are commonly found in the northern hemisphere, from temperate to subarctic climates, and also in the Southern Andes of South America and on the South Atlantic islands of South Georgia, the Falklands and Tristan da...
, bilberry
Vaccinium uliginosum
Vaccinium uliginosum is a flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium.-Distribution:Vaccinium uliginosum is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, at low altitudes in the Arctic, and at high altitudes south to the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Caucasus in Europe, the mountains of...
, blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
and orchids including the unique Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. calcifugiens. This is the result of huge sand drift in the 15th to 19th centuries which covered much formerly fertile land. The sand drift affected the whole west coast of Jutland, and some other parts of Denmark as well. Since Thy is exposed to winds from both the north and the west, even from the North Atlantic, the sand drift went the furthest inland in this area, as far as 18 km (11.2 mi). Parts of the sandy stretches have been turned into conifer woods. A line of lakes, believed to have been caused by the sand drift's blocking the outflow to the sea, mark the border between the western, sparsely populated sandy area and the eastern, fertile farmland.
The wetlands Vejlerne in the northeast are the largest bird sanctuary in Northern Europe. Nearby is the bird cliff
Bird cliff
Bird cliffs are steep cliffs with numerous small shelves which serve as nesting locations for bird colonies. Bird cliffs are found on islands in the North Atlantic and Arctic, such as the Faroe Islands, the Svalbard archipelago and on islands off Northern Norway...
Bulbjerg
Bulbjerg
Bulbjerg is a limestone cliff in northern Jutland, Denmark, facing Skagerrak. It is the only rock formation in Jutland, the only bird cliff on the Danish mainland, and as such the only breeding place of the black-legged kittiwake on the Danish mainland...
.
National park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Denmark proper (national parks already exist in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
). Three other areas in Jutland, the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
, the areas around Skjern
Skjern
Skjern Municipality is a former municipality in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality in Region Midtjylland near the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark...
river and the hills of 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....
, will follow suit in the next couple of years. In total, seven outstanding areas are candidates for the status. The governmental Forest and Nature Agency states:
The national park was officially opened on 22 August 2008. The total area of the national park is 244 square km (94 square miles).
On 10 July 2007, a police officer from Hanstholm
Hanstholm
Hanstholm is a small town and a former island, now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in the northern part of Denmark. Coordinates:...
found a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
in the state forest of Hjardemål Klit, one of the more deserted areas in the north of Thy. For three years, the middle-aged man from Zealand had been living in the primitive forest shelter
Hut (dwelling)
A hut is a small and crude shelter, usually used for dwelling. Its design favors local techniques and materials to allow for swift and inexpensive construction.-Modern use:...
s of the district and made a living from collecting empty bottles
Container deposit legislation
Container-deposit legislation is any law that requires collection of a monetary deposit on soft-drink, juice, milk, water, alcoholic-beverage, and/or other containers at the point of sale...
. For the same period he had been missed by his parents, who thought he was dead, but he was now re-united with them on the initiative of the police officer. Forest workers told they were aware of the man's existence, particularly that he had left behind many eggshells at the shelters and seemingly was nourished on eggs, but since he didn't do any harm they had left him alone.
History
Thy is originally the same word as Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
þjóð ("thioth"), meaning people. The Danish Census Book
Danish Census Book
The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation , from the 13th Century consist of notes for practical use in the Royal Chancery of Valdemar II containing a collection of information on Royal income and Royal land property. The book is one of the most important sources of information...
of King Valdemar II of 1231 mentions Thiuthæsysæl, i.e. the syssel of Thy. Thy is by some scholars thought to be the origin of the Teutons
Teutons
The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani...
; Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
placed the Teutons and the Cimbri
Cimbri
The Cimbri were a tribe from Northern Europe, who, together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late 2nd century BC. The Cimbri were probably Germanic, though some believe them to be of Celtic origin...
at the northern end of Jutland on his ancient map.
Antiquity
In the stone ageStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, probably before it got its later name, Thy exported fine flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
present in the limestone. A Neolithic flint quarry has been restored at Hov east of Thisted. Thy was densely populated in the bronze age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and has a great number of burial mounds
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
.
Middle ages
In the viking ageViking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
the area had vital trade links across the North Sea, being Christianised from England by Saint Theodgarus, a missionary originally from Thuringia and trained in England, unlike other parts of Denmark that were Christianised from the south. The former cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
and monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Theodgarus in Vestervig
Vestervig
Vestervig is a settlement and parish in Denmark, located in Thisted municipality in Region Nordjylland . Vestervig has a population of 658...
is today the largest village church of Scandinavia. In 1085 Thy was the gatehead for King Canute the Holy
Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV, later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint , was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church, and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was...
's plans to retake England from William the Conqueror, with 1,000 ships gathered in the Limfjord until the expedition was cancelled and a peasant uprising broke out.
World War II
In the Second World War Denmark was occupied by Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
built huge fortifications along the west coast of Jutland for fear that the allied invasion
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
would take place here. The vast bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
complexes in Hanstholm
Hanstholm
Hanstholm is a small town and a former island, now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in the northern part of Denmark. Coordinates:...
have been restored and are open to the public.
Economy
Thy is still a mainly rural area, the traditional businesses of agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
being more prevalent than in many other areas of Denmark.
Tourism
TourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is a major business in summer, the coastal villages receiving many German tourists and smaller numbers of Norwegians, Swedes, Dutch and others. Although the coastal resorts have areas with individual holiday houses, they maintain a native population as well. The only major hotel-like holiday complex is at Vigsø Bugt east of Hanstholm. Thy has become a major destination for windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
.
Industry
There is some small and medium scale industryIndustry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, with no single company exceeding 1,000 employees. These include wooden furniture ( NJA in Nors), prefab windows (Ideal Combi in Hurup) and Sjørring Maskinfabrik in Sjørring (subsupplier to Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
and Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
). The harbour of Hanstholm with related ferries and fish processing industries employ about 2-3000 people. Most major employers are based in Thisted: Cimbria (combine harvesters and grain dryers), Coloplast (medical plastic products), Oticon
Oticon
Oticon is the worlds second largest hearing aid manufacturer. It is situated in Denmark outside the capital Copenhagen. It was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, whose wife was hearing impaired. Oticon is particularly well known for their loose management style referred to as "Spaghetti Organization"...
(hearing aid
Hearing aid
A hearing aid is an electroacoustic device which typically fits in or behind the wearer's ear, and is designed to amplify and modulate sound for the wearer. Earlier devices, known as "ear trumpets" or "ear horns", were passive funnel-like amplification cones designed to gather sound energy and...
s), and HM Automatic/Thy El-Teknik (industrial electrical systems). Food industry includes Tican (meat processing/slaughterhouse), Dragsbæk Maltfabrik (malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
), Dragsbæk Margarinefabrik (margarine
Margarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
), and Mejerigaarden/Polar Is (one of Denmark's largest ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
manufacturers), all in Thisted. Thisted Bryghus
Thisted Bryghus
Thisted Bryghus is a small Danish brewery located in the town of Thisted in northwestern Jutland, Denmark. The brewery supplies the locals with typical Danish pilsner beer, but has recently risen to some national and international renown for beers like Porse Guld and Limfjords-Porter, a Baltic...
was the first Danish brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
to introduce ecological beer and has a growing sale of its many speciality beer types.
Education
Secondary education includes the gymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
and EUC Nordvest of Thisted. The latter offers technical and mercantile secondary education as well as a Market Economist programme. The School of Nursing in Thisted is the only other higher educational institution in the area. Many youths leave the area for major centres of higher education such as Ålborg and Århus, and only a few of them return to Thy after finishing their education.
The Nordic Folk Centre for Renewable Energy at Hurup
Hürup
Hürup is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km southeast of Flensburg.Hürup is the seat of the Amt of Hürup....
is internationally known for its research in wave energy and small-scale windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s for developing countries.
Infrastructure
With its position in the northwestern corner of Jutland, Thy is far from the greater traffic corridors. There is, however, some international transit traffic due to the ferry lines from HanstholmHanstholm
Hanstholm is a small town and a former island, now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in the northern part of Denmark. Coordinates:...
harbour to Western Norway
Vestlandet
Western Norway is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Møre og Romsdal and the region has a population of approximately 1.3 million people. The largest city is Bergen, second largest is Stavanger...
and the North Atlantic.
Roads
- National route 26, in part a 2+1 road2+1 road2+1 road is a specific category of three-lane road, consisting of two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other, alternating every few kilometres, and separated usually with a steel cable barrier. Traditional roads of at least width can be converted to 2+1 roads and reach near-motorway...
, goes from the harbour of Hanstholm diagonally across Jutland to ViborgViborg, DenmarkViborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
(route 13) and Århus (motorway and European route E45European route E45The European route E 45 goes between Sweden and Italy, through Denmark, Germany and Austria. With a length of about , it is the longest north-south European route...
). - National route 11 passes through Thy from north to south on its way from AalborgAalborg-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
down to the German border at TønderTønderTønder is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,278 km², and has a total population of 40,367...
. - National route 29 goes from Hanstholm eastwards to the E45European route E45The European route E 45 goes between Sweden and Italy, through Denmark, Germany and Austria. With a length of about , it is the longest north-south European route...
motorway at Hobro. - Secondary national route 181 is part of the Green Coastal Road, a scenic route along the North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
from NorwayNorwayNorway , 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...
to BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In Thy it offers some of the straightest road in Denmark, set in a vast duneDuneIn physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
and heathHeath (habitat)A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
landscape along the coast.
Bridges
- OddesundOddesundOddesund is a strait in the Danish Limfjorden. A bridge spans the fjord connecting the mainland of Jutland with Thy. According to the Heimskringla, a battle took place in Oddasund between the Swedish king Jorund and a Norwegian pirate from Hålogaland....
(southwards to western Jutland, carries national route 11 and railway) - Vilsund (eastwards to the island of MorsMors (island)Mors or Morsø is a 367.7 km2 land locked island in the shallow sound called Limfjorden in Denmark. As of 1 January 2010, it has a population of 21,800. The main town on the island is called Nykøbing Mors. Geologically Mors is unique...
and from there onwards to central Jutland, national route 26)
Railways
- Thisted-Struer, local trains operated by ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
as well as two daily Intercity trainIC3The IC3 is a Danish-built high-comfort medium/long distance diesel multiple-unit train. The sets were built by ABB Scandia . This train model has been operating in Denmark and Sweden since 1989...
s to Copenhagen
A railway from Thisted to Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
via Fjerritslev
Fjerritslev
Fjerritslev is a town in Jammerbugt Municipality, Region Nordjylland in Denmark. The town's population is 3,403 .Until 1 January 2007, Fjerritslev was the municipal seat of the former Fjerritslev Municipality.-External links:* -References:...
existed from 1904 to 1/4-1969.
Ferries
To the Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
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...
:
- Hanstholm - TórshavnTórshavnTórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
-SeyðisfjörðurSeyðisfjörðurSeyðisfjörður is a town and municipality in the Eastfjords of Iceland at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name.As of January 2011, the town has 668 inhabitants....
Smyril LineSmyril LineSmyril Line is a Faroese shipping company, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland, previously, it also served Norway and the United Kingdom. Smyril is the Faroese word for the merlin.... - Hanstholm - KristiansandKristiansand-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
Thy ferries cargo as (in Norwegian)
Small internal ferries on the Limfjord
Limfjord
The Limfjord is a shallow sound in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula. It extends from Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat. It is approximately 180 kilometres long and of an irregular shape with several bays, narrowings,...
:
- AggerAggerAn agger is an ancient Roman embankment or rampart, or any artificial elevation. It is a Latin word.It is especially used for the raised and cambered embankment carrying a Roman road...
-ThyborønThyborønThyborøn is a fishing village in Jutland, Denmark with a population of 2,241 , primarily famous for being the site of numerous shipwrecks, such as that of the Imperial Russian naval vessel Alexander Neuski....
(connecting the two sand spits at the western mouth of the LimfjordLimfjordThe Limfjord is a shallow sound in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula. It extends from Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat. It is approximately 180 kilometres long and of an irregular shape with several bays, narrowings,...
, on route 181) - Neessund (to Mors)
- Feggesund (strictly speaking from HanherredHanherredHanherred or Hanherrederne is a traditional district in northern Jutland, Denmark. It lies between Thy in the west and Vendsyssel in the east. To the north it faces the North Sea and to the south the Limfjord. There are only two towns with more than 1,000 inhabitants, Fjerritslev and...
to Mors)
Airports
- Thisted AirportThisted AirportThis article is based on the corresponding article on the Danish Wikipedia, accessed on 15 April 2007.Thisted Airport is a small airport servicing the Danish town of Thisted. It is owned by Thisted municipality...
, currently no scheduled traffic
The closest airports with scheduled flights are Aalborg Airport
Aalborg Airport
Aalborg Airport is a dual-use airport located in Nørresundby, Denmark, which is northwest of Aalborg. Aalborg Airport is the third largest airport in Denmark with approximately 1.4 million travellers per year.-Duty Free Shopping:...
and Karup Airport
Karup Airport
Karup Airport is an airport in Denmark.At the request of some middle-and West Jutland politicians airport, it was opened on 1 November 1965 when the first direct connection between Karup and Copenhagen was opened....
.
External links
- Official tourist information
- Thyweb, local events, news and information (Danish and German)