Nr. Vorupør

Vorupør Museum

Vorupør Museum is housed in an old boatyard which used to build boats for the fishermen of the fishing village. The boatyard was originally run by Jens Kr. Andersen, who in 1919 developed a boat type which has since been used for coastal fishing. In his old age, the boat builder began to write a book; Gudelige Fortællinger. He wrote a total of five books about life in the area, including Strandvagten and Der går Bråd over Revlerne.

The museum has kept much of the old machinery, and visitors get an interesting insight into coastal fishing from the tools and machinery as well as from the fishermen's tackle. The kitchen's old wood-burning stove is sometimes used to prepare samples of local food. The museum also tells the historical background of the Vorupør fishing village and about the harsh living conditions of the coastal population with its drudgery and very religious lifestyle.

Vorupør Museum, Vesterhavsgade 21, Nr. Vorupør, Denmark, is open from 1 April to 31 October. Every day from 1 July to 15 August from 11am-4pm. From 1 April to 30 June, Tuesday to Sunday from 12 noon-4pm. The local tourist information office is also located here.

The Nordsøakvariet aquarium is open from Easter to 31 October. Open every day from 10am-4pm, in July and August from 10am-6pm.

You can also go on a fishing trip with a fishing cutter on Gule Rev reef. Ask at the tourist information office. You can also fish from the pier if you have a fishing license.

Atmosphere at the landing area

In their heyday, there were 27 large coasting vessels fishing from Vorupør, but when the harbour in Hanstholm opened in 1967, many fishermen moved their activities to Hanstholm. Today, many hobby fishermen sail out from Vorupør landing area. The coast outside Vorupør has also become an popular place for surfers. The Vorupør lifeboat station is also at the landing area. As many as 621 people were rescued from here in the period from 1851 to 1986, and the lifeboat station still plays an important role along the coast.

The core of the town

The core of the town is dominated by the houses along the long street Vesterhavsgade, which takes you to the landing area, the heart of the fishing village. Some of the warehouses in the landing area are still in use and bear witness to the history of the fishing village. Side-by-side with these warehouses, lie the various shops, cafés and tourist attractions that give the town its distinctive character. In the Nordsøakvariet aquarium, you can see fish from the North Sea, and there are many activities for children.

Innovation in the fishing village

Nr. Vorupør is one of the largest fishing villages on the west coast of Jutland. In late the 1800s, this area went through a development that became important for all coastal fishermen in Thy. From being a poor and isolated fishing village, Nr. Vorupør became an enterprising place in which new initiatives improved conditions for fishing considerably. Several technical land reclamations took place and boosted development. Organisation of fishing was strengthened through the establishment of Fiskercompagniet, which had close connections to the Home Mission religious movement. In 1898-99, fishing in Stenbjerg and Vorupør brought in just as much money as fishing on the entire stretch of coast between Bulbjerg and Nymindegab.