Skagen
Skagen
The Scaw | |
|---|---|
Town | |
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Seal Coat of arms | |
Aerial view of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, from the southwest of Skagen | |
Skagen Location in Denmark Skagen Skagen (North Jutland Region) | |
| Coordinates: 57°43′N 10°35′E / 57.717°N 10.583°E | |
| Country | Denmark |
| Region | North Denmark (Nordjylland) |
| Municipality | Frederikshavn |
| City status | 1413 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Birgit Hansen (Frederikshavn) |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 7.81 km2 (3.02 sq mi) |
| Population (2025-01-01) | |
| • Urban | 7,394 |
| • Urban density | 981.3/km2 (2,542/sq mi) |
| • Gender | 3,774 males and 3,620 females |
| Demonym | Skagbo |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 9990 |
| Website | www.skagen.dk |
Skagen (Danish: [ˈskɛˀjn̩]) 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 Nordjylland, 41 kilometres (25 mi) north of Frederikshavn and 108 kilometres (67 mi) northeast of Aalborg. The Port of Skagen is Denmark's main fishing port and it also has a thriving tourist industry, attracting 2 million people annually.
The name was applied originally to the peninsula but it now also refers to the town. The settlement began during the Middle Ages as a fishing village, renowned for its herring industry. Thanks to its seascapes, fishermen and evening light, towards the end of the 19th century it became popular with a group of impressionist artists now known as the Skagen Painters. In 1879, the Skagen Fishermen's Association was established with the purpose of facilitating the local fishing industry through the Skagensbanen railway, which opened as a narrow-gauged railway in 1890. The modern port of Skagen opened on 20 November 1907, and with the railway connections to Frederikshavn and the rest of Denmark, tourism began to develop.