Sønderho
Encyclopedia
Fanø
Fanø is a Danish island in the North Sea off the coast of southwestern Denmark, and is the very northernmost of the Danish Wadden Sea Islands...
, in southwestern 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...
.
The village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
dates back to the 16th century and has about 300 well-preserved buildings that stem mainly from the 19th century when Sønderho was the leading navigation area on the Jutlandic west coast. Almost all the cottages, stand with their petite thatched house ends to the east and west surrounded by small gardens. Between the houses is a labyrinthine network of narrow paths and crooked streets. This is much different than a hundred years ago, when there were only a few weather-beaten trees. The village is well protected from wind and water behind large sand dunes and green dikes. It has throughout history been connected to sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
travel, but today the attractions are primarily the beaches (including the naturist) and the area's nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. There are shops, artisans, art galleries, cafés and restaurants and of course Sønderho Kro, one of the oldest guesthouses in Denmark, from 1722. Nearby in Nordby
Nordby
Nordby is a Danish town, seat of the Fanø Municipality, in the Region of Southern Denmark. The population was 2,620 as of 1 January 2011.-Geography:...
there was an artist colony from same time as Skagen
Skagen
Skagen is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,515 , in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark...
. This is reflected most clearly at the Fanø Art Museum, which is located in the village.
The main street of the village is Landevejen. It has been renovated with cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
gutters finished with grass and cobblestones leading up to the cottage fences. These practical, traffic-calming measures are an attempt to reduce wheeled traffic in the village, so visitors and holidaymakers can enjoy the village on foot. To finish the urban embellishment the local authorities have granted new traditional street lights and signposts to make everything appear beautiful and harmonious.
Modern houses and buildings retain much the local character of the traditional Fanø cottages but unfortunately, more and more are being used as summer residences which makes it difficult to maintain the number of inhabitants in a way that the village will stay a living community. Fortunately, due to modern technology it is possible to settle in Sønderho and still have a working life that reaches beyond the island. The latest initiative in order to preserve a living community is the daycare center, Bakskuld.
The old Sonderho Harbour and the navigational mark Kaaver will soon be added to Sonderho, see www.sonderhohavn.dk
Tourism
Tourism
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 still the main basis for the existence of the village and because of that, its shops
Store
Store may refer to:*a retail store*a place where things are stored, e.g. a ship's paint store*expendables released from an aircraft, such as ordnance or countermeasures*Štore, a town and a municipality in eastern Slovenia...
, restaurants, bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
and library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
are able to stay open all year. The village has a lifeboat station a volunteer fire brigade a central antenne system with cable TV and Internet and even its own vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
who resides in the beautiful vicarage.