Breaking ground: Historic tower returns to Port of Hirtshals

09 Mar 2025

Tourists and locals can look forward to visiting a new gathering spot at the Port of Hirtshals. On 7 February, Vennelyst broke ground to begin construction of ‘Det Sorte Tårn’, as a tribute to a historic landmark from World War II. The new observation point and activity area are expected to be completed during the summer of 2025.

From World War II until the mid-1970s, a black tower stood watch over the harbour life in Hirtshals. Now, this historic landmark is being reimagined as an observation tower along with an activity area as a meeting place for both locals and tourists.

- Our ambition with the project is to strengthen Hirtshals' identity as a modern harbour town offering unique experiences and outdoor activities all year round. We want to create a place that brings locals and visitors to the area and that supports the development of Hirtshals as an attractive place to live, work, and visit, says Laila Zielke, coordinator of the project and Head of Tourism at Hirtshals Turisme.

Representatives from Port of Hirtshals, Hirtshals Turisme, and The North Sea Science Park gathered at the site of Det Sorte Tårn.

Det Sorte Tårn and the activity area are being built at the intersection of Snurrevodsvej and Vestmolevej.

An integrated part of the harbour environment
The Port of Hirtshals supports the construction of Det Sorte Tårn and the surrounding activity area. Ditte Sørensen, Head of Marketing at Port of Hirtshals, sees the strong connection the project creates between the harbour and the town.

There are many exciting ideas for new initiatives at the western part of the harbour, and Det Sorte Tårn is one of them that is now becoming a reality. The activity area, and especially the tower itself, will be a landmark that unites the town and the harbour in a new way. We look forward to experiencing this new gathering spot for our local residents and the many tourists visiting Hirtshals.

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2025.

Første spadestik
On 15 March at 11 o’click the Mayor of Hjørring Municipality, Søren Smalbro, will break ground at the site of Det Sorte Tårn at Snurrevodsvej and Vestmolevej. The event is open to all who are interested.

Facts about Det Sorte Tårn:
The project group behind Det Sorte Tårn and the activity area consists of Arkitektfirmaet Hovaldt, Port of Hirtshals, The North Sea Science Park, Erasmus & Partners A/S, Lilleheden A/S, and Vennelyst A/S.

The tower will be 8 metres tall.
The tower will offer a panoramic view of the sea, harbour, and coastline.
The total budget for the tower and activity area is 4.6 million kroner.
The tower will be constructed using timber from the local glulam manufacturer Lilleheden A/S.