Article written by Henrik Harnow

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Seafaring has deep roots in Denmark. Keeping 400 islands connected with the mainland has required centuries of sailing. The maritime environment is evident everywhere. And even though Denmark is a small country, its coasts are home to everything from major industrial ports to small fishing harbours and marinas. The cultural richness of this maritime heritage is an integral part of Danish identity.

For centuries, all important goods transport went by water. It wasn't until modern times that the sea came to be viewed as something that divided parts of the country. Even with the modern network of motorways and bridges, much heavy transport still takes the sea route. Despite Denmark's small size, it has a disproportionately long coastline – 7,300 kilometres in all. The multitude of islets and fjords makes waterways a natural choice for transport. Tides have little effect on Danish waters, and even though the waterways are shallow, ships have had easy access to market towns, thanks to pilots who helped ships through the trickiest and shallowest passages.

Wide variety
The vast majority of Medieval market towns were built near navigable waters, and the calm fjords and bays provided natural shelter for ships. The southern reaches of the West Jutland coast along the Wadden Sea register the biggest tidal differences of any of the country's waterways.…

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