The bunkers in the dunes: the history beneath the sand on the west coast

Walk in the dunes on the west coast and sooner or later you will come across them: heavy grey concrete blocks, half buried in the sand, with empty gun slits facing the sea. They are not nature. They are history, part of the Atlantic Wall from the Second World War, and they tell a big story about a small stretch of coast.

What the Atlantic Wall was

During the occupation the German forces built an almost continuous chain of defences along Europe's west coast, from Norway to France. The Danish west coast was part of it. Thousands of bunkers were cast in the dunes as protection against an invasion that never came this way. After the war they were left standing, and the sea and sand have been moving them around ever since.

Why they move

Over the years many bunkers have slid down the dunes and now lie on the beach or tilted in the sand. The coast slowly eats its way inland, and bunkers that once stood high in the dune now stand with their feet in the water. That makes them a powerful image of how much the coast changes.

The Blåvand mules

At Blåvand you find some of the most famous: the artwork with the large concrete mules, created by the artist Bill Woodrow, turning old bunkers into a herd of animals climbing up out of the sand. It has become one of the most photographed spots on the coast and a fine goal for a walk.

See them yourself

You will find bunkers along most of the coast, most densely near Blåvand and Hvide Sande. Some you can go inside, others are closed for safety. Never enter a bunker that seems unstable, and watch out for sharp edges and loose iron. Bring a torch if you want to look inside, and enjoy the raw, quiet atmosphere.

We drive along the coast every day and never stop noticing them. A holiday by the North Sea is also the stories the landscape holds. We take care of the cleaning in the holiday home so you have time to explore.