Dragor

Dragor grew on the herring trade and later on piloting ships through the sound, and its old town survives almost intact: a grid of narrow lanes running down to the harbour, with low houses in yellow lime wash and red pantiles, hollyhocks against the walls in summer, and cobbled streets kept car-free by their width alone. It is protected as a whole and is one of the best preserved small towns in Denmark. Down at the harbour are the pilot station, smokehouses and fishing boats, with restaurants along the quay. Nearby Store Magleby was settled in 1521 by Dutch farmers brought in by the king to supply the court with vegetables, and that community kept its own language and customs for generations, which the town museum covers.

History

Dragør was founded in the 12th century and grew quickly as a fishing port; the name refers to dragging boats ashore, with -ør meaning a beach of sand or gravel. In 1370 the Hanseatic League was granted trade privileges here, and the town became home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the country and a base for salting and processing fish. In the early 16th century King Christian II invited farmers from the Netherlands, then more advanced in agriculture, to settle in the area and grow food for the royal household; twenty-four families came and settled in Store Magleby, delivering vegetables to the Amagertorv market in Copenhagen and introducing the carrot to Denmark, and Dutch and Low German were still spoken on Amager until the 19th century (Wikipedia, Dragør).

What you'll find

• Yellow lime-washed houses - the whole old town in one palette.
• Hollyhocks along the lanes - the summer habit of the town.
• The harbour and smokehouses - the working end of the old fishing port.
• The Dutch settlement story - Store Magleby and its museum.

When to go

May to September, and hollyhocks in July and August specifically. Half a day. Weekday mornings are quiet; summer weekends bring Copenhagen day trippers and fill the harbour restaurants. Winter is bleak but empty.

Good to know

It is small and can be walked in an hour, so the visit depends on eating and sitting. Summer weekends are crowded. Parking in the old town is nearly impossible; leave the car outside. Restaurant prices on the quay are high.

Nearby

Copenhagen airport is close; Amager Nature Park is north.

Key facts