Important Fishing Port
Dragør’s history dates back to the 12 century where the town is founded and later became a important fishing port that grew naturally in size due to its location by the Sound and Baltic Sea. Around year 1380 the Hanseatic League was given some trade privileges in Dragør town – which expanded the city as an imperative fishing port for one of the largest fishing fleets in Denmark that supplied the growing fishing industry with raw fish from the increasing coastal fishing for the production of preserved fish and seafood for consumption. Today the catch is exported to larger sea ports in Denmark for further processing.

Dragør harbour around 1830 - painted by Danish painter Christoffer W. Eckersberg. The painting can be seen at the Dragør Museum.

Dragør harbour in 1906 - where the new bus to Copenhagen is inaugurated and the passengers are having a refreshment before departure.

The inhabitants and descendants
In the early 16th century – King Christian II (Reign - 1513 – 1523) invited a small group of farmers from the Netherlands – which was at that time a more agriculturally advanced nation than the Danish – to settle in Store Magleby - which is a small farming community nearby Dragør - and learn the Danes how to produce food for the royal household. The area around Dragør traces a Dutch ancestry which is still very common today. Besides of supplying the royal house with genuine food products - the Dutch peasants delivered vegetables to the Amagertorv market in Copenhagen. Among their many other achievements they introduced the carrot to Denmark. Dutch and German was still spoken on Amager until the 19th century and many descendants from that time live in Dragør.

The old railway station at Dragør from 1938. The railway was called "Amagerbanen" and inaugurated 1907. The railroad went from outer Copenhagen "Amagerbro" to Dargør. The Route was 12 km long and was closed in 1957.

Dragør town is a picturesque maze of alleys with yellow painted house - red roofs and cobblestone streets built in the traditional Danish and Dutch style. The well-preserved village environments attract many tourists to the town.

Every year the Shrovetide (Fasterlavn) is celebrated in Dragør - which was a Dutch tradition and later adopted by the inhabitants of the isle of Amager. The event involves show-riding with fancy costumes plus many spectators. Photo - wiedergaarden.dk

The Dragør fortification was established in 1910 to protect an invation from the sea. The fort was equipped with huge canons and was in operation until 1985. There is a spectacular panoramic view from the top over the city and the Sound.

Harbour area and screaming sea gulls
Dragør is a seafaring town and still a thriving fishing port with bustling activity on the harbour area – which is surrounded by a hotel and some restaurants – shops – a small ship wharf and a smokehouse that sells fresh smoked fish from the daily catch. Here visitors can also experience the fishing boats selling their daily catch from the ship side and screaming sea gulls plus the smell of fresh fish is a distinctive characteristic of Dragør harbour. We recommend tourists to take some breadcrumbs from the breakfast table - as there are lots of ducks – swans and other birds waiting to be fed at the little harbour pier.

The return of the boats to the inlet at Dragør is the event of the day and has been it for more than a century at the harbour.

Fishermen cleaning the daily catch - which counts many fish species and the locals and tourist - buy fresh fish from the ship side.

Dragør Museum and fishing boat “Elisabeth K571”
Dragør Museum is located on the harbour area in buildings from 1682 with a small exhibition about the town’s history from the 12th century and until it became a leading maritime city and fishing port. During the Nazi occupation of Denmark from 1940-1945 the fishing boat “Elisabeth K571” rescued more than 70 Danish Jews by sailing them in small groups to Sweden. “Elisabeth K571” is owned by the museum and can be experienced at the harbour as an authentic piece of history. The museum is worth a visit – with plentiful of old artifacts from the past.

The Dragør Museum is situated right on the harbour area in an old building from 1682 called "Pakhuset" and exhibits the history of the town with many interesting artifacts and valuable paintings. There is a café and restaurant in the museum.

The famous fishing boat "Elisabeth K571" that rescued many Danish Jews to Sweden during the Nazi occupation. K571 has been restored by Dragø Museum and can been seen at the harbour. The picture is from 1958.

Location
Dragør is located on the south cost of the isle of Amager - just 12-14 km from the city centre of Copenhagen.