Dragør - Dragoer - Copenhagen Tourism & Cultural Guide

Dragør - Copenhagen

*A Part of the Danish Cultural Heritage*

Dragør - Amager

Sightseeing - Greater Copenhagen

Dragør has a maze of alleys and streets surrounded by old yellow houses from the 18th century.

Dragør - Nostalgic & Vintage Tourism Poster.

Dragør Town
Dragør is a little old town and former fishing village just situated 14 km from Copenhagen on the scenic east cost of the island of Amager. Dragør is a municipality in Copenhagen County with a population of nearly 14,000 - and the only town on the isle of Amager. Most of the charming yellow houses were built side by side in the 18th century - with a maze of streets and alleys.

Important Fishing Port
Dragør’s history dates back to the 12 century - where the town is founded and later became an 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 popular train route was 14 km long - and replaced by bus transport 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 historic town and harbour area.

Dragør - Nostalgic & Vintage Tourism Poster.

Tourist attraction and rustic atmosphere
Dragør draws crowds of tourists and visitors due to its many preserved historical yellow buildings and the special rustic atmosphere that surrounds the town and harbour area. The old part of the town invites tourists to experience a picturesque maze of cobblestone streets - alleys and squares surrounded by yellow painted houses with red roofs that are built in the traditional Danish and Dutch style. Dragør offer a cozy setting for its inhabitants and many of the seaman's buildings are more than hundreds of years old. A yearly tradition that was imported by the Dutch settlers is the Shrovetide celebrations (Fasterlavn) - which involves show-riding - fancy costumes and large numbers of spectators.

Dragør Fort
The Dragør fortification was established in 1910 and was taken out of operation in 1985. The fort is situated outside of the coast of Dragør - and is a very popular venue for visitors that can experience a fantastic panoramic view from the top of the fortress over Dragør town and opposite to Sweden - and the grand Oresund Bridge.

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 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.

Harbour area and screaming seagulls
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 seagulls 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 with their catch 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 fishing boat "Elisabeth K571" is a floating cultural institution and historical heritage that offers tours in the summertime to refresh the memory of an unpleasant era in Danish history - and is an important part of Dragør harbour and the surrounding environment.

The famous fishing boat "Elisabeth K571" that rescued about 700 Danish Jews to Sweden during the Nazi occupation by help from courageous fishermen and their fishing boats. The picture is from 1958.

"K571" has been restored by Dragør Museum and can been seen at the harbour quay. The historical and cultural pearl sails visitors around the harbour area - and on the waters of the Oresund strait.

700 Danish Jews rescured
During the Nazi occupasion - over 700 Danish Jews escaped to Sweden - and saved from the Nazi occupiers via Dragør harbour by help from courageous fishermen and their fishing boats - as well as assistance from the enthusiastic Danish resistance movement. And many precious lives were lost during this dangerous journey to Sweden - and over the sometimes very rough Oresound. The museum is worth a visit - with plentiful of old artefacts from the past.

Dragoer (Dragør) - Amager