Hurtigruten: Vestvolden, Avedøre - Kastrupfortet

Vestvolden

Like an almost 15 kilometer long snake, Vestvolden winds its way from Avedøre in the south to Utterslev Mose in the north.
The rampart was constructed 120 years ago, making it one of the largest engineering projects ever. Around 2,000 ‘rampart workers’ toiled for four years to build the fortifications. For every meter of the 14,361 meter long rampart, about 225 cubic meters of earth had to be moved by hand; with shovels, wheelbarrows, and tipping carts. This amounts to 3.15 million cubic meters of earth.

Today, Vestvolden still stands as an impressive structure with a moat, magazines, and underground passages. But Vestvolden offers not only historical significance. The old fortification is also a large recreational area filled with natural experiences.

Kastrup Fort

At Kastrup Fort, you can stroll through the green areas while the old facility tells the military history of the fort as part of Copenhagen's fortifications. However, Kastrup Fort’s history did not end with the decommissioning of parts of the naval fortifications in 1920.

In the 1930s, the fort became an amusement park filled with life and joyful days, and during World War II, the occupying power used the fort as a barracks – and perhaps executed deserters in the casemates. In the concrete wall, there are still traces of projectiles that bored into the wall.

Source: Copenhagen’s Fortifications