Nördlich Odden (Let flakbatteri), Fanø

Wartime strongpoint in the dunes of Fanø

Nördlich Odden, also known as a light flak battery, lies tucked into the sandy landscape north of Nordby on the island of Fanø. During the German occupation in the Second World War this modest-looking position formed part of the extensive Atlantic Wall defences that stretched along the North Sea coast. Here, anti‑aircraft guns, artillery observers and communication posts watched over the shipping lanes of Grådyb and the entrance towards Esbjerg. The original layout included several bunkers of different functions: command, medical, shelters for personnel and storage connected by trenches and sandy paths. Today the guns are long gone, but the concrete shells and earthworks remain, softened by decades of windblown sand and dune grass.

Concrete relics and subtle details on site

Walking around the position you notice low, squat bunker mouths emerging from the dunes, some partly buried, others clearly visible. Narrow entrances lead into cool, echoing interiors where thick walls once protected crews from shrapnel and blast. Outside, circular or angular foundations mark former gun emplacements, while shallow depressions show where access trenches once zigzagged across the sand. Small ventilation shafts, rusting metal fixings and remnants of cable channels give a sense of the technical installation that operated here. It is an unfenced, open landscape, so the transition from natural dune to military structure is gradual; concrete edges blur into tufts of marram grass and patches of heather typical of Fanø’s open coastal heath.

Fanø’s strategic position in the Wadden Sea

Fanø sits in the heart of the Wadden Sea, facing the busy approaches to Esbjerg. That combination of shallow tidal flats and a well‑defined shipping channel made the island strategically important during the war. Together with minefields, other coastal batteries and signal stations, Nördlich Odden helped monitor vessels entering the Grådyb fairway and contributed to air defence over the northern part of the island. The wider setting is now part of a national park and UNESCO‑listed tidal landscape, where tides sculpt mudflats, salt meadows and shifting sands. From the battery area, low horizons, big skies and the distant line of dunes underline how exposed both landscape and wartime installations are to the elements.

A quiet place for reflection and exploration

Today Nördlich Odden is a low‑key, free‑to‑access site without formal facilities, which adds to its contemplative atmosphere. The constant sound is the wind moving through dune grass, sometimes joined by the calls of shorebirds or the distant hum of traffic from Nordby. Visitors meander along sandy tracks, stepping carefully over broken concrete and exploring interiors with the aid of a torch. Because the structures are not restored into a museum setting, you are left to imagine daily life for the soldiers posted here: long watches from observation points, drills around the flak positions, and the contrast between tense alerts and the apparent emptiness of the surrounding beaches.

Respecting both heritage and fragile nature

Although the military function has disappeared, the site now forms part of a sensitive dune ecosystem. Lichens spread across exposed concrete, while low shrubs stabilise the sand around embankments. Staying on existing paths, avoiding climbing on fragile edges and leaving any artefacts in place helps preserve both the heritage value and the surrounding nature. Combined with walks along nearby beaches, salt meadows and other remnants of the Atlantic Wall on Fanø, a visit here offers a compact yet evocative insight into how this small island once played a role in global conflict, set against the ever‑changing backdrop of the Wadden Sea landscape.