Flakfortet

Flakfortet
Flakfortet island
Flakfortet is located in Denmark
Flakfortet
Flakfortet
Geography
Coordinates55°42′11″N 12°43′55″E / 55.703°N 12.732°E / 55.703; 12.732
Area0.3 km2 (0.12 sq mi)
Highest elevation23 m (75 ft)
Administration
Denmark
Demographics
PopulationNone permanent

Flakfortet, meaning sand-shoal fortress, is a sea fort located on the artificially built island of Saltholmrev, in the Øresund between Copenhagen and Saltholm. The island and fort are simply known as Flakfortet; the name of the island; Saltholmrev, meaning the reef near Saltholm, is seldom used.

Flakfortet was the last of three artificial islands that the Danes created to defend the entrance to Copenhagen's harbor. (The other two are Trekroner Fort (the oldest) and Middelgrundsfortet.) Flakfortet's guns covered the Hollænderdybet channel between Middelgrundsfortet and Saltholm, and the Flinterenden channel between Sweden and Saltholm. Eventually Flakfortet became more of a site for anti-aircraft weapons than for coastal artillery. Its military functions ended in 1968.

The restaurant

Flakfortet is currently used for recreational purposes such as concerts, and the site has a restaurant and yacht moorings. During the summer, a ferry company, Spar Shipping, has five scheduled trips per day to the island, with the trip from Nyhavn taking about 40 minutes each way. There is an overnight hostel on the island too.

The name does not refer to anti-aircraft artillery (German Flak), but the Danish language word flak, sand shoal.