Sønderho is a small village, with a population of 293 (1 January 2022),BY3: Population 1. January, by urban areas
The Mobile Statbank from

Statistics Denmark Statistics Denmark ( da, Danmarks Statistik) is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Housing and which reports to the Minister of Economic and Internal Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating st ...

at the southern tip of the island Fanø, in southwestern

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. The

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

dates back to the 16th century and has about 300 well-preserved buildings that stem mainly from the 19th century when Sønderho was the leading navigation area on the Jutlandic west coast. Almost all the

cottages A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a Cotter (farmer), cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager ...

, stand with their petite thatched house ends to the east and west surrounded by small gardens. Between the houses is a labyrinthine network of narrow paths and crooked streets. This is quite different from a hundred years ago, when there were only a few weather-beaten trees. The village is well protected from wind and water behind large

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

and green

dikes Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes, ...

. It has throughout history been connected to

sea The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...

travel, but today the attractions are primarily the

beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells ...

(including the naturist) and the area's

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

. There are shops, artisans, art galleries, cafés and restaurants and of course Sønderho Kro, one of the oldest guesthouses in Denmark, from 1722. Nearby in Nordby there was an artist colony from same time as Skagen. This is reflected most clearly at the Fanø Art Museum, which is located in the village. The main street of the village is Landevejen. It has been renovated with

cobblestone Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fro ...

gutters finished with grass and cobblestones leading up to the cottage fences. These practical, traffic-calming measures are an attempt to reduce wheeled traffic in the village, so visitors and holidaymakers can enjoy the village on foot. To finish the urban embellishment the local authorities have granted new traditional street lights and signposts to make everything appear beautiful and harmonious. Modern houses and buildings retain much the local character of the traditional Fanø cottages but more and more are being used as summer residences which makes it difficult to maintain the number of inhabitants in a way that the village will stay a living community. Due to modern technology it is possible to settle in Sønderho and still have a working life that reaches beyond the island. The latest initiative in order to preserve a living community is the

daycare center Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...

, Bakskuld. The old Sonderho Harbour and the navigational mark ''Kaaver'' will soon be added to Sonderho, see www.sonderhohavn.dk.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

is still the main basis for the existence of the village and because of that, its shops, restaurants,

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

and

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

are able to stay open all year. The village has a

lifeboat station A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inf ...

a volunteer fire brigade a central antenne system with cable TV and Internet and even its own

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

who resides in the beautiful vicarage.

Sources

Online

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonderho Cities and towns in the Region of Southern Denmark Villages in Denmark Fanø