The Limfjord ( common Danish: ''Limfjorden'' , in northwest Jutlandish dialect: ''Æ Limfjord'') is a shallow part of the sea, located in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

where it has been regarded as an

inlet An inlet is a typically long and narrow indentation of a shoreline such as a small arm, cove, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In ...

ever since Viking times. However, it now has entries both from the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

and

Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...

, and hence separates the

North Jutlandic Island The North Jutlandic Island (), Vendsyssel-Thy, or Jutland north of the Limfjord (''Jylland nord for Limfjorden'') is the northernmost part of continental Denmark and of Jutland. It is more common to refer to the three traditional districts of V ...

(Danish: ''Nørrejyske Ø'', which includes the old provinces of ''Vendsyssel'', ''Han herred'' and ''Thy'') from the rest of the

Jutland Peninsula Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

. The Limfjord extends from Thyborøn Channel on the

to Hals on the

. It is approximately 180 kilometres (111 miles) long and of an irregular shape with numerous bays, narrowings, and islands, most notably

Mors Mors may refer to: *Mors (mythology), the personification of death in Roman mythology *Mors, Latin for death *Mors (automobile), a French car manufacturer from 1895 to 1925 :* American Mors, Mors vehicles produced under licence in America by the S ...

, and the smaller ones

Fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

Venø Venø is a small Danish island located in Limfjorden in the north of Jutland, north of Struer. It is long and has a maximum width of . With an area of , it has a population of 165 as of 1 January 2025.

Jegindø Jegindø, locally pronounced 'Jenø', is a Danish island in the western part of the Limfjord. Since 1916 the island has been connected with the peninsula Thyholm via a dam. The main settlement is . Until 2007, the island was part of Thyholm Mu ...

, Egholm and Livø. It is deepest at

Hvalpsund Hvalpsund is a ferry port in Himmerland with a population of 631 (1 January 2024), located 20 km west of Aalestrup, 12 km southwest of Farsø and 25 km southwest of Aars. The town belongs to the municipality of Vesthimmerland Munici ...

(24 metres). Its main port is

Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...

, where a railway bridge (

Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden The Limfjord Railway Bridge () is a railway bridge carrying the Vendsyssel railway line across the Limfjord, a shallow sound (geography), sound separating the North Jutlandic Island from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula, between Aalborg and Nørr ...

) and road bridge (

Limfjordsbroen Limfjordsbroen is a Danish bridge which connects Nørresundby and Aalborg over Limfjord, a shallow sound. It was inaugurated 30 March 1933 in the presence of approximately 30,000 spectators and attended by Thorvald Stauning. It was a toll bridge u ...

) have been built across the Limfjord to

Nørresundby Nørresundby () is a city in Aalborg Municipality, north of Limfjorden, in Vendsyssel, in Denmark. The urban area has a population of 24,436 (1 January 2025). It is located just north of Aalborg, which lies south of Limfjorden. Statistically it ...

, while motorway E45 crosses it through a tunnel to the east. Commercial ports also exist at

Thisted Thisted is a town in the municipality of Thisted in the North Denmark Region of Denmark. It has a population of 13,505 (1 January 2025)Nykøbing Mors Nykøbing Mors is the largest town on the island of Mors in the Limfjord in Denmark. The town received its charter in 1299 and has a population of 8,859, as of 1 January 2025.

, Skive,

Løgstør Løgstør is a town in Denmark with a population of 3,969 (1 January 2025) It is located 47 km west of Aalborg and 64 km north of Viborg. Løgstør's city centre consists of old streets with small houses built in the 19th century for fishermen an ...

, Struer,

Lemvig Lemvig is a market town located on the Limfjord in North Jutland, Denmark. The town has a population of 6,741 (2025),Thyborøn Thyborøn is a fishing village in Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 1,816 (1 January 2024),Oddesund, Sallingsund, Vilsund,

Aggersund Aggersund is a village in northern Denmark with a population of 264 (2024). The village is a part of Vesthimmerland Municipality in the North Jutland Region. Evidence of settlement in Aggersund dates back to the stone age, and the village contai ...

and Sebbersund, and a number of ferry crossings.

History

Western opening

From the early Middle Ages until 1825, the Limfjord was only open to the sea at its east end. In that year, the North Sea broke through from the west and created a second opening, turning the northern part of Jutland

Vendsyssel-Thy The North Jutlandic Island (), Vendsyssel-Thy, or Jutland north of the Limfjord (''Jylland nord for Limfjorden'') is the northernmost part of continental Denmark and of Jutland. It is more common to refer to the three traditional districts of Ve ...

into an island. An isthmus of shifting sand had separated the Limfjord from the North Sea during historic times. The present inlet, Thyborøn Channel, has existed only since 1862. A passage also existed during the

Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

. Based on place names and the geography, it is thought to have been to the south of the present one, between Ferring Sø (locally still called 'the Fjord') and Hygum Nor.

Canute the Great Cnut ( ; ; – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rul ...

sailed into it in 1027 on his way back from England. According to

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author ...

it closed at some time around 1200. There are records of several floods piercing the isthmus during the 16th to early 19th century. On 3 February 1825 a flood pierced a permanent opening, the so-called Agger Channel, in the north of the 13 km long and less than 1 km wide

isthmus An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...

, the

Agger Tange Agger Tange ("tange" is Danish language, Danish for "isthmus" or "panhandle") is a peninsula located between the Limfjord and the North Sea. Agger Tange protrudes from the North Jutlandic Island, immediately south of the village Agger (place), Agg ...

, which had until then linked Thy with the rest of

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

. The western part of North Jutland lost its road connection with mainland Jutland, but the towns and harbours in the western part of the Limfjord could benefit from becoming directly accessible from the North Sea, to the dismay of

. From the 1840s the western route became increasingly important, as Britain had opened for import of grain, and ships could return with British coal. However, the instability of Agger Channel made the towns of the western Limfjord look for a second option. In 1862, a flood pierced another opening, the Thyborøn Channel, through the remainder of Agger Tange (see satellite image). Agger Channel was continuously filling with sand and eventually closed in 1877. Since then, the remaining Thyborøn Channel has been kept open and navigable by dredging. The harbour of Thyborøn was built in 1914–1918 and a town was founded. The two isthmuses have shifted eastwards since the 1800s. They have only been preserved by

groyne A groyne (in the U.S. groin) is a rigid aquatic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment. It is usually made out of wood, concrete ...

s, persistent sandpumping and two road dams along their inward (eastern) side.

Løgstør Banks and the Frederik VII Canal

At Løgstør, where the wide, western part of the Limfjord meets the narrow eastern section, the infamous sand banks of Løgstør Grunde were an obstacle to ships. Larger ships needed to be unloaded and reloaded when passing the banks. The Frederik VII Canal at

was completed in 1861 to allow for easier passage. Traffic had increased after the western opening at Thyborøn became navigable. The sand banks were finally dredged out in 1901, rendering the canal obsolete. The canal is now a well-preserved heritage site.

Plans for re-closing the western inlet

A 1946 act provided for re-closing the Channel with dams and sluices at Thyborøn, but this was never carried out. This idea re-emerged in 2005 and is now officially being investigated. It is thought that the isthmuses would be easier to preserve, and that the water level of the Limfjord would be more controllable. In periods of persistent western winds, flooding occurs on low-lying land and harbour areas in the towns of the western Limfjord, since the water cannot escape through the narrow, eastern part of the Limfjord. Historically, a North Sea to Limfjord

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

has also been proposed between

Hanstholm Hanstholm is a small town and a former island, now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in northern Denmark. The population of the town is 2,085 (1 January 2024).

harbour and Vejlerne (or Klitmøller and

Thisted Thisted is a town in the municipality of Thisted in the North Denmark Region of Denmark. It has a population of 13,505 (1 January 2025)Jørgen Fibiger in 1933, the engineer behind the project of Hanstholm harbour.

In literature

Limgrim legend

According to myth, a woman (in some versions a ''

jötunn A (also jotun; plural ; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; or, in Old English, , plural ) is a type of being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, are often contrasted with gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and with other no ...

'') gave birth to a pig, Limgrim, which soon grew so big that its bristles could be seen over the treetops. It strolled around and dug channels in the ground. One day it reached the sea and water broke in. This would have been at the eastern inlet of the Limfjord, at Hals. The legend is also handed down in a medieval ballad with a Christian tint. In the ballad, the pig is summoned to a

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

by peasants to pay for the damage to their crops, and it is sentenced to the

breaking wheel The breaking wheel, also known as the execution wheel, the Wheel of Catherine or the (Saint) Catherine('s) Wheel, was a torture method used for public execution primarily in Europe from antiquity through the Middle Ages up to the 19th century ...

. The state environmental surveillance vessel ''Limgrim'', based at Skive, is named after the legend.

Limfjord poets

A number of writers of the Modern Breakthrough period (1870-1890) and the next decades came from the area around the Limfjord and often used it as a lyrical motif, or a setting for their prose. These include

Jens Peter Jacobsen Jens Peter Jacobsen (7 April 1847 – 30 April 1885) was a Danish novelist, poet, and scientist, in Denmark often just written as "J. P. Jacobsen". He began the naturalist movement in Danish literature and was a part of the Modern Br ...

of Thisted,

Johan Skjoldborg Johan Skjoldborg (27 April 1861 – 22 February 1936) was a Danish educator, novelist, playwright and memoirist. Biography Johan Martinus Nielsen Skjoldborg was born in the parish of Øsløs in Thisted in north Jutland, Denmark. He was educated ...

of Hannæs, Jakob Knudsen of

Aggersborg Aggersborg is the largest of Denmark's former Viking ring fortress, and one of the largest archaeological sites in Denmark. It is located near Aggersund on the north side of the Limfjord. It consists of a circular rampart surrounded by a ditch. ...

Jeppe Aakjær Jeppe Aakjær (10 September 1866 – 22 (23) April 1930) was a Danish poet and novelist, a member of the ' Jutland Movement' in Danish literature". A regionalist, much of his writings was about his native Jutland. He was known for writings t ...

and Marie Bregendahl of Fjends,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

laureate

Johannes Vilhelm Jensen Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (; 20 January 1873 – 25 November 1950) was a Danish author, known as one of the great Danish writers of the first half of 20th century. He was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the rare strength and ferti ...

Farsø Farsø is a town with a population of 3,352 (1 January 2025) in Region Nordjylland in Denmark in the Vesthimmerland Municipality. Farsø was the birthplace of Johannes Vilhelm Jensen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1944. The village ...

and his sister

Thit Jensen Maria Kirstine Dorothea Jensen (19 January 1876 – 14 May 1957) was a Danish novelist and author who wrote under the name Thit Jensen. She is known for her short stories, plays, and socially-critical articles. For her writing, Jensen was honored ...

. Thøger Larsen of

Lemvig Lemvig is a market town located on the Limfjord in North Jutland, Denmark. The town has a population of 6,741 (2025),Johannes Buchholtz in Struer was a prose writer and his home was a meeting point for many of the Limfjord writers. The house is still kept up by the Struer Museum, which allows visitors. Jeppe Aakjær's farm Jenle close to Skive, Johan Skjoldborg's house in Øsløs, and the Johannes V. Jensen Museum in Farsø are also open to the public.

Erik Bertelsen Erik Bertelsen (8 August 1912 – 18 March 1993) was a Danish ichthyologist, who specialised in deep sea fish. The fish, '' Diaphus bertelseni'' is named in his honour. He studied biology at the University of Copenhagen (1930 -) and in 1937 start ...

of Harboør is best known for the song ''Blæsten går frisk over Limfjordens vande'' ('The Wind Goes Fresh over the Limfjord's Waters'), a much-used "local anthem". The later ones of these Limfjord writers, along with a few others, formed the Jutland Movement, which revolted against the symbolism of the early 20th century. Instead, they wrote social realistic prose, often about poor and exploited people in the countryside, who were a part of Danish society little known to the establishment in Copenhagen.

Biology and climate

The western breakthrough of 1825 changed the waters of the Limfjord from

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

to salty, with a considerable current from west to east. Hypoxia sometimes occurs due to warm windless periods in summer or ice in winter. The fjord today has oceanic salinity, approximately 30 PSU (or per mille by weight) at all depths. Many animals and maritime plants that can be found in

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (; , , ) is a strait running between the North Jutlandic Island of Denmark, the east coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea. The Skagerrak contains some of the busiest shipping ...

and the

can thus be found in the fjord. Due to its shallow waters, the temperature rises rather quickly during warm and sunny days from mid-April to early September. While in winter, ice can form faster during the cold periods, especially in bays with little current. Problematic ice conditions do not occur every winter. The Limfjord is notable for its tasty

mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, whic ...

(''Mytilus edulis''). Gourmets appreciate its

oysters Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of Seawater, salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in Marine (ocean), marine or Brackish water, brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly Calcification, calcified, a ...

, which are considered to be of extraordinary size and quality. Had it not been for the western breakthrough in 1825, these mussels wouldn't grow as well as they do in the waters with ocean-like salinity.

References

External links

Limfjord information

The Limfjord Museum
{{Authority control Straits of Denmark