Hundested is a town with a population of 8,543 (1 January 2015) and a former municipality (Danish, kommune) in Region Hovedstaden in the northern part of the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark.
The former municipality is surrounded by water on three side: to the north is the Kattegat, to the west is the channel leading into the Isefjord, and to the south is Roskilde Fjord and the channel leading into it from the Isefjord.
The area is characterized by sand and dunes, especially on its northern side facing the Kattegat, but also found in the central areas and in the south. Kikhavn on the northern side of the peninsula, not far to the east of the town of Hundested, is the oldest fishing village in the area.
The name Hundested is first mentioned in 1682 as Hundersted. Hunde- does not refer to “dogs” (Danish: Hunde) but to seals (Danish: Sælhunde) while -sted means “place”. The name supposedly comes from royal seal hunts on a stone reef known as the “dog (seal) reef”. The reef disappeared when the stones were used in the construction of some of the harbours on the nearby Øresund coast.
The Halsnæs peninsula was formerly the site of several villages. Kikhavn was a fishing village from at 16th century. In 1776, Frederiksværk‘s founder, Johan Frederik Classen, established Grønnessegård manor on the peninsula in 1776, shutting down the villages of Gryndese, Rorup and Fornerup
It is believed that the first building in present-day Hundested was a house for the local pilots built in the 1835.
A breakwater (Læmolen) was built at Hundested in 1862 and Lynæs Harbour was built in 1872. It soon developed into the most important fishing port on Zealand and was expanded several times before most of the fishing vessels moved to Hundested Harbour in about 1910. Most of the fish was sold to traders from Frederikssund before the railway which opened in 1916 provided easy access to Copenhagen by way of Hillerød.
The ferries to Rørvig began operating in 1927 and they were joined by the ferries to Grenå in 1934. The harbor attracted many new companies, including the fish auctions, an importer of coal, a canned food factory, dockyard and Hundested Motor Factory which for generations produced reliable engines for Danish fishing vessels. A new industrial district was established in the eastern outskirts of town, attracting several companies from the plastic and metal industries in the 1960s and 1970s. The harbor was expanded with a new ferry terminal in 1967, a new fraight terminal in 1987 and a new container terminal in 1995.
A downturn in the fishing industry in the 1980s hit Hundested hard and the fraight and passenger lines to Grenå ceased operations in 1996.
Tourism plays an increasing role in the town’s economy. The harbor is being promoted as a hub for arts and crafts with galleries and workshops. Glassmedjens was completed in 2008 and house a large glass workshop where glass blowers can be seen at work. An annual handicrafts market, Beddingen, takes place in June, attracting some 50 professional artists and craftsmen. Hundested is also home to an annual sand sculpture festival.
Accommodation is available at the traditional inn Hundested Kro as well as Skansegården. Halsnæs Bryghus is a local micro brewery and brew pub.
Port of Hundested is a member of Cruise Copenhagen Network and three international cruise ships from Saga Cruise og Fred Olsen Line are scheduled to berth at Hundested in 2016.
Ferries
One ferry connects Hundested to the town of Rørvig in Odsherred municipality, another to Kulhuse in Frederikssund municipality from the town of Sølager. For many years the town had a ferry connection to Grenå in Grenå municipality on the Jutland peninsula from the town of Hundested which began service July 14, 1934. This has, however, in recent years been discontinued. One of the former ferries on the route now operates as an expedition cruise ship under the name MS Expedition.
Ferry service in the area has a long history. When Lynæs Inn, south of the town of Hundested, was established in 1804, it was licensed as an inn catering to ferry passengers, although in those days the service was highly irregular.
Rail
The Frederiksværk Line connects Hundested with Frederiksværk, Hillerød and the Danish rail network. Hundested station is the principal railway station of the town. The town is also served by the railway halts Hundested Havn and Vibehus.
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