64km (40 miles) NE of Aalborg; 381km (237 miles) NW of Copenhagen; 40km (25 miles) S of Skagen

Most visitors use Frederikshavn as a ferryboat terminus for trips to and from Norway. Playing host to some three million passengers annually, the port is the busiest international ferry terminal in all of Jutland. Unless you're passing to and from Norway, there are far more glamorous destinations in Jutland, which have already been documented.

There is a good chance you'll be passing through this town -- briefly, at least. Because it's such a vital link for so many passengers, we're including information about this port of some 26,000 people, the largest town in North Jutland north of Aalborg.

A relatively young town, it has a number of attractions but few historic sites. At first glance, however, you'll think the whole town is one vast supermarket, filled with Swedes or Norwegians on shopping expeditions. Danish food products are cheaper here than they are back in Sweden or Norway.

A strong maritime aura permeates the town, and there are seven municipal harbors alone where the ferries leave or arrive from Norway and Sweden. Just north of Frederikshavn lies the fishing hamlet of Standby, where most of the famous "Frederikshavner plaice" are landed.

In the Middle Ages, the fishing settlement here was called Fladstrand. During the Thirty Years' War, the site became a defense entrenchment, and in time a powder tower surrounded by a wall was erected. But it wasn't until as late as 1818 that Fladstrand was granted its municipal charter and the new name of Frederikshavn. In addition to tourists, ferry passengers, and shoppers from other Scandinavian countries, Frederikshavn also depends on fishing to spark its economy, and is the site of such industries as iron foundries, shipbuilding, and engineering.