Why this website?
More than 60 years have passed since WW2 was a grim reality for the peoples of Europe, and almost twenty since our Cold War adversaries in the east posed a very tangible military threat to the free world. New generations have spawned since then, for whom these major conflicts in world history are just boring tales from a yakking old granddad or something they may have heard about in school.

In recent years however, the interest for the great wars of Europe and the USA has surfaced with renewed strength, giving room for blockbuster movies like Private Ryan, and an array of history magazines, computer games and last, but not least the concept of “war tourism”; visiting the battlegrounds of especially the last great war to pay homage, to remember and to educate the young.

In Denmark, our attention is quite naturally drawn to the Atlantic Wall; the chain of concrete fortifications built by the German occupation force in the years 1943-45. The remnants of these some 8000 structures, small and large, are still very prominent along our western shoreline and in many places inland.

Other ages
However, there was a time before the last World War – and after. Thus, this website will in time also deal with the Great War of 1914-18, the wars of 1848 and 1864, the medieval fortified cities and castles and the Viking Age, as well as with the fortresses of the Cold War. In all modesty, my goal is to present an easily accessible overview of the past thousand years of fortifications in Denmark - and to some extend in Europe as well. This is obviously a long-term project, and the level of completion will vary significantly throughout the website. 

On language
Danish being my mother tongue will naturally affect my prioritizing, giving first rights to the Danish parent site "krigsturist.dk", but it is my firm determination to develop this English branch as well. It will take some time however, and if you are an English speaking foreigner reading this, and you want to go as a war-tourist to Denmark, you are more than welcome to write me, and I will do what I can to assist you in your selection of travel destinations and other relevant information that may help make your trip better.

On content
Initially these pages will display Danish and Norwegian sites only. France, Belgium and Holland will follow as time allows, starting with the Normandy coast defenses and V-weapon installations. Fact sheets covering historical and technical aspects will also be included. If you would like a bi-monthly update on tours and places sent to your mailbox, you may want to consider subscribing to my free newsletter: The War Tourist.

Come back
Stay tuned for updates on these pages. I will make a serious effort in the spring of 2009 to translate a number of the most interesting pages, and updates will occur frequently. Please contact me, if you have suggestions, special wishes or positive criticism to wartourist.eu

Disclaimer
In times of political correctness it is probably appropriate to mention, that wartourist.eu intends no glorification of the Nazi Regime or war in general. Nor is it the intention to prosper on - or neglect the suffering of - countless millions that fell victims to that perverted ideology in the 12 years it prevailed.

Navigation
You can follow the progress on the OVERVIEW page or you can use the floating menu in the left side. Links marked DK will take you to the Danish website.  This may do you little good, as you probably cannot read the text, but you can at least see the pictures and use the maps provided.