West Coast

The site covers approximately 50 km of the west coast of Jutland from Vedersø Klit in the south to Thyborøn in the north, and is located in Lemvig and Holstebro Municipality.

The west coast of Jutland forms part of the eastern coastline of the North Sea. This stretch of coast is characterized by a strong wave climate due to the dominant westerly and northwesterly winds, as well as the exposed location with a long open stretch.

The result is a highly dynamic coastline with an enormous material transport in the coastal zone. It is a leveling coast, which is characterized by protruding points on the coastline being eroded, while bays and inlets are closed due to sediment transport. The waves thus model the coast, giving it a straighter course and leveling the coast.

From Fjaltring to Ferring there is a glacial landscape that has been eroded into an impressive steep coast, culminating in the cliff at the Bovbjerg profile . These glacial hills form one of the distinctive “promontories”/nodes along the west coast of Jutland, separated by areas of marine foreland. This stretch of coast has historically been subject to erosion and is therefore protected by groynes and other coastal protection structures.

Farthest south, at Husby Klit , there is a stretch of coastline without a lagoon behind it. There is no coastal protection in this area, and the coast is therefore developing naturally. The coast is undergoing erosion, which can be observed in a small cliff profile ( Græm Klint ).

At Nissum Fjord there is a particularly fine example of a barrier coast, where headland development and subsequent formation of a shoal have cut off a large lagoon (Nissum Fjord) due to the extensive transport of material. This is a stretch of coast that has been considerably modified by human intervention.