a cold war experience

The Cold War beneath the surface

When you visit the beautiful scenery around Stevns Klint, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, there is little to reveal that you are standing on top of the retired nuclear bunker, Stevns Fort. But if you go 18 meters below the surface, you also travel more than 70 years back in time.

Stevnsfortet was part of Denmark's and NATO's defense during the Cold War and stands as a living testimony to a not-so-distant past after World War II, when the world was divided into East and West and the threat of nuclear war hung over our heads.

Military history with human perspectives


Today, Stevnsfortet stands as a fascinating time capsule from the days when it was one of the Danish military's foremost defense posts from which to keep an eye on the enemy. Visitors can take a guided tour in the footsteps of the soldiers and experience what life was like in the cool, underground tunnels during the Cold War.

At FORT you will learn a lot about the Cold War and the historical perspectives. But you'll also get close to the people who protected us.

The entire facility, with its almost 2 km long corridors, was dug into the porous limestone in less than a year in the early 1950s. When it was built, the Stevns Fort had an important strategic location because the Danish defense could freely monitor shiptraffic through the Sound. The fort was also armed with cannons that could fire at enemy ships if necessary.

In the 1980s, the threat picture changed and the Stevns Fortress was rearmed. The fear was now surprise attacks with paratroopers, helicopters and fast nuclear-armed bombers. Therefore, from 1984 to 2000, the Air Force set up a HAWK missile battery in the Stevns Fort area as part of the air defense of Copenhagen.

However, in 2000, the threat was deemed to be gone and the fort was decommissioned.

Walk around inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2014, Stevns Klint was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the best place to see traces of the asteroid that hit the Earth 66 million years ago.

At Stevns Fort, you move through the underground passages carved directly into the geological layer that made Stevns Klint world famous. This is where natural history and war history meet - 18 meters underground.

Peace and freedom cannot be taken for granted

In 2008, Stevnsfortet was transformed into a museum and opened to the public. With a visit to FORT you will experience a unique and authentic piece of military history. But you'll also gain a deeper understanding of why it will always be important for a country like Denmark to defend its territory and interests.

FORT bridges material and military history and conveys how the Cold War shaped a worldview that many of us take for granted. The museum is a prism on history that reminds us that peace, freedom and democracy cannot be taken for granted.

Therefore, FORT draws parallels to the present and sheds a historical light on the understanding of Denmark's defense.