Your very own Baltic Sea island: Is Flakfortet now available at a bargain price?

Four nautical miles off Copenhagen, Flakfortet lies in the Sound like a small foreign object: an island made up of around two million tonnes of rubble, concrete and sand, surrounded by a breakwater. Behind this protective barrier lies a harbour. Anyone mooring there is situated directly beneath the casemates of a former sea fort, with views of Copenhagen on one side and the Swedish coast on the other.

For recreational boaters, this is no ordinary stop. Depending on your starting point, the journey takes just 20 to 40 minutes. There are showers, a kiosk selling essentials, places to eat and historic bunker complexes that can be visited. The marina can accommodate up to 200 boats. It is precisely this combination of a sheltered harbour, an exposed location and history that makes Flakfortet one of the most unusual destinations in the Øresund.

From an artillery post to a meeting place for recreational boaters

The fort was built between 1910 and 1916 as part of Copenhagen’s coastal defences. Up to 550 soldiers were to be stationed here, but the fort never saw combat during the First World War. The Danish military withdrew in 1968, after which the casemates fell into disrepair.

The second chapter in Flakfortet’s history began in 1975. The Copenhagen Sailing Union leased the abandoned complex. The gun emplacements were converted into moorings, and the officers’ mess became a restaurant. Since then, the island has developed into a meeting place for recreational boaters, day-trippers and visitors from Copenhagen. In 2001, the Danish government sold the site to the Swedish company Malmökranen AB for three million kroner, around 401,000 euros. The new owners invested around two million euros sanitary facilities, a restaurant, a ferry service, drinking water treatment and a self-sufficient electricity supply.

Flakfortet is not new to the market. A buyer was sought as far back as 2015, at that time for 56.5 million kroner – around 7.56 million euros – but without success. The next attempt to sell the property has been underway since January 2026. The current Advert by the estate agent is now quoting a price of 42 million kroner, around 5.62 million euros.

Bargain alert? The small print is key

The price reduction of 32.75 million kroner – around 4.38 million euros – is striking. However, anyone simply dreaming of a private island with its own mooring should examine the conditions carefully. Flakfortet has been a listed building since 2002. Any alterations, extensions or major refurbishments must be agreed with the Danish Cultural Heritage Agency.

For recreational boaters, however, something else is even more important: public access is one of the conditions agreed upon at the time of the state sale. Flakfortet must therefore not simply become a secluded private retreat. This was also evident in 2018, when the Danish museum authorities demanded that alterations be reversed to their 1995 state. At that time, the toilet facilities would also have been affected, and the harbour could not have continued to operate. Following widespread protests from the sailing community and various associations, the authorities relented within a month. The dispute over the marina’s continued existence highlights just how closely the harbour’s future remains tied to heritage protection.

The price is falling, but the responsibility remains

42 million kroner, around 5.62 million euros, seems at first glance to be a far less daunting figure for an island with a harbour, restaurants and Copenhagen on its doorstep than the previous asking price. The current advert puts the ongoing ownership costs at 14,599 kroner per month, around 1,953 euros. However, it is not possible to deduce from this what maintenance, staff, harbour operations and work in accordance with heritage conservation regulations actually cost.

For an operator, a foundation or a very wealthy owner with a viable business plan, Flakfortet might well have become a more attractive prospect as a result. For most boaters, however, its significance lies elsewhere: as an unusual, publicly accessible harbour in the Øresund. That is precisely what makes the sale so intriguing – not just who can buy the island, but who will keep it open to recreational boats in future.

Book recommendation

Cruising Guide: Denmark 2 takes you through the Danish archipelago, from South Funen via Zealand and Copenhagen to Bornholm. For a sailing trip in the Øresund, this volume provides local knowledge, guidance on navigation and harbour plans, thereby helping readers to understand why Flakfortet is, for many crews, more than just a curious fortress island in the middle of the fairway.

Does the new price bring the dream of having a marina of one’s own a step closer – or does Flakfortet, precisely because of its history and public role, still belong to all recreational boaters?