The Ese Houses at Nymindegab

Small houses by the fjord

The Ese Houses stand at the far end of Ringkøbing Fjord, just below Nymindegab Kro. Three low, thatched huts stand close to the water; a modest place, but one with a distinct West Jutland character of fjord, wind and traditional fishing life.

It is not a large site, but its very size makes it easy to take in. The huts, tables and benches are suited to a short stay, a packed lunch or a peaceful stop on a trip past Nymindegab Strand.

The work behind the name

The name comes from “at ese”: putting bait on fishhooks. Ese houses were used for fishing equipment, net work and preparing hooks, but also as homes for the esepiger, who had a practical and fairly demanding role in the fishing industry.

The huts are connected to the period when the Gabet at Nymindegab was the fjord’s natural outlet to the North Sea. At that time, the area was an important setting for the fishermen’s work, long before traffic to the sea was concentrated at Hvide Sande.

Copies with character

The huts seen today are reconstructed copies; the original ese houses have been moved to the Open-Air Museum near Copenhagen. Even so, the small A-shaped houses provide a tangible impression of a working environment where low ceilings, simple materials and long lines mattered more than romance.