Treasure in the sand

For the brave and the fearless, a treasure is still waiting to be dug out of the sand on the island Anholt. But beware, because it is not without risk. Those who have tried to dig up the treasure of Borris the Pirate from its hiding place at Sønderbjerg have by all accounts met an all to early and mysterious death.

Because Borris let his treasure be buried on Anholt and cast a curse on it to ensure that no one else would touch it unpunished. Take it from us – and consider yourselves warned. As the saying goes:

… whoever digs for the treasure of Borris the Pirate – and gets close enough to it – must immediately leave this sinful world.

The story of Borris the Pirate’s treasure was told by elderly islanders to the newspaper Randers Amtsavis close to 60 years ago. The paper’s special correspondent visited Anholt to gather mysterious stories that were told on the island about its past. And the story of Borris was just one of many that found their way into the columns of the newspaper.

No matter whether the stories in the paper about Borris’ treasure are true, the history of Anholt is an exciting thing to explore. The many wrecks east of the island at Knoben reef have made their mark on the island for centuries, and during the Napoleonic Wars, Anholt was occupied by the English for more than five years, from May 1809 and until the fall of 1814.

Anholt is rich in stories, and a visit to Anholt Museum is worth a trip. The museum is located half an hour’s walk from the marina, but you can also choose to join one of the museum’s guided tours and learn more about the village of Anholt and life on the island.

Anholt Lighthouse is filled with exciting stories as well, and even though it is now preserved, the “Friends of Anholt Lighthouse” organise guided tours for visitors – who will, however, need to cross the sands of the desert first.

It seems no one has found Borris’ treasure that is reportedly buried in the sand by Sønderbjerg[AN1] I, around 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) south of Anholt Marina. So perhaps you should bring a metal detector and a shovel to Anholt?

During summer months, the museum offers guided walks in Anholt By on select days.

Read more stories from Anholt or explore exciting stories from other places. 
Learn more about Anholt Harbor here.

See information about guided tours at Anholt Lighthouse.

Find information about tours and guided tours at Anholt.

Source: VisitAarhus, Anholt Harbor and Anholt Museum.