Fort Dansborg in Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) is the only Danish fort in India and one of the least-visited European colonial sites on the subcontinent. The Danes established their trading post here in 1620, two years after the Dutch founded Batavia, making it one of the earliest European settlements in India. The fort sits directly on the beach, its thick walls facing the Bay of Bengal, and the surrounding town retains a remarkable number of Dutch- and Danish-influenced buildings — painted facades, arched colonnades, and a 17th-century church — that make it feel genuinely different from any other town in Tamil Nadu.
Tranquebar is about 60 km south of Nagapattinam (about 90 minutes by road). The Archaeological Survey of India has maintained the fort in good condition. The Dansborg Museum inside covers the colonial period and the Danish missions. The town's New Jerusalem Church (1718) is still active. The beach outside the fort is quiet and clean. Allow a full day from Nagapattinam to do it properly.