With Coronavirus restrictions tightening by the day, Rasmus and I have decided to spend our newly found time off exploring some of the great nature that Denmark has to offer. It has been on my bucket list for a while to visit Skagen. Skagen is the northernmost point in Denmark.
Skagen has over two million visitors annually, and after our visit it is no wonder why. We also discovered that Skagen is the main fishing port in Denmark, most renowned for its herring industry.
The Town of Skagen
The town of Skagen is splash of bright yellows and oranges and lined with simple cobblestones. The shopping and restaurants looked adorable, but obviously, were closed.
Råbjerg Mile
Before heading out to the northernmost point we visited Råbjerg Mile, which is the largest migrating sand dune in Northern Europe. It is also the only migrating dune in Denmark. The wind is said to move it north about 59 feet a year. It is also said that within a century or two, it will cover the main road to Skagen.
Rasmus and I enjoyed our time playing out in the sand. The day we went it was actually our four year anniversary. It reminded me of White Sands in New Mexico in a way, only it was much colder. You’ll notice we were very bundled up!
Grenen
Grenen is a large sandbar spit at the very top of Skagen, marking the tip top of Denmark. It is here where two seas meet. In Danish it is the Skagerrak and the Kattegat seas, which is the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. My Danish friend told me that it is tradition to walk out barefoot into the junction and stand between both seas. I really wanted to, but it was so dang cold!
Opportunity missed, but we did have an extra special experience. We came up on some small seals, which I believe to be harbor seals or potentially grey seals. Rasmus and I walked over towards three babies who were just soaking up some sun on the beach— and we didn’t blame them! The wind was chilly.
Historically
Historically this peninsula has been used in wartime to protect Denmark from invaders. There were old military compounds that we came upon that were withering away under the sand.
The English attacked Denmark in 1807 and were given orders extinguish all lighthouses, including the Skagen lighthouse which lit the way for boats. The Danes protected their lighthouse by setting up protection on the beach. The English Navy however set up their own lighthouse six miles off the reef, and called it the “fury bomb.”
So far, I am really enjoying driving around Denmark. We are trying to get the most out of our time off. Rasmus usually only ever gets one to two days off at a time, and we usually use that time to see family. But because we can't see anyone due to coronavirus, we have no excuse to not explore! This week I am hoping to hit a couple #UNESCO World Heritage Sites, obviously ones that are outside where we won't be touching anything or seeing any people.
Stay safe out there friends!