ABOUT SKAGEN - THE VERY TOP OF DENMARK

 

AUGUST 26: 

S K A G E N 

 

  1. Skagen – the top of Denmark, the landscape of light. Why is there significantly more sunshine there than in most other parts of Denmark? Because the town and the whole area is surrounded by water on three sides and therefore is like an island. There is too little land to warm up the air, so it can move upwards, be cooled down and give rain. The same phenomenon exists in Veddinge Bakker and on the Baltic island Bornholm.

      2.   History:  The Skagen Peninsula was 4-500 years ago covered by grass, and the  area was  

            producing horses, which were sold for use in wars in foreign countries. There wasn’t

            mush fishing at that time. There were lots of trees. But when the population started cutting

            the forests (for ships, firewood and for making more areas with grass) a catastrophy started.

            The sand took over very quickly. In 1795 the old red church in Skagen had to be definitively

            closed, the furniture removed together with parts of the walls. What was left was the font,

            the walls up to 1 ½ m and the church tower. The tower was later painted white and used as

            navigation mark. The new church was built in New Skagen much later. The railway came to

            Skagen from Frederikshavn around 1900, and the harbour was opened shortly after. A

            regular road to Skagen was only ready in 1932 !

 

3        The original Skagen, Gammel Skagen (Gl. Skagen) or Højen (in the local dialect: Høwi)

is today to a large extent influenced by tourism, not least at the 3 previous seaside hotels

(Jeckels, Traneklit and Skagenklit), which now are modern time-share apartments. It gives

life and activity to the area all year. Ruths Hotel has been totally modernised in 2004 and is now one of the country’s best hotels, not least the restaurant and the brasserie.

 

Jeckels was built as a seaside hotel by Rudolf Jeckel at the end of the 19th century. It existed for many years as an illustrious hotel with thousands of guests from around the country, not least from Copenhagen. Prime Minister Stauning (in the 1930ies) was a frequent guest. This meant smoking big cigars and drinking good aquavit in the nice salons!

 

New Skagen started existing with the development of the fishing fleet and with the big state habour. It was also here that the famous Skagen painters lived and worked. The drawback with New Skagen is that you now and then meet an awful stink (often from semi-rotten fish). This never happens in Gammel Skagen.

 

4.      About visits to Skagen: try to avoid the school holidays. Then EVERYBODY will be up

there. Queues everywhere (of cars and people) – children making a lot noice in the remaining places. Apart from that all seasons are Skagen seasons, incl. the winter.

 

5.      Ideas for activities in Gammel Skagen : Solnedgangskiosken (the “Sunset Kiosk”) has a

fantastic position. If the sun is viewable you can find no better place to see the sunset. Hundreds of people assemble at this place every evening. It almost gives the impression that the sea is boiling, when the sun slowly disappears.

Sømærket (the nagivation mark on the top of the dunes) behind Ruths Hotel gives a fantastic view in all directions. Also in the evening with a fantastic sky of stars and with the ships, which slowly pass by at the sea.  How can you in the dark see, in which direction a ship is sailing? Easily. The lowest light is always in the front of the ship. Or said in another way: if the two lights on the ship are vertically above each other you’d better get away very quickly. Because then the ship is coming right towards you!

 

6.      About swimming in the sea : you can go bathing just outside Gammel Skagen. Be careful

about undercurrent. It is much better to walk the couple of km to the other side of the peninsula at the Kattegat side to go swimming. Quiet and nice.

 

7.      The beach : go for long walks along the beaches. See how it changes every day. You can

also walk on the prepared footpaths in the dunes. A free superb idea: take a walk along the coast via Grenen! Start in Gammel Skagen in northern direction. Pass the white lighthouse, go to the very top of the peninsula and go back along the east coast, via the harbour (time for a hotdog and a cold beer!), further south passing Klitgaarden (former royal summer house, now used by artists and researchers),  then walk via the church sanded up in 1795, and back to Gammel Skagen. The distance is 23 km , and it takes about 5 ½ hours. In all ways a fantastic experience!

 

8.      Other walks or tours on a bike :  Try Flagbakken (between the main road to Skagen and the

“hidden” church). Fantastic view over both seas. And a regular meeting point for ornitologues, because lots of migratory birds pass by here. Especially birds of prey.

Take a stroll to Klitgaarden, which was built in 1912 as the people’s present to King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine. A few years ago the royal family sold the property. It has now been reformed into a socalled “Refuge”, where you can rent a room if you are writing a book, doing research, painting, etc. Inspiring surroundings just at the coast of Kattegat.

Concerning bikes: you can rent them in the shop Skagen Cykeludlejning in New Skagen and on the Youth Hostel in Gammel Skagen.

 

9.      Skagen Naturcenter : This is a MUST. You find it right north of New Skagen near the radar

station (which by the way will disappear soon). The architect behind the Centre is Jørn Utzon (the “father” of the Sydney Opera) and is VERY impressive. It tells via films, plates and interactive media everything about the Skagen peninsula. You can even say hello to a real live viper from the area! The skilled staff of the Centre is happy to give further explanations about it all. The Centre also has a nice restaurant.

 

       10. Grenen is, of course, an absolute MUST.  Every year it is made ca. 10 m longer with sand,

             which the North Sea brings from the west coast (around Gammel Skagen and south of it).

             There are 65 km from Grenen to the Swedish coast, so you can calculate, when Denmark

             again is connected with Sweden!  The look of Grenen changes all the time – also the beach

             on the way out there. Seals are also living in this area. In the summer of 2004 we met a

             young seal, which was very cute and very curious – not scared at all.

 

             And remember that Grenen is NOT Denmark’s most northern point. You find that close to

             White lighthouse – to the west of the Skagen Naturcenter and the radar station.

 

       11. In New Skagen there is a lot to see. Skagen Museum, of course, with all the lovely Skagen   

       paintings. Anchers Hus near by. Drachmanns Hus in the other end of town (with special

       Drachmann evenings in the summer season). The yellow church (built by architect Ulrik

       Plesner) is worth a visit. So are the fishermen’s houses at the harbour – built by archict ThorvaldBindesbøll.

 

 

12.    Shopping :  Try the new “Torvet” – a building next to the City Hall in direction of the

harbour. Here you can buy many different foods and drinks like fish of all sorts, wine (good

ones), very nice home made bread, etc. The butcher Munch on the main street (near Anchers Hus) is one of Denmark’s best. The cheese shop on Havnevej can be recommended strongly – for the many different cheese sorts ( try the “Klemensker” from Bornholm)  as well as for the very special rye bisquits from Jutland. Much better than the better known bisquits from Bornholm. If you want to shop in a supermarket go to “Superbrugsen” in New Skagen  - or to “EuroSuper” on Nordsøvej.

 

13.    Eating out :  “Pakhuset” on the harbour front in New Skagen is the best around there.

Outside (in the summer) as well as inside (all year round). “Bodilles Kro” is very good, if you want very special Danish food, including fish of all sorts. The Italian restaurant “Toscana” on Havnevej is also worth a visit.

 

In Gammel Skagen the new restaurant on Ruths Hotel is second to none. No cheap buy – but still. “Sømærket” is really good and nice.

If you are looking for a really nice local restaurant, then go to “Hyttefadet” .“Skaw-Kroen” on Havnevej in New Skagen is also special. Not least because it offers beers from around the world, including the best ones – the Belgian beers!

 

If you just want to enjoy an afternoon coffee you should go to “Strandhotellets Café” in Gammel Skagen. Make your choice among their very tempting pastries. But don’t go every day!

 

14.    Excursions :  Lots of possibilities, especially if you have a car. Just a few to be mentioned

       ere: The North Sea Centre in Hirtshals. The Eagle Centre in Tuen by Aalbæk. Raabjerg

       Mile ( the biggest moving dune in the world). Kandestederne (you can also walk to there

       From Gammel Skagen along the sea). Skiveren (the summer address of former Danish

       Prime minister Jens Otto Krag). And much more.

 

Have a lot of fun – and enjoy it! Very special indeed.

 

Photo from Gammel Skagen ( Old Skagen ) – August 2020:



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