Travel tips, Denmark, Skagen a pleasure all year round!

Inspired by the old Skagen painters! It is not just Legoland, sun and warmth that draw tourists to Denmark, but the stories of the old painters who fell in love with Denmark's northernmost city, Skagen!

The Gray Lighthouse (Det Grå Fyr) (c) Ingar Naess

Inspired by the old Skagen painters!

Yes, it's like that with some of the rest of us too. If you've only been to Skagen once, you'll always want to return. Skagen is actually a very nice place to be! Here you can just completely relax and enjoy yourself, stroll around a bit and do nothing. If you want to go for long walks, there are lots of beautiful areas to enjoy along Skagen's beaches. It can be even more exciting to choose a trip in the evening and experience the sunset on the west coast or the wonderful blue light on the east side.

Whether it's summer or winter, you will surely find peace when you take a stroll in these surroundings. Is your favorite bike, then everything is ready, because thousands of bikes are waiting. There is probably nowhere where there are more cycle paths than in Denmark and Skagen is no exception! If you are a morning person, you will also be able to experience very special atmospheres if you make the trip up Grenen. For those of you who don't know Skagen, Skagen is a small town with around 8,000 inhabitants, who mostly live off its fishing port and the thousands of tourists who make the pilgrimage here. All summer the tourist harbor is full of boats, primarily from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The vast majority of tourists visit Skagen's headland, or Grenen, which is the large spit of sand that separates the Skagerak from the Kattegat. As I said, the branch is formed by sand that has been transported northwards by the wind along the entire west coast of Jutland. The headland grows on average by approx. 10 meters a year, in a north-easterly direction towards Sweden. in the high season it is a tip to leave the car and rather use a bicycle or bus when going up to Grenen. If not, you may end up having to turn around and drive several kilometers back to get parked. You have two choices to get all the way out on Grenen, Sjøormen, a small "bus" or just take your legs. What many people do is take the bus one way, even if you have to pay for the bus.

Once you are at Grenen and want a little extra overview, The Gray Lighthouse (Det Grå Fyr), as it is called, is an opportunity. Skagen lighthouse is Denmark's second tallest lighthouse and was built as early as 1856. It goes without saying that Skagen has a thriving nightlife, with a number of restaurants, bars and inns, since it is tourists that make their living. If you should be here in the high season, a tip is to leave the car and rather use a bicycle or bus when going up to Grenen. If not, you may end up having to turn around and drive several kilometers back to get parked. Although you won't find any proper gourmet restaurants here, there are many chefs competing to serve you the best food. If you're looking for something classic and real Danish, the smørbrøds at, among others, Brøndums Hotell something you have to prioritize. You can hardly have been to Skagen without experiencing this hotel.

The hotel was built around 1850 and quickly became a place where the "Skagen painters" happily frequented. I recommend that you pre-book a table here so you can get a place inside the old one behind the garden. There you can dream back to the 1880s and enjoy somen artist. Also take some extra time and poke your head into all the dining rooms, because there you will find a number of the Skagen painters' works. Another thing you must also bring with you is a visit to a real Danish baker. Don't think about the sugar and all the calories, but let this trip be a pleasure, because once you get inside the doors, sweet temptations abound. Another thing that is unique in Skagen is the color of many of the houses. With their special "Skagen yellow" color and with their characteristic white edges on the roof tiles, they leave their mark on the city.

This is particularly prominent in the old part of town, Gamle Skagen or Højen, which also has one of the area's most beautiful beaches.

In thew Old Skagen you will also find many of the old good hotels. If you are planning a wedding, this is a very popular area for this group!

My inspiration on this trip was the Skagen painters. Around 1880, a number of Nordic artists found the light in Skagen so special and exciting that they just as well settled. Here they created many of their masterpieces, which you can view in, among others, at the Skagen Museum.

Since Skagen can be enjoyed just as well in autumn as in summer, a visit here is a definite recommendation, take a trip to this great museum. Admission is free, but join the guided tour anyway, even if it costs a few kroner.

I myself received a good review and lots of tips about when during the day the special light was best and where I should go to get the best experiences. So now it was just a matter of trying and capturing some of the light the old painters saw. I must reveal that these painters had the "photoshop" of the time installed in their brushes to achieve what they created, but that is what art is. Since they lived there, they also had the opportunity to experience the light throughout the year, which is always a great advantage. So no matter what time of year you come and are a little interested in light and colour, you will be able to experience something very special if you take the time in the late afternoon and evening.

Or if you just want to use the afternoon to relax and just enjoy! Here you see some of the pictures I managed to capture while the sun was about to disappear into the sea.

After all, summer has long days and the sun doesn't set until around ten or eleven in the evening. Of course, it all depends on how many clouds lie on the horizon when you want to catch the sunset. Now it is also the case that the clouds can make the light even more exciting for your photos. one I managed to catch while waiting for the sun to disappear into the sea.

Fishing in the sunset in Skagen

When I arrived at the beach I had chosen, there were only a few fishermen getting ready for the evening's catch. I immediately felt that these fishermen created a positive atmosphere and they were very pleasant to talk to. They, like all other people, like to have someone to talk to. So don't be afraid to strike up a conversation - about fishing, of course! I strolled around a bit and at ten o'clock it was pouring in with more spectators. Everyone had the same wish as me, - to experience a wonderful sunset.

Evening walk in the sunset on the west cost

I just have to emphasize that the experience and atmosphere on the beach was absolutely incredible and is recommended. Which beach you choose to enjoy the sunset on is not decisive for the experience, but do not drive into Gamle Skagen itself, you will not be able to park there!

Fishing in the sunset, Skagen

Enyoying the sunset in Skagen

Sunset in Skagen.

On the east side and slightly north of the city center you will find the beaches that have made Skagen widely known! However, there have been some changes where perhaps the most famous of the Skagen pictures 'Summer evening on Skagen' was painted. Unfortunately, it no longer looked like this, because at the southern end of the picture there is today a large oil and industrial plant. So in order not to have to retouch this facility, all you had to do was turn north.

This picture was painted by P. S. Krøyer in 1983 on Skagen Søderstrand, which can be seen at the Skagen Museum

Skagen Søderstrand, as it is called, is still very popular among both permanent residents and tourists for sunbathing and swimming. Here it is bustling with people from early in the morning until late in the afternoon.

Photo: Skagen Søderstrand with the Gray Lighthouse in the background.

Photo: Skagen Søderstrand. The old tilting lighthouse

Foto: Skagen Søderstrand. Piker å stranden.

Photo: Skagen Søderstrand. Girls playing on the beach.

Many thanks to Signe, Maria and Ida for their participation at Skagen Søderstrand. I hadn't planned to bring models, but I was lucky when three young Danish girls wanted some photos that gave slightly better quality than what a mobile camera could deliver. I thank you for your participation, as they helped to give the beach more life and joy this evening and that is one of the beach's most important functions. If you want to take a trip to Skagen during the spring, summer or autumn, you can either take the fast ferry from Larvik to Hirtshals, Oslo to Fredrikshavn, or Gothenburg - Fredrikshavn. If you want to fly, Ålborg is the closest. No matter what time of year, Skagen is a great place to holiday, whether for a weekend or a longer period. Good trip! Travel tips Denmark, Explore Denmark and Skagen