Sights in Jutland
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Grenen
Appropriately enough for such a neat and ordered country, Denmark doesn't end untidily at its most northerly point, but on a neat finger of sand just a few metres wide, known as Grenen. You can actually paddle at its tip where the waters of the Kattegat and Skagerrak clash and you can put one foot in each sea - but not too far. Bathing here is strictly forbidden because of the ferocious tidal currents and often-angry seas that collide to create mane-tossing white horses.
The tip is the culmination of a long, curving sweep of sand at Grenen, about 3km northeast of Skagen along Rte 40. Where the road ends there's a car park, restaurant and small art museum. From the car par…
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Silkeborg Museum
Silkeborg Museum is housed in the oldest building in Silkeborg (dating back to 1767). Speaking of old, inside the museum you can check out the amazingly well-preserved body of the Tollund Man, the central (albeit leathery) star in an otherwise predictable collection. Like the Grauballe Man at the Moesgård Museum outside Århus, the life (and death) of the Tollund Man remains a mystery. His intact remains were found around the outskirts of Silkeborg in 1950, and have been carbon dated to around 220 BC. The autopsy suggests he had been hanged, yet he was placed as though lying asleep with only a leather hat over his face and a thin leather noose around his neck. Was he an ex…
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Danfoss Universe
Als’ big-ticket drawcard is the new Danfoss Universe, off Rte 405 en route north to Nordborg. It’s an ‘experience park for the curious’, according to its marketing; it opened in mid-2005 and is proving a popular attraction for families and schools. One local pithily summed it up as ‘brain gymnastics’ and the country’s minister for education has given it a shiny gold star, encouraging all Danish Grade 7s (12 to 13 year olds) to visit. There are more than 200 attractions enabling you to discover how nature and technology work. But education while you’re on holidays? Well, yes. It’s all well-designed, superinteractive fun and will stop the kids bothering you with questions…
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Ribe VikingeCenter
Embrace your inner Viking (well, leave aside the raping and pillaging part) at the Ribe VikingeCenter, a much more hands-on experience than the museum. It attempts to re-create a slice of life in Viking era Ribe using various reconstructions, including a 34m Fyrkat-style longhouse. The staff, dressed in period clothing, bake bread over open fires, demonstrate archery and Viking era crafts such as pottery and leatherwork, and offer falconry shows (at 1pm and 3pm in July and August, 12.30pm in May, June and September). All of which you can actively partake in (and you’ll no doubt learn more about Viking life than you could from a textbook). The centre is about 3km south of …
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Lindholm Høje
The atmospheric Lindholm Høje is a Viking burial ground where nearly 700 graves from the Iron Age and Viking Age are strewn around a hilltop pasture ringed by a wall of tall beech trees. Many of the Viking graves are marked by stones placed in the oval outline of a Viking ship, with two larger end stones as stem and stern. At the end of the Viking era the whole area was buried under drifting sand and thus preserved until modern times.
Adjoining the site is Lindholm Høje Museet, which explains the history and has displays on archaeological finds made during its excavation. Huge murals behind the exhibits speculate on what the people of Lindholm looked like and how they li…
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Esbjerg Kunstmuseum
The Utzon-designed Musikhuset Esbjerg is home to the small but eye-opening modern art collection of Esbjerg Kunstmuseum, which has notable works by Richard Mortensen, Robert Jacobsen and Per Kirkeby – also look out for work from Svend Wiig Hansen (he of Mennesket ved Havet). In quite a magnificent display of openness (and a nod to restricted space), the Åbne Magasiner (Open Stores) downstairs allows you to look up and admire undisplayed works from the museum’s collection. The other benefit to a visit is that from the museum it’s easy to admire the angles and details (especially the mushroomlike columns) of the Utzons’ architectural prowess.
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Tilsandede Kirke
The Tilsandede Kirke, or Buried Church, was erected during the late 14th century and was once the biggest church in the region, but in time it fell victim to a sand drift that began in the 17th century and became progressively worse - so much so that churchgoers eventually had to dig their way into God's sacred building. In 1795 the relentless sand drift broke the will of the congregation and the church was closed by royal decree.
The main part of the church was torn down in 1810 but the whitewashed tower still stands. It was used as a navigational tool for sailors back in the early days.
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Bangsbo Museum
The Bangsbo Museum is an old country estate with an interesting mix of exhibits. The manor house displays antique furnishings and collectibles, while the old farm buildings house military paraphernalia and exhibits on WWII Danish Resistance. The most intriguing exhibit is the Ellingå ship, reconstructed remains of a 12th-century Viking-style merchant ship that was dug up from a nearby stream bed. Bus 3 from central Frederikshavn stops near the entrance to the estate, from where it's an enjoyable 500m walk through the woods to the museum.
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Skandinavisk Dyrepark
It’s true, animals in captivity can be a tad confronting for sentimental adults. Still, if you were to be a caged bear, Skandinavisk Dyrepark is where you would want to be, with endless space and plenty of playmates to fill in the days. The biggest attraction here is the very impressive polar bear facility, which opened in 2006 and allows you a unique chance to check out these icy babies up close. Other star performers include brown bears, moose and wolves. Fallow deer, reindeer and goats can be fed by hand.
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Gammel Skagen
There's a touch of Cape Cod in refined Gammel Skagen, also known as Højen. Renowned for its gorgeous sunsets, upmarket hotels and well-heeled summer residents, it's a fine place to head late in the afternoon. It was a fishing hamlet before sandstorms ravaged this windswept area and forced many of its inhabitants to move to Skagen on the more protected east coast.
It's a pleasant bike ride 4km west of Skagen: just head towards Frederikshavn and turn right at Højensvej, which will take you to the waterfront.
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Nordsømuseet
The impressive Nordsømuseet is home to the largest aquarium in northern Europe. Here, 4.5 million litres of seawater is the home of thousands of elegantly balletic North Sea mackerel and herring in a huge, four-storey tank. Every day at 1pm a diver enters the tank to feed the marine life (in July and August there’s an additional feeding at 4pm). The seal pool outside comes alive during feeding time at 11am and 3pm daily. Touchpools and playgrounds make this a good family excursion.
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Skagens Museum
This wonderful museum showcases the outstanding art that was produced here between 1830 and 1930, much of it kitchen-sink portraits of the lives and deaths of those in the fishing community. PS Krøyer’s work is quite incredible, particularly his efforts to ‘paint the light’. He was particularly transfixed by the ‘blue hour’, the transition between day and night, when the sky and the sea seem to merge into each other in the same shade of blue.
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Skagen By- og Egnsmuseum
Evocatively presented, the open-air Skagen By- og Egnsmuseum, 200m southwest of the harbour, depicts Skagen’s maritime history and gives you an insight into the traditional fishing community that so transfixed the Skagen artists (but without the romanticism!). There are interesting displays on Skagen’s lifeboat rescue service, including dramatic photos of ships in distress, as well as the preserved homes of fisherfolk with their original furnishings.
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Østerågade
East of Budolfi Domkirke on Østerågade are three noteworthy historic buildings: the Baroque-style old town hall (c 1762), opposite the tourist office; Jens Bangs Stenhus (c 1624); and Jørgen Olufsens Hus (c 1616) at Østerågade 25. The latter two are lovely Renaissance buildings - Jens Bang's house was built by a wealthy merchant and now functions as a pharmacy; Jørgen Olufsen's house was built by a wealthy mayor and now operates as a cosy Irish pub.
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Silkeborg Kunstmusem
If you like modern art or, more specifically, modern art by world-renowned Dane (and Silkeborg native) Asger Jorn, you’ll love Silkeborg Kunstmusem. Jorn’s abstract works provide the backbone to the museum’s paintings and sculptures, though the collection also features works by other modern artists, including Max Ernst, Le Corbusier and Danish artists from the influential CoBrA group. The museum is 1km south of the town centre.
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old town hall
First-time visitors may be bemused to see passers-by stare inquisitively at the roof of the old town hall. Put simply, they’re bird-watching, and have been caught up in the ‘stork culture’ this town cherishes. This is the oldest rådhus (1496) in Denmark and was used as a courthouse until 2006 – these days it’s a popular spot for civil weddings. As well as ceremonial artefacts, there’s a collection of medieval weapons and the executioner’s axe.
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Skagen Odde Naturcenter
In a beautiful building designed by the prolific architect Jørn Utzon, this nature centre on the outskirts of town gives an insight into the natural elements that surround Skagen and make it unique (the shifting sands, the luminous light, the raging winds, the clashing waters). It’s a little pricey but well done, and there’s plenty of interactive kid-friendly fun (particularly the remote-controlled model boats).
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Fish Auctions
They say the early bird catches the worm but if you want to catch the heartbeat of Skagen's fishing community head down to the fish auctions at the port when the boats return with their catch. The theatre of it all is infectious, as the auctioneers and buyers go toe-to-toe in rapid Danish. The proud fishermen have harsh, weather-beaten faces and some fantastic yarns up their sleeves, so it's well worth sparking up a conversation once the sales are over.
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Museum of Ribe’s Vikings
To better come to grips with Ribe’s Viking and medieval history, head along to see the informative displays of the Museum of Ribe’s Vikings. Two rooms provide snapshots of the town in AD 800 and during medieval times in 1500. These portrayals are complemented by rare archaeological finds and good explanations, which add real substance to the tales. There’s also a thought-provoking 30-minute video of the legendary Viking era.
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Stormflodssøjlen
Where Fiskergade and Skibbroen meet is Stormflodssøjlen, a wooden flood column commemorating the numerous floods that have swept over Ribe. The ring at the top of the column indicates the water's depth during the record flood of 1634 (6m above normal!), which claimed hundreds of lives. Although these days a system of dikes affords low-lying Ribe somewhat more protection, residents are still subject to periodic flood evacuations.
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Mennesket ved Havet
On the waterfront opposite the Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseet (4km northwest of the city centre) is Esbjerg's most interesting landmark, Mennesket ved Havet, comprising four stark-white, 9m-high, stylised human figures, sitting rigid and staring out to sea. They were created by Danish sculptor Svend Wiig Hansen to commemorate the city's centennial in 1995 and they make a striking backdrop to holiday snaps.
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Kommandørgården
The handsome thatched Kommandørgården, 1.5km north of the causeway, is the preserved home of one of Rømø’s 18th-century whaling captains. It stands as testimony to the prosperity that such men brought to the island through their whaling expeditions. It has Dutch tiles lining many walls and woodwork painted in rococo style (minimal labelling in English, however).
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Aqua
Situated 2km south of the town centre is Aqua, an entertaining aquarium and exhibition centre built into several outdoor lakes. It explores the ecosystems of the surrounding area, with lots of touch tanks and fishy creatures, otters and fishing birds among the imaginative displays. It’s a little pricey, but it’s good on a rainy day. Closing times vary from 4pm to 6pm.
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Ribe Kunstmuseum
Ribe Kunstmuseum has been able to acquire some of Denmark’s best works, including those by 19th-century ‘Golden Age’ painters. The singing birds outside present a glorious backdrop to collection pieces by big Danish names including Juel, Abildgaard, Eckersberg, Købke and Michael Ancher, and the garden area behind the museum (open to all) is just lovely.
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Aalborg Zoo
Teeming with feathered, furry and four-legged friends, it’s no surprise this zoo is one of Denmark’s most popular. Some 1300 animals call it home, including tigers, zebras, elephants, giraffes, chimpanzees, penguins and polar bears. The zoo is southwest of the city and can be reached by bus 11; closing times vary, from 3pm from November to February, to 9pm in July.
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