For a beach holiday, Denmark is probably not the first country you think of. Just like in the Netherlands, you have to be a bit lucky with the weather, but if you are lucky you will have a wonderful holiday! In this article you will find a route along the beautiful northwest coast and we share our top 10 tips for a visit.
Denmark is not really high on the bucket list for many people. Within Europe, most people prefer to go to the warm south or if they go to the north, countries such as Sweden and Norway soon prefer it. Denmark is therefore often skipped and we must admit that we have done so many times on our way to Sweden or Norway. That had to change and so we decided to really discover Denmark for once. And what a good idea that was! The northwest coast in particular surprised us enormously. With beautiful coastal towns, a real surfing culture, beaches where you can drive the camper and super beautiful nature.
In short: check out our route (from south to north) along the coast including our best tips and quickly put Denmark on your bucket list!
#1 Rømø car beach
Are you traveling to Denmark by car or camper? From the German border it is then a short one and a half hour drive to the island of Rømø. This is a small Danish Wadden island that is connected to the mainland with a long dam. So you don’t have to take a ferry to get to the island. Rømø nowadays lives mainly from tourism and has the popular seaside resort of Lakolk. Here it is allowed to drive onto the beach with your car or camper. In good weather it is therefore full of campers. Incidentally, there is enough space, because the car beach Rømø has one of the widest beaches in Europe. It is also a well-known place for Danish and German blokarting. Read here more about Rømø.
#2 Cold Hawaii
Surfing is very popular not only in Hawaii, but also in Denmark. This concerns both the well-known wave surfing, but also kite surfing and windsurfing, for example. The Danish coast is even mentioned by some as one of the places in Europe with the best waves. That is why the Danish northwest coast is also called Cold Hawaii. There is a hip surf culture, you will find several surf shops and in September the Cold Hawaii Big Air Games are held here, in which kite surfers from all over the world participate. Read more about Denmark’s best surf spots here.
#3 Thy National Park
Thy National Park is Denmark’s oldest national park and has more than 200 km2 of trails that lead you through various beautiful landscapes such as forests, dunes and the coastal area, including Cold Hawaii. You can cycle, hike, mountain bike and surf, but in the national park you can also fish, camp and spot wild red deer and seals. Enough to do and see for the little and big adventurer!
#4 The Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall is a more than 5000 km long defense line that Nazi Germany built during World War II. The defense line ran along the west coast of Norway through Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to the border with Spain and was built to prevent a possible invasion by the Allies. The wall was not continuous, but consisted of several defenses and bunkers that were built at a considerable distance from each other in strategic places. At various places along the northwest coast you will find several bunkers from that time on the beach or hidden between the dunes that you can view.
#5 Bovbjerg Klint
Another nice stopover is at Bovbjerg Klint. This cliff is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark West Jutland. From the cliff you have a beautiful view, but you will also find traces from different ice ages. For example, in the rock profile between ridges D and F (near the Bovbjerg lighthouse) you will find moraine clays from the Saale Ice Age (188,000 – 128,000 years ago) and the remaining layers dating from the Weichel Ice Age (115,000 – 10,000 years ago). You can also visit the lighthouse of the same name for a view of the area or to enjoy a cup of coffee with something delicious.
#7 Blokhus Beach
If you found the car beach Rømø worth repeating, then also visit Blokhus Strand if you drive further north along the coast. Blokhus also has a wonderfully wide sandy beach where you can drive your car or camper, but it is also allowed to spend the night with your camper. Make sure that you are self-sufficient and that you can simply take your waste (water) with you. Please note here that the sand can be a bit looser / softer in many places and it regularly happens that cars and campers get stuck in the sand. Often there are some locals who like to drag you out with their 4×4 off-road vehicles, but they are not always there and then you have to see how you get out.
#8 Rubjerg Knude Fyr
The Rubjeg Knude Fyr is a lighthouse on top of the Lønstrup cliff in Jutland that is known for being moved inland because otherwise the lighthouse would disappear into the sea. Built in 1899, the lighthouse stands 60 meters above sea level and was in use until 1968. After that, the lighthouse, together with the surrounding outbuildings, was used as a museum for a long time, but due to increasing erosion and serious damage from drifting sand, it was abandoned and partly demolished in the 1900s. Only the Rubjerg Knude Fyr lighthouse remained standing, but it was in danger of disappearing into the sea in 2023. It was then decided to move the lighthouse 70 meters inland in 2019 using a specially built rail. Now the lighthouse is – if all goes well – safe until about 2060. The Rubjerg Knude Fyr lighthouse can be freely climbed via an internal staircase, after which you have a beautiful view of the area above.
#9 Råbjerg Mile
Råbjerg Mile is not far from the northernmost tip of Denmark. This is the largest walking dune in Denmark and Northern Europe. The dune is about 800 meters wide, 1 kilometer long and 20 meters high. Råbjerg Mile is located in the Skagen Odde dune area and moves up to 18 meters per year in a northeasterly direction. Because it is one of the last walking dunes, it is protected and designated as a Natura 2000 area. In addition to the large dune, you will also find many plants and animals that are not common anymore, including the endangered marsh fritillary.
#10 Grenen
Grenen is the end of a headland located on the northernmost tip of Denmark. Here two seas meet and you can walk there yourself via the beach to see it with your own eyes. You can also visit the Det Grå Fyr lighthouse, the Skagen bunker museum, the many galleries and boutiques in the artistic town of Skagen and you can spot birds and with a bit of luck you can also see seals sunbathing on the beach. Read more about Grenen and tips here a visit.
