Rømø: Sail on the Sand and Discover the Whaling Past
Already when driving on the 9-kilometre causeway (Rømø Dam) connecting Rømø to mainland Denmark, you will notice the characteristic marsh landscape in the Wadden Sea, constantly varying with the tide. This part of Southern Denmark is renowned for its man-made dykes to avoid devastating flooding from the sea, as well as its beautiful marshes with a great diversity of wild birdlife.
A typical marsh landscape in the Wadden Sea along the dyke leading out to Rømø | Photo: Travel In Culture
The dyke was constructed back in 1948, providing much easier access to Rømø than the previous ferry connection to Kongsmark. However, severe storms destroyed the dyke considerably in 1976, 1981 and 1999, although, each time rebuilt again.
Blokarting on Sønderstrand | Photo: Travel In Culture
In this southernmost Danish Wadden Sea island, you can, for instance, get all close to beautiful flocks of geese, pick oysters at low tide, spend the entire day horseback riding on the sandy beach, or you can opt to try out the funny beach sailing on the broadest beach in Northern Europe.
Rømø is the perfect island to go to in Denmark for outstanding nature experiences, as well as unique outdoor activities powered by the waves and the wind.
In Rømø you can park your car on wide beach | Photo: Bente Jonsson / Pixabay
Rømø’s whaling heyday
What makes Rømø particularly interesting from a historical perspective is its former position as a whaling island and community. This flat marsh island used to be the base in Denmark for whaling expeditions to the polar oceans around Svalbard and Greenland, and many of the Rømø inhabitants joined Dutch and German ships where they worked as either harpooners, officers or commanders (whaling captains). They did this for a living, and many became relatively wealthy!
The whaling era lasted about 200 years – starting in the 1660s and continuing till 1860. Peaking around 1770, Rømø had at that time close to 40 impressive, so-called kommandørgårde, commander’s farmhouses, built by the commanders after earning a fortune on whaling. Frisian and Dutch tiles often decorated the houses.
The only remaining whale fence in Rømø | Photo: Travel In Culture
Often, the commanders brought back whalebones and whale jaws, which they used instead of timber – for instance, to construct entrance portals and fences around their properties.
Although many of these spectacular whale fences are gone, at Juvre, there are remains of one of these whale fences from 1772. It is at the farmhouse previously owned by the whaling captain Peter Andersen List, who was in command of the ship De twee jonge Hermanns from Hamburg.
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Today, Kommandørgården at Toftum has been converted into a museum, which is part of the National Museum. Inside, you will notice the painted panels, carved woodwork and characteristic tiles, and it is furnished as in the last part of the 1700s. In the barn, you have the opportunity to see the fascinating skeleton of a sperm whale stranded on the island in 1996.
Naturcenter Tønnisgård is a former commander’s farmhouse – today it is a nature centre | Photo: Travel In Culture
Another commander’s farmhouse is Naturcenter Tønnisgård, today converted into a nature centre providing information about the island, its nature and the wealth of activities going on in Rømø.
You can also book a bird-watching tour, a seal or a bunker trip, an oyster safari, horseback riding and much more. There is a small museum which is free to visit.
Rømø Church
Sct Clemens Church | Photo: Travel In Culture
Rømø church, Sct Clemens Church, was erected around 1200. However, it transformed and expanded in Rømø’s whaling heyday. You will notice several ship models hanging inside it, often donated by local seamen.
The church is consecrated to the patron saint of sailors, Saint Clemens. Surrounding the church is the old churchyard with tombstones of the commanders living on the island, as well as of British and German pilots from WWII.
In the past local seamen donated the ships still hanging down inside Sct Clemens Church | Photo: Travel In Culture
The former Rømø Rescue Station is close to the island’s church.
This building is today taken over by the volunteer fire brigade. The rescue station was constructed in 1887 at a strategic location so that the rescuers could watch out for ships in distress at sea from the tower roof.
Rømø’s volunteer fire brigade operates from the old rescue station from 1887 in Kirkeby | Photo: Travel In Culture
Since the German occupation during WWII, there have been bunkers in Tvismark Plantage, a vast area of dunes, heath and forest vegetation between Rømø Dam and Lakolk. The bunkers are today partly buried in the sand. Nevertheless, you can go on a guided bunker tour to visit some of these solid bunkers left from the war.
In the northern part of Rømø, a large secluded area exists, Juvre Sand, a military exercise area used for various military training since 1954. In particular, the drills involve training with tanks and other military vehicles, and tourists are welcome to watch the military exercises from a viewing platform. Access to the area itself is strictly forbidden. However, you can always hike along the Juvre Dyke.
Lakolk Beach | Photo: Travel In Culture
Drive on Lakolk car beach
From the beginning of the 1900s, Rømø, particularly Lakolk Beach on the western side, became popular among Germans. At that time, Rømø was still German, and the small island became a favourite holiday destination with the Germans. The tourists arrived by boat to Kongsmark, and from there, they continued by horse-drawn tram to Lakolk on the other side. That initiated a new era in Rømø where hotels, blockhouses, entertainment halls and numerous restaurants popped up.
There is, though, not much left of the original tourist site. The tramway has been abandoned long ago, although there are still traces of it. Anyway, Rømø is still a popular German holiday destination, and you will come across more Germans than Danes here in summer!
Driving on Lakolk Beach | Photo: Travel In Culture
Lakolk is Rømø’s popular shopping centre with clothing stores, souvenir shops and tempting ice cream cafés.
It is no wonder that Lakolk Beach is attractive. Its broad sandy surface invites people to drive on the very beach! As far as the eye can see, cars drive and park on the iconic ‘car beach’, and people take out tables and chairs and make themselves comfortable for the day. Pop-up restaurants are established here on the sandy beach every morning during the summer.
Photo: Juliette Kober / Pixabay
Kitesurfing is also popular here, and Lakolk features an annual kite festival in September, where the sky becomes dotted with eye-catching colourful kites.
Sail in a sand yacht on Sønderstrand
Photo: Travel In Culture
The broad beaches on the western side of Rømø are fine examples of how the island continually grows towards the west. Sønderstrand holds with its up to 3-kilometre-wide sand surfaces the record of being the widest beach in Northern Europe. It is here that wind sports and surfing take place. Very popular is blokarting – sailing on the sand on three-wheeled vehicles powered by the brisk wind – and it is a dream of a playground to be frolicking on. With a few instructions, even beginners soon find themselves playing around in the kite buggies there!
After some years, new areas of sand and dunes often turn into coastal meadows – an example of this is Slagtebænken (the Slaughterhouse), receiving its name after a disastrous flooding where a lot of sheep drowned.
Photo: Travel In Culture
The Danish Wadden Sea has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its uniqueness and spectacular birdlife, including abundant migratory birds, that thrives here on the eastern side of Rømø. Thanks to the tidal system and resulting sand and mud flats, nature provides plentiful food sources to them. The Wadden Sea across Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands is the most significant uninterrupted tidal system in the world!
At low tide, it is easy to find and collect fresh oysters, as large oyster beds are exposed and are easily accessible on foot. An option to identify the right places for oyster picking is to join an organised oyster safari. However, you can also choose to go on your own to discover the abundant sea resources!
Havneby features a fleet of vessels used for shrimp fishing | Photo: Travel In Culture
Havneby – the gateway to Sylt
The shrimp industry is the principal industry of Rømø Harbour, Havneby. The harbour was established in 1964 when shrimp fishing took off – following the example of the shrimp catch in the German Wadden Sea. Walking around the harbour area, you will notice the shrimp vessels lining up here when they are not operating on the sea.
A couple of cannons also exist here, originating from the Thirty Years’ War, which took place between the fleets of Danish and Dutch-Swedish ships in 1644.
From Havneby, you can jump on the ferry to the attractive North Frisian island Sylt just south of Rømø – maybe as a day tripper. During the crossing, you may be able to spot a seal or two – and sometimes dozens of seals!
Other places of interest near Rømø in this part of Denmark include the old charming towns of Ribe or Tønder, both with traces from the Middle Ages.
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Sail on the sand in Rømø and discover its whaling past
Rømø / Romo Denmark
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Sail on the sand in Rømø and discover its whaling past:
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