What immediately strikes you when driving into Skagen, in English also known as Scaw, is the particular shade of yellow. Many houses in the historic part of town are painted Skagen-yellow. The setting of Skagen is unique: yellow houses with red tile roofs dominate the streets and create an extraordinary atmosphere in the small town and fishing port. Every week throughout summer, Skagen draws thousands of visitors.

Skagen Denmark | Photo: Travel In Culture

Skagen is multifaceted: world-class art, renowned painters, a famous garden, spectacular dune landscapes, awe-inspiring sunsets, a vibrant cultural scene, great shopping opportunities, Nordic cuisine, location of the oldest music festival in Denmark, Skagen Festival, and not least, the meeting point of two large seas whose strong waves clash together just above the northern tip of Jutland.

Once an original artists’ colony with the artists gathering in Brøndum’s garden, today a vibrant town in North Jutland, still having a touch of its unique past at various locations dispersed across the old fishing town – this is the authentic Skagen!

Skagen Church | Photo: Travel In Culture

Originally, Brøndum’s Hotel was a merchant’s house. With approval from King Frederik VII, the building was in 1859 extended to a guest house – which marked the foundation of the famous Brøndum’s Hotel.

Brøndum’s Hotel | Photo: Travel In Culture

The Brøndum family played an important part among the Skagen artists. Erik Andersen Brøndum and Anna Hedevig Møller hosted the young talents in their home, Brøndum’s Hotel, providing the group with plenty of food and drinks. In return, the artists decorated Brøndum’s dining room (which is today part of Skagen’s Museum)! Their daughter Anna had a flair for painting and naturally joined the other painters during their summer stay in Skagen. She ended up marrying the renowned painter Michael Ancher, who arrived here in 1874.

Michael Ancher and P.S. Krøyer sculptured by Laurits Tuxen | Photo: Travel In Culture

The painter and poet Holger Drachmann was among the first visitors to Skagen who found inspiration for his painting here. He soon motivated others to follow. The first paintings were within the Golden Age painting style, emphasising harmony and peace, and set in idyllic landscapes.

Brøndum’s home became the focal point of intellectual discussions and social life among the prominent summer lodgers in Skagen who, beyond the painters, counted writers, architects and musicians from all over Denmark – and even other parts of Scandinavia.

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From the 1870s, the culturally interested came to Skagen to develop their artistic talent within naturalism. As an opportunity to escape the hectic city life in Denmark, they gathered here in Skagen, where life was simpler. They could rediscover the unspoiled nature and develop a more realistic painting style. Skagen now turned into a flourishing artists’ colony. Moreover, some of the newcomers decided to stay in Skagen more permanently.

Photo: Travel In Culture

What in particular drew the artists to Skagen was the exceptional light up here – caused by the surrounding seas at the northern tip of Jutland – reinforcing the reflection of the sunlight.

Skagen’s Museum | Photo: Travel In Culture

Today, Skagen’s Museum features true masterpieces of all these great artists. The collection includes paintings by Holger Drachmann, Peder Severin Krøyer (known as P.S. Krøyer), Marie Krøyer, Michael Ancher, Anna Ancher, Viggo Johansen, Christian Krohg, Oscar Björck, Laurits Tuxen and Carl Locher. The motifs were often inspired by coastal nature: fishermen, boats, the sea, drowned men, the beach, bonfires, fields, the harvest, flowers and blossoming trees. They often contain elements of both realism and naturalism.

Skagen’s Museum, the garden | Photo: Travel In Culture

Skagen’s Museum and café building | Photo: Travel In Culture

Just across the garden, P.S. Krøyer’s studio still exists. Here, he painted many of his fascinating works, e.g., the iconic picture Hip Hip Hurra. The motif was inspired by a lunch, which the Ancher family held for the artists gathering in their garden in 1884, photographed by the German painter Fritz Stoltenberg.

P.S. Krøyer’s studio, Skagen | Photo: Travel In Culture

Brøndums Hotel is together with Ruths Hotel some of the very best fine-dining restaurants in Northern Jutland. If you are keen on seafood, you may also try one of the exquisite fish restaurants, for example, in the old red fishery warehouses at the harbour.

Photo: Travel In Culture

Generally, the restaurant scene is varied, although with a focus on seafood and Nordic cuisine. Popular places to go out in Skagen include De 2 Have, Skagen Bryghus, Pakhuset, Skagen Fiskerestaurant and Bodille’s Kro.

Photo: Travel In Culture

Another site to visit is Ancher’s House at Markvej, former home of the Skagen Painters Michael, Anna Ancher and their daughter Helga.

The house has been preserved as it looked when Anna died in 1935. After lying more or less untouched for many years, it was restored as an art museum in 1967.

Grenen with a glimpse of the Grey Lighthouse in the distance | Photo: Travel In Culture

Skagen features some beautiful and iconic lighthouses.

The oldest remaining lighthouse in Skagen is the bascule light, Vippefyret. It was constructed in 1627 and excelled in being Denmark’s first bascule light, consisting of an open-fire basket. When lit, people could see it from afar. Today, it is revived every year on Midsummer’s Eve as part of the festivities.

Vippefyret, Skagen | Photo: Travel In Culture

The White Lighthouse, designed by Philip de Lange in 1747, was initially fired by coal. Later, a lantern replaced the coal source of the brick lighthouse.

The Grey Lighthouse was built in 1858 and reaches 46 metres up into the air – which ranks it second in Denmark in terms of height. It was designed by the Danish architect N.S. Nebelong.

Skurbyen | Photo: Travel In Culture

Skurbyen | Photo: Travel In Culture

Skurbyen is an area by the harbour consisting of characteristic red wooden houses, old boathouses and storage sheds.

Gl. Skagen is the historic part of Skagen, on the western coast, at the North Sea. Like in Skagen, you will find a vibrant nightlife here. Some of the popular places in Gl. Skagen are Ruths Hotel and the restaurant Hyttefadet.

Week 29 in July, nicknamed the ‘Hellerup week’ due to the postal code 2900 of this upscale suburb north of Copenhagen, is the popular week for Denmark’s jet set to visit Skagen – and so are these places. You will have to make reservations far in advance to stay and go out in Gl. Skagen and Skagen during this week.

Grenen, Skagen Denmark – two seas meet | Photo: Travel In Culture

Continuing a few kilometres up north from Skagen, you will reach the northernmost point in Denmark, Grenen. That is precisely where the two seas, the Baltic Sea (Kattegat) and the North Sea (Skagerrak) meet, and it is an intriguing site to visit for locals and visitors alike. When the temperatures allow it, it is a must to go out and stand with one foot in the Kattegat and one in the Skagerrak!

One leg in the Baltic Sea and one leg in the North Sea | Photo: Travel In Culture

The walk from Skagen to the upper tip of Jutland is enjoyable, with a few sights on the way. If you are looking for a more comfortable way to arrive at Grenen, you can consider Sandormen (the ‘Sandworm’), existing since the late 1940s, which is the only public means of transport to take you out there.

Sandormen, ‘The Sandworm’ | Photo: Travel In Culture

In recent years, flocks of seals are often spotted at or near the beach – which can be a fantastic experience to include in your Skagen visit. However, it is important to keep them at a certain distance so as not to disturb them.

In the dunes and along the coast, you will also catch sight of several bunkers from World War II. They haven’t been removed after the War and may eventually end up being buried in the sand or ‘drowned’ in the sea.

Holger Drachmann’s tomb | Photo: Travel In Culture

Another sight on the way to Grenen is the painter and dramatist Holger Drachmann’s (1846 – 1908) tomb. He was buried here on site since he lived a large part of his life at Skagen. Drachmann is today known for his Midsummer song, traditionally sung on June 23rd everywhere in Denmark when the midsummer bonfire is lit.

Drachmann’s House | Photo: Travel In Culture

You can also visit Drachmann’s House at Hans Baghs Vej in Skagen, still filled with paintings and drawings and looking very much like when he lived there 1902-1908.

The Sand-Covered Church | Photo: Travel In Culture

The Sand-Covered Church (Den Tilsandede Kirke) is another landmark and phenomenon created by the massive dunes sweeping over the country. The old church has gradually disappeared into the sand, which has left only the church tower behind. It is a spectacular view of the coastal dune landscape here.

South of Skagen, you will find several spectacular sights to include in a day trip.

Råbjerg Mile is the largest migrating dune in Northern Europe, located between Hulsig and Kandestederne, and it is an extraordinary desert-like experience to walk up on it and cross over to the other side. It is 40 metres high and is estimated to move about 15 metres in a northeasterly direction every year. Keeping this pace, it will reach the main road to Skagen in maybe just a hundred years!

Råbjerg Mile | Photo: Travel In Culture

From the top of Råbjerg Mile, you will have panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including the areas and lakes emerging again after approximately 40 years when the dune has passed!

Continuing south, you will drive past Eagleworld, a unique site to experience the impressive birds of prey at close range and see the falconers work with them.

Tversted at dusk | Photo: Travel In Culture

If you want to stay at another location in this region of Denmark, you could consider Tversted. It is a charming small village with antique shops, artisan workshops and little galleries, and an old beach hotel, which has, today, been enlarged and modernised with beach apartments – some even with a sea view. All three ice cream kiosks are very popular to visit in the evening before continuing to the beach to watch the stunning sunset.

In Tversted, they still pull out their flat-bottomed boats every week – boats that traditionally were used in the trade with Norway.

Sunset in Tversted | Photo: Travel In Culture

Hirtshals is one of Denmark’s largest fishing ports and the gateway to Norway and the Faeroe Islands by ferry. The eye-catching white Hirtshals Lighthouse is a landmark here.

Further down the West Coast, you will find another lighthouse, Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse, which was moved all 70 metres inland in 2019 to preserve it from the expected erosion from the North Sea – and prevent it from being swallowed by the sea! It was a highly spectacular event that captured attention also beyond North Jutland.

Løkken, located on the southern end of the series of cliffs Lønstrup Klint, is characterised by its hundreds of classic white beach huts lining up along the beach.

Today, the beach huts are only allowed on the beach from May until September – and removed for the winter season. Løkken’s iconic former beach hotel, Løkken Badehotel, is still there but now serves new purposes.

Løkken is also a site to see small fishing boats drawn up onto the very beach – the traditional way of fishing on the West Coast in Denmark. For more information about the fishing heyday, you can visit the Coastal Fisheries Museum.

As in many other places along the coast, you will also catch sight of several bunkers from World War II.

The world’s biggest sand castle at Blokhus Sand Sculpture Festival 2021 | Photo: Travel In Culture

You may want to continue down to Blokhus, where you can still spot the remarkable white beach huts on the beach. A must-see in Blokhus is the Sculpture Park that organises an amazing sand sculpture festival every summer. Some of the world’s best sand sculptors come here to construct true masterpieces of sand sculptures. In the past, enormous sand sculptures were shaped on the beach in summer, but now they are created in the Sculpture Park, far better protected from the wind and the sea.

Would you like to get inspiration for 3 days in Copenhagen? Then you may like to read Copenhagen 3-Day Itinerary – or would you perhaps want to discover Ærø Island?

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