Denmark’s North Jutland Region Unadkya
Prelude
Alike my previous trip, this one was chalked out of desperation. I had no intentions of traveling for exploration but the mounting leave balance, the prolonged period of stress and the optimistic summer time prompted me to plan a trip. Sneha and I had not traveled anywhere in Europe since September 2016.
Following constraints had to be addressed :
- Traveling and exploring with an infant: My 14-month old daughter isn’t the most travel-loving person, though she likes to be outdoors! Keeping her seated for more than 30 minutes was/is impossible. She hates flights. In addition to this major challenge, the ones associated with an infant were myriad – food, comfort, less exertion, their extra clothing and utilities and so on. This had forced me to allocate a couple of extra days and avoid a heavily loaded itinerary, which had been my standard/practice, till date 😛
- Budget concerns. You need to be a lucky duck(dog?) to incur moderate expenses when you plan an immediate trip in Europe, especially, during summer.
- Lack of skills: Being obsessed with riding, I never learned driving. 🙁
Now, the burden of driving was to bore by Sneha. We had initially decided to rely on public transport but as the itinerary progressed and the practical concerns pertaining to an infant cropped up, we decided to hire a car(I should write a short but separate post about how getting a budget rental car was a wild goose chase and the measures we took).
I hastily rounded up on the North Denmark region which had been quite low on my bucket list, nevertheless, it was gonna give me opportunities to visit several WW-II sites. My friend, Sanjyot, had been in Denmark for more than 6 months and he was going to join us at Frederikshavn.
Packing remains the most agonizing part of a trip. However heavy, I wanted all our items to fit in backpacks so that our mobility would be unaffected, even if slow. The backpacking was so excruciating that I had begun to doubt my decision of NOT using any suitcases or travel bags. One entire backpack of 50 litre was crammed with Anvi’s clothes, food, diapers etc. and we two adults had to suffice with one 50 litre backpack. It was 0030 hours by the time we slept and we had to rise again by 0400 hours.
Notes for the readers/viewers:
- To share as much information as possible, I provide hyperlinks to the Points of Interest(POIs), important events, geographical features and so on. I recommend readers to spot these hyperlinks in the post and visit those.
- Though I like to document my trips, it’s a drudgery which causes some information to be left out or the post ending abrutply. Feel free to contact me in case you need more information.
- I try to post as many distinct pictures/photos as possible, to give a fair idea of the entities but the objective is not to provide a photo album. Google Maps or, in general, on the Internet, aplenty pictures are available for the viewers.
- If you are NOT a WW-II buff, I recommend reading just Day-2 and the first couple of paragraphs of Day-3.
Day-1 : July 20, 2018 (Friday)
Note: The readers can skip this day, unless you need information about a cruise route between Sweden and Denmark, the facts to keep in mind while traveling on that cruise and the blunders we committed on the first day 😛
It was gonna be a long day, our plan was :
- Take 0628 train from Södertälje Syd, destined for Göteborg C. ETA: 0934 hours
- Get the car from the Sixt rental point located by the station
- Drive to the ferry terminal and board the cruise ship(1215 hours) towards Frederikshavn
- Secure accommodation and then explore around, a little
- Turn in a bit early so that we could start early, the next day
Step-1 commenced and completed smoothly. The train arrived, departed and reached the destination on time. We headed straight to the Sixt office and completed the formalities. Since it was barely 1000 hours, we left our heavy backpacks in that office and left with a fold-able stroller and a small backpack which contained water and valuables.
It’s recommended to have a quick-bite before you head to the cruise as there are limited options for lunch. Nordstan mall is just across the road when you exit the station where you can also find the grocery and other utility shops, in case you have forgotten to pack something.
Elementary information about the ferry :
- The Göteborg – Frederikshavn line is operated by Stena Line. It takes around 3h 15 min.
- Stena Line has more than one terminals in Göteborg, for instance, one for Denmark, other for Norway and so on. Ensure that you are at right one. I had called up the Stena Line customer care and they asked us to reach the ‘Danmarksterminalen‘
- If you are traveling on-foot, the tickets cost almost nothing but add a car and the price shoots up, yet, the SJ train + Stena line tickets came at less than half price of a flight from Arlanda to Aalborg. If your budget and infant allows you to travel via Aalborg, you can save some pain by hiring a car from Aalborg airport itself and leaving it there on your last day of the trip but keep in mind that the rental car in Denmark may cost higher than Sweden, plus the exchange rate
- People flock with their cars, hence, reach at least 45 minutes before the departure time. After your car is on-board(on the lower decks of the ship), you need to rush to the upper decks to secure a place in the cafeteria, especially, if you have an infant or a toddler
- Once the ship departs, you are not allowed to go to the car decks again. Ensure that you carry everything you need when you march towards the upper decks!
- Inquire and book reclining seats in advance, if they are not putting a hole in your pocket. You can utilize those 2-3 hours to get a sound sleep. Of course, it’s optional, I saw many families simply sleeping on the floor. Some discreet singles had brought a pillow and a floor mat and they slept on the floor near the dining tables 😀
- Ensure to switch off your data before the ferry leaves, some operators charge you extra for using the network amidst the sea
We committed all the mistakes that I have asked to avoid in the above texts 😛
- Due to inexperience of driving in Sweden, Google Maps not updated with the roadwork disturbances, it took a long time for us to reach the terminal
- One of the field staff of the Stena Line gave us wrong directions and we landed up directly in the car queue for boarding! We had to traverse back and pass through a check-post for some quick paperwork. Now, we were almost at the tail of the queue
- Unaware of the rule that you cannot return to the lower decks, we almost raced, in vain, towards the upper decks to secure a place! In no time, Anvi became cranky as she wanted to sleep luxuriously and we had not brought her stroller. Sneha was trying to pacify her by keeping her engaged in the play area
- I went to the information center and after a couple of earnest requests, I was allowed to go to the car deck, accompanied by a crew officer. I hastily picked up the stroller and a small backpack and marched back
- The outer/open decks, the dining area, the recliner seats area, the trucker’s lounge – everything was occupied and we didn’t get any space to sit.
- After 1.5h, our legs started to give up. We took refuge on the floor where the cabins were located and we sat on the floor in the lobby, along with several tired families. It was a reminder of the engineering college days 😀
The ferry reached Frederikshavn around 1540 hours. After a replay of wrong turns and clumsy navigation on Google Maps, we reached Herman Bang B&B. I have written a review summarizing my disappointment with both this B&B and Bookings.com and I won’t whine here, again. The takeaway for the reader is that he/she should look for better options/deals. This area has several hotels and B&Bs and is quite near to both the ferry terminal and the Frederikshavn station.
There are several restaurants and ‘cheap eats’ nearby but we both were craving for some warm and sumptuous meal. Despite of Anvi losing her patience gradually, we had our dinner(around 1730 hours) at Smørgåsen. Unlike Sweden, they charge you (heftily) for water in the restaurants, I suggest to carry water.
Earlier, we had plans to drive to Palmestranden for an evening walk but all of us were feeling sleepy. We then headed to the B&B and turned in.
Approx driving distance : 15km
Day-2 : July 21, 2018(Saturday)
We were up early, sufficed on bread and butter for breakfast(thanks to the subtle policies of Herman B&B and Bookings.com). Owing to some miscommunication, Sanjyot was gonna reach Frederikshavn at 0830 hours instead of 0700 hours. When we started from the B&B, it was almost 1000 hours, we were at least 2h behind the schedule.
The itinerary for the day :
Sanjyot took the wheel, I was the navigator-cum-cleaner and Sneha attended Anvi. The road was a bit narrow and loads of tourists were headed to Grenen. The weather was pleasant, the temperature was between 22-24 degree Celsius which was a major relief for Sneha and I as the Swedish summer was competing with the Indian summer.
We first visited the Skagen Gray Fyr. If you are an amateur/aspiring bird watcher, I bet, you can invest a whole day in the exhibition that’s hosted on the ground floor. It has information about several species of migratory birds, their navigation techniques, their top speed, adaptive capabilities and so on. Since it was gonna take some time, we decided to first go up the lighthouse. There are around 200 steps, numbered in the descending order. Some steps have information written.
Note: Strong winds may hit when atop the lighthouse, hence, if you are carrying an infant or susceptible to cold, ensure to cover your nose and ears 🙂
An enchanting view of the Kattegat, Grenen and also the Skagerrak. There are several bunkers, around 700mt from the lighthouse, along the coast(clearly visible from the top of the lighthouse, to the south). One can simply walk to beach. The cafe serves a delicious ‘Æblekage‘ – the traditional Danish apple trifle.
We then headed to the Skagen bunkermuseum, part of the ‘Atlantic Wall‘ built by the Nazis during the WW-II. All the further WW-II sites mentioned in this post were/are the part of the Atlantic wall, therefore, the reader may get a feeling of being presented with redundant information but that’s not the case.
The parking space, in spite of being proportionate for Grenen, was quickly filling up. The first action was to take out the stroller and put Anvi to sleep, it was time for her daily nap. With a little efforts, it was possible to take and move the stroller in the bunker, thereby, we all could visit and explore it comfortably. It was the first time that saw an assortment of the Heer & the U.S Army weapons used during the WW-II. The bunker contained a set of declassified U.S(and British, I believe) documents.
After we left the bunker, I asked the ticket seller about the Skagen Kystbatteri. The seller told me that the ones we saw from atop the lighthouse were the part of the battery. I was unconvinced about the location he pointed, yet, we decided to visit it while returning.
We decided to have a quick walk to the Grenen beach. There were several dilapidated bunkers and a grave of some farmer or peasant. It was impossible to drag the stroller on the sand and gravel so we took turns to explore – two would explore, one would stand guard.
We came back to the main parking lot and decided to eat something to sustain till evening. It was already 1300 hours. There was a restaurant by the beach but we felt it was too expensive for it’s ordinary menu. We headed to the kiosk where the locals had already queued. Sneha and Sanjyot found something to eat but since I eat only veg and sea-food, I was at a loss. The lady at the kiosk assembled some greens to form a sandwich and I had to settle for that.
Anvi was still asleep but now we decided to wake her up as we had to take the ‘Sandormen‘ to visit the point where the two seas meet – Skagerrak(North Sea) & Kattegat. On the previous day itself, I had made up my mind to take a dip in the North Sea, I was carrying spare clothes and towel.
They charge 30 DKK per person for a return trip and a bus leaves every 15 minutes. Save this ticket, show it while purchasing tickets for Nordsøen Oceanarium and get 10/15 % discount. You can take any bus and come back when you wish, this enables you spend sufficient time on the beach. Of course, you can walk all the way to this point but we were short of time.
The wind was mighty and the fine sand granules hit us lightly, every now and then. Our ears, hair, shoes and clothes were having sand. Sneha and Sanjyot could spot the colour difference between the waters of the two seas but all I could spot was some demarcation! It was around 22 degree and I was hesitating to enter the water as it was cold but I chucked that thought away and entered the water. Not having their spare clothes, Sanjyot and Sneha merely dip their toes in the water. Owing to the strong winds and a mild sun, my body and pants almost dried in no time. I was not feeling like leaving the beach.
It was around 1530 hours when we reached the parking point, now we had to rush to meet our remaining objectives. We promptly headed back to the fyr parking and laboured our way amidst the sand and small rocks, leading us to another set of dilapidated bunkers but these were right on the beach, the water entering a couple of them.
Anvi was now growing impatient and we had to let her free, she had a great time in the sand, pebbles and the small, smooth rocks. As we couldn’t enter any of the bunkers, we fell back quickly. There was a caravan/camping site nearby. If you intend to explore this region thoroughly, it’s a good idea to pick up such a site for a night’s accommodation, rather than traveling back south the same day.
The remaining objective for the day was Råbjerg Mile, a moving, coastal sand dune which is an interesting natural phenomenon. In northern Jutland in the 16th and 17th centuries shifting dunes were a problem for the population: huge dunes, some stretching up to 7 km (4 mi) inland, drove them back from the coastal areas, but in the 19th century the government acted to alleviate the problem.
Dune grasses and conifers were planted to stabilize the sands and these plantations became common after 1880. Although barren, the dune zone allowed limited sheep farming and some inshore fishing. By the 1950s the dune drifts were under control.We were a bit hesitant to take a diversion for this dune as Anvi was tired and wanted to sleep but Sneha insisted on the visit. We reached there by 1700 hours and the parking spaces were almost full.
The view and the overall experience was enchanting, we felt disappointed about not having allocated enough time for this place. We couldn’t spot or visit the sand-covered church but I insist that the visitors should explore around.
We reached reached Frederikshavn around 1915 hours. We parked the car and went on foot to have dinner. Outdoor seating was our necessity – we had to protect the other customers from Anvi :P.
After hastily flipping through the menus and the prices, we settled at Zapata which serves Mexican food. It’s value for money. The vegetarians can go for ‘Veg. Burrito‘ which is both filling and sumptuous.
Sanjyot headed to his hotel after dinner and we were back to our B&B. In spite of starting late, we were able to cover all our objectives for the day. The next day was gonna involve a 200km drive and both of us were apprehensive about how Anvi would react! We had to take a thorough bath to get rid of the sand that had invaded our bodies. We slept around 2300 hours.
Approx driving distance : 110 km
Day-3 : July 22, 2018(Sunday)
We were moving out of Frederikshavn and the stay at EOD was in Thisted.
The itinerary for the day:
Frederikshavn – Nordsøen Oceanarium – Hirtshals West Coast WW2 Battery – Thisted.
We were up early and started from Frederikshavn by 0745. The drive for the day was expected to be around 200 km and the Nordsøen Oceanarium deserved at least 3h. We reached the parking lot of the oceanarium before 0830. Anvi was up since 0530 and now it was her time to sleep, we fed her a bit and she fell asleep in her stroller.
We were the first ones to enter. We had a look at the timetable of the shows in the oceanarium and zeroed in on a couple of those – the feeding of the fish and the seals. There’s aplenty species of fish and their corresponding information. The kids and teenagers were having a great time and if you are a curious adult, you will, certainly, get engrossed!
I barely took 4-5 photographs, most of the clicks came from Sanjyot and Sneha. The star of the ocenarium is, undoubtedly, the mature sunfish. A mature ocean sunfish has an average length of 1.8 m (5.9 ft) and a fin-to-fin length of 2.5 m (8.2 ft). The weight of mature specimens can range from 247 to 1,000 kg (545 to 2,205 lb), but even larger individuals are not unheard of. The maximum size is up to 3.3 m (10.8 ft) in length 4.2 m (14 ft) across the fins and up to 2,300 kg (5,100 lb) in mass.
We explored around without taking a break. We also attended the two shows. One can’t refrain from marveling at Nature’s work and abhorring what humans do!
We ordered our lunch around 1245 and left around 1330. We then paid a visit to the Hirtshals West Coast battery , another relic of the Atlantic Wall. It was a bit disappointing because:
- The term ‘batteri’ is misleading – the guns have been removed!!!
- The artifacts had information only in German and Danish
- Most of the bunkers were dilapidated, hence, you couldn’t enter them
The good part is that not only the bunkers but also a small museum dedicated to the lighthouse, the picnic area (enclosed seating) can be accessed free-of-cost. The only fee you pay is for entering the fyr(lighthouse) which gives you a 360° view of the area, including the North sea. My suggestion: Visit the Nordsøen Oceanarium, it would take almost the entire day. Leave a bit early from there and then visit this site.
We started around 1500 hours, our destination was Thisted which was around 140 km. It was a smooth drive and we reached around 1700 hours. We had booked the accommodation via AirBNB. Our host was Ellen, an elderly lady. Her hospitality was impressive. She also gave some tips to explore around on foot.
We parked the car, took our stuff out of it, dropped it in the apartment and immediately headed for the central location for buying groceries. We returned quickly and sipped the ‘chai’ leisurely, you can imagine the craving if you are (Indian way of making)tea lover and haven’t had tea for 2 days 😀
All of us were a bit disappointed with self because we had not allocated enough time to rest and stay at such a lovable house.
Approx driving distance : 220 km
Day-4 : July 23, 2018(Monday)
It was Sanjyot’s last day of the trip, he was gonna head to his home EOD.
The itinerary for the day:
Thisted – Bunkermuseum Hanstholm – Klitmøller – Lyngby – Lodbjerg Fyr – Svaneholmhus – Thisted.
We had planned to rise early and get moving but despite of several alarms and snoozing actions, we started around 1000 🙁 Every time we start late, I feel a bit low!
The main attraction for the day was Hanstholm bunkermuseum. I had added this in my list quite a long time ago and I had only a faint idea about this site. We reached around 1045 and the parking spaces had started to fill up. While standing in the queue for the tickets, I realized that my planning for the day had gone wrong – I had underestimated the museum and allocated far less time than it deserved!
Nevertheless, I decided to make the best of it. Anvi had turned cranky, now she was feeling the drudgery of the trip. We decided to take turns, Sneha would put her to sleep in her beloved stroller while Sanjyot and I view the artifacts, then, Sneha would go in while we attend Anvi.
IMHO, the museum deserves a separate post from a couple of perspectives, first, delving into details of a seemingly trivial battle action, second, the way the information is presented. I will try to be concise:
- We would have seen in video footage, movies the shells fired from a coastal battery which seems a quick and straightforward action but there’s a lot that happens behind the scenes. This museum gives you a comprehensive experience of the same
- If you a WW-II buff or even a curious individual, skip the information like Overview of Nazis e.g: Nazi uniforms, social impact of the Nazi occupation on the Danish life and so on. Stay focused on the technical artifacts in the museum
- Most of the information is in Danish & German. Don’t forget to borrow an English translation in form of a workbook, it’s available at the ticket counter. The page no.s are mapped to the artifact headings.
- First visit the partially reconstructed bunker which is the heart of the museum. It will easily take you 2h to explore and appreciate it, even if you merely flip through the artifacts. Once the bunker visit is completed, explore the remaining artifacts on the ground/entry plan
- There’s a narrow gauge, toy train that runs near the museum. There’s a seemingly unending queue and except passing through a couple of bunkers, there aren’t any sights that you can view. Unless you have kids who would find this exhilarating, explore this track on foot.
- Per se, the Hanstholm battery area is quite large. There’s a hiking trail around the museum that gives you ample opportunities to view other sites but due to lack of time, we had to skip it. Had I known that such a trail exists, I would have not included anything else in the itinerary for the rest of the day!
I, soon, suffered a StackOverflowException due to an overload of information. I expressed my disappointment to Sanjyot regarding the allocation of such a little amount of time for this museum. We simply rushed through the bunker and returned to entrance where Sneha was waiting for us. Even though Sneha is least interested in WW-II, it took an hour for her to view the bunker and other artifacts.
We then queued up for the train. These tracks were used to transport the ammunition and other goods to the bunkers. Anvi had a good time in the train, now Sneha was carrying her in a carrier and the stroller was left at the ‘station’. It was a quick ride, I guess, around 15 minutes.
By 1400 hours, we were back in the parking lot. After a hasty lunch, Anvi’s diaper change and other housekeeping tasks, we headed for the Thy National Park. Practically, there was no reason to drive further south for this ‘park’ as we were sure it’s not worth visiting but we proceeded anyway, maybe, we just wanted to drive. We skipped Klitmøller on Sanjyot’s suggestion, Lodbjerg with unanimous opinion(no more lighthouses!) and we didn’t find even a single place to spot deer in Lyngby.
After a bit of panic, we found a petrol pump to refill the tank that was already quite less than 1/2. Later, we arrived at the Svaneholmhus. We spent around 20 minutes here and decided to head back and visit a beach near the Agger, just to relax a bit. We reached one and again found a dilapidated bunker 😀
Anvi had a good time here, amidst the sand and the smooth stones which she loves to play with.
We reached our Thisted base around 1830. We had some tea and snacks. We went to Thisted station to see off Sanjyot. The menial, yet, formidable challenge was awaiting me – packing! We slept around 2230 hours.
Approx driving distance : 150 km
Day-5 : July 24, 2018(Tuesday)
Ideally, we should have traveled back to Sweden on this day but we were sure that Anvi won’t be able to handle it, hence, we spent time and money to add an extra stay in Frederikshavn.
The itinerary for the day:
Thisted – Bangsbo Fort Bunkermuseum – Hotel Jutlandia(Frederikshavn)
We started late, around 1000 hours. We bid goodbye to Ellen and begun to drive slowly, now, Sneha was on the wheel and I was attending Anvi. While this long drive(150 km) was anticipated to be stressful because of Anvi, there was some relief. Anvi slept after throwing some tantrums and a section of the route was on E45 which helped us to drive fast.
We reached the Bangsbo Fort Bunkermuseum around 1215. Following is the information in a concise form:
- The museum is definitely worth visiting, especially, the hospital and the naval command bunkers, the former has detailed designs of the sanitation systems.
- There is a free, 1h guided tour in Danish language at 1100 hours.
- The entry ticket is valid for 7 days and one can visit total 4 museums (kystmuseet) any no. Of times. Check the photos for details.
- There are only two(at least, publicly accessible)15 cm cannons which aren’t well maintained. The museum authorities said that it doesn’t receive any patronage or support from the commune where it’s located and the entire expenses have to be covered with the entry fees. This explains well the poor maintenance of bunkers and cannons.
- While I respect every local language in the world, the artifacts are explained only in Danish which prevents foreigners from understanding the information. Another disappointing fact is that the museum is located in a military-controlled area, probably, that’s the reason that 60% or more of the bunkers are closed for public access.
It was a bit hot, yet we visited all the possible sites. We reached Hotel Jutlandia around 1600 hours. Even here, the parking wasn’t free of cost. We parked our car in the basement and after a couple of hours, there wasn’t a single empty space in either the basement or the open area. We were sort of exhausted, we fed Anvi and napped for around an hour. Earlier plans of visiting Palmestranden or some exotic restaurants had vaporized, we just wanted to eat something warm and doze off! We resorted to Zapata again.
Approx driving distance : 170 km
Day-6 : July 25, 2018(Wednesday)
The ‘longest’ day had arrived. We had to board the 0815 ferry(Frederikshavn – Göteborg), then take the 1534 train from Göteborg C towards Stockholm.
While I had no other train available for the return journey, I felt exasperated about not having allocated enough time to savor(devour!) the grand breakfast served at the hotel. It’s available between 0700-1000 and we had to get started from the hotel towards harbor by 0730 to get a seating space on the ship. It was exhausting.
Thanks to Google Maps, we entered the terminal from the end where the cargo and buses are boarded, then, we ended up in the queue without getting passed through the check-in. I had to rush on foot to the office and report our mishap, thankfully, the staff was efficient and cooperative. The temperature was soaring in Sweden and we were uncomfortable in the train for most of the time. After a day-long travel, we reached home around 2015 hours.
Lessons learned/revealed again:
- If you are traveling with an infant/a toddler, a travel stroller is mandatory! It keeps your young one comfortable, keeps you mobile, enabling you to explore better. Whether it’s a cruise ship crammed with people, exploring a museum or simply relaxing on the beach, you can fold/unfold it and your little one can relax(and allow you to relax as well)
- Write separate post(s) about the WW-II site exploration. This will ensure that the information and insights gained, the thoughts won’t be lost with time
- Avoid greed: Allocate more days and amidst the trip, relax for a day or so at a location which you find idyllic or appealing. This allows you to better absorb the experience and appreciate the surroundings
NOTE :
COVID-19 Related Government Imposed Restrictions Prevail At A Few Locations.
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(This Blogpost was originally published on : https://beingkinetic.com/2018/07/27/a-glimpse-of-denmarks-north-jutland-region/ )
