Destination: Denmark

Fanø to Skagen Inspirational trip

The first tour around central Jutland went really well so we moved on up to North Jutland and did a second mini tour from Aalborg to Skagen.

Fanø to Nysø

We packed up our tent and loaded the bikes with our panniers. Katrin the woman who owned the camp site on Fanø had very kindly agreed to let us leave the car there until we got back. It great to be back on the bikes again and especially on Fanø as it just felt that we were back 20 years ago. When we got to the port we had just missed the ferry, the next one wasn’t until 1:10pm so as we had an hour to spare so we decided to go and have a pancake at the Panakoken Hause which as normal was absolutely yummy. We caught the 10 past 1 o’clock ferry which left on time and it soon had us at the ferry terminal at Esbjerg. We had decided to take bike route 2 to Varde. The first part of the route was through the port and the industrial part of Esbjerg it was full of supply and construction boats for offshore wind farms. We then past the the ‘Blue Water’ shipping company which I seem to remember from the last time we were in Esbjerb. As always there was a good bike route with traffic lights for the bikes and as we got to the main roads underpasses to take you under them. In the distance we could see the big white statues of the ‘Men of the Sea’ which we remembered seeing from the ferry back in 1999, we just had to see them close up. They are clearly quite a tourist attraction now with a large car park and hot drinks stall and it was impossible to get a photo without anyone in it, but at least it gave them some scale. Our route from there took us on a gentle climb up through Fovrfeld a residential area on the outskirts of Esbjerg into the countryside of central Jutland. Our first village was Guldager with its typical white church and on through quiet countryside to Alslev where we stopped at the Dagli Brugsen to pick up some juice and a few snacks. Soon after leaving the village we came across a small holding with all the animals outside, including a large flock of chickens which is kind of unusual in Denmark as they generally keep their livestock in sheds. Christine Grimm

We soon reached the outskirts of Varde on a good bike route, we had thought of missing out the center but the route looked busy with traffic and it had no bike route so we stuck to route 2 which took us into the center past a set of military barracks for the Danish Sargent’s school. When we were in the center of Varde I must have missed the route 2 sign as we carried on along a good bike route that was separated from the road. It wasn’t until it ran out at a busy junction did I check the SatNav and realised my mistake. We had planned on staying at a shelterplad only a few miles away but there was another marked on our map so we headed up the road that we were on. The traffic was a little heavy as it was clearly rush hour at Varde and the road had no bike route. Thankfully we weren’t on it for very long as we couldn’t find the shelter pod marked on our map so we took a track through the plants that would take us across to “first village was Guldager with its

typical white church and on through quiet countryside”

the road that we should have been on. Just as we got into the woods John spotted a sign for a shelterplad so we turned up the track and found it. Unfortunately it didn’t have a water supply and there was a woman there with 5 screaming kids who were clearly going to stay the evening. We decided to go and find the one we had planned at staying at, I wonder why? We continued back up the track and just as we got to the road John spotted a forest information board and it showed that there was a second shelterplad marked near a lake a little further on, we decided to have a look for that one. A short distance along the road there was a forest center and I said to John let’s get some water as there might not be any at the shelterplad as there wasn’t any at the last one. There was a car parked outside and I rang the bell several times but there was no answer and just as I was leaving I spotted an outside tap on a barn. I said to myself I am sure no one will mind if I fill up our water container. With the water container full and strapped to my bike we headed off to find the shelterplad.

A track through the woods brought us out to a large lake with several picnic benches and a large grill under a wooden shelter. It was a beautiful spot and the lake was clearly the result of sand and gravel workings and there were several people on the beach some of whom were swimming, we didn’t blame them as it was a lovely summer’s evening. We didn’t know whether he could camp there so we decided to cook our evening

“Our route from Næsbjerb took us

through some quiet little lanes to Øse where we joined bike route 7”

meal using the table in the grill hut. Whilst we were cooking I went to have a look for the shelterplad it was in fact only 50m away in small clearing just a short distance from the grill hut. There were three shelters and someone was cooking dampers on the fire in the middle. I said ‘hello’ and ‘it looks quite busy here’, the guy who was cooking dampers said that there was one shelter free but I said that there is no problem as we have a tent and we will put it up near the grill hut. After we had eaten our evening meal we put up the tent on a nice grassy spot. The family who were cooking dampers came past to use the loo. They were Danish and had come to the lake to stay the evening in the shelterplad and to go mountain biking around the trails in the forest. It was so lovely to see a family enjoying the outdoors. it was a super warm summer evening and we were treated to a lovely sunset, John just couldn’t stop taking photographs. Soon after we had gone to bed I heard footsteps on the gravel, there seem to be someone in the grill hut where we had parked our bikes. As it was dark I grabbed a torch and went over to see who it was. I think he was more surprised to see me, he introduced himself as Sebastian he had intended to sleep in the Shelterplad but on seeing it busy and being late he didn’t want to disturb those there so had decided to kip down in the grill house, he hadn’t noticed our tent in the dark. I wished him a good evening and I settled back into our tent.

Nysø to Vorbasse

We woke to a lovely sunny morning and it didn’t take us long to have some breakfast and pack the tent up. As there were a few caches in the forest we did a little bit of a circular route around the lake to take in a few of the caches that were close to the tracks before leaving the forest. It was a shame that we couldn’t have spend more time in the forest as there were some good caches but as it was nearly 11.30am we thought that we had better get going as we still had a long way to go if we were to get to Vorbasse. Our route from the forest was on easy gentle quiet roads and after an hour or so we got to Næsbjerb. As we entered the village we came across their recycling center, it was so nicely laid out and clean, there was even a brush and shovel there for keeping it clean. Why can’t we have things like this in the UK? In the village center we stopped at the Brugsen to buy some lunch and opposite and next to the church was a picnic bench. It looked very new and the planting around it was also new. As we were brewing up a couple of elderly gentleman came past and said something to us in Danish, we explained that we were English and didn’t understand Danish. They clearly didn’t speak English but we got the gist that they were pleased that we were using their new picnic bench.

After our lunch we had a look around the church, it was good to find one open as most of the churches in Denmark are usually closed. We really like the Danish churches they look so lovely with their white painted render and the graveyards are always so immaculate. As we looked around there was

a boy clipping the hedges and we felt a bit guilty in walking on the pea shingle which had been racked with lovely lines. Our route from Næsbjerb took us through some quiet little lanes to Øse where we joined bike route 7 which then took us through Nordenskov and on to Tofterup. Along the road we came across a field that had been planted alongside with a flower bed. It looked lovely and such a great idea as it attracts bees and other insects which help with the pollination of crops. If only every farmer in the UK did something similar it would be great. At Wester Starup we stopped to have a look at the church and pick up the cache there. From Starup we could have continued on the bike route 7 to Vorbasse however it went a slightly longer route around by Hovburg. I could tell that John was getting tired so we decided to take the more direct route which saved us about 4km. The road was quiet and traffic free and after going through some heath land it was a reasonably flat road through

several plantations. On getting to the outskirts of Vorbasse I asked a boy who was building a wall as to where the campsite and a supermarket were and he pointed us in the right direction. It is always a worry when you get to somewhere as to whether the campsite will be there as our map was 20 years old! I think for our next tour we must buy and up-to-date map.

Vorbasse

We said we would have a rest day here as it was John’s first ride and it was a good thing we did as it rained overevening and most of the morning. But by lunchtime it had stopped so we went and had a swim in the Fritidscenter leisure pool which was free as it was included in the campsite fee. After that we did a few geocaches around the village which was fun as they took us firstly to the Æ gaaedhus which was an interesting half timbered house in the center of the village complete with

some unusual sculptured stones.

We then went on to do a multi-cache at the ‘Vorbasse Krigshavn’ which is the small lake in the village. There is a theory that the name originated from the war in 1864 between the Danes and Germans. Legend has it that as it was announced that a hostile column of German soldiers on horseback was moving towards Vorbasse, the Danish dragoons gathered at the lake’s edge. From there they galloped out to face the enemy, fighting a mighty battle and sending the German hussars back home with their tails between their legs. Since then, the lake has been known as Vorbasse War Port. The lake has a small plastic warship floating in it which is ceremonially placed there each spring. It apparently did have the turret from a submarine in it at one point but this was moved to the campsite. Our last multi-cache took us to the site of the old railway line that used to run through Vorbasse.

Vorbasse to Lindknud

We left the campsite and headed for the final stage of a multi-cache that we had worked the coordinates out for yesterday. It was in a small forest only 550m away from the campsite. When we got to GZ the cache was quickly found and while I was signing the log John had found several fungi to photograph. Our route took us back towards the center back passed the campsite before turning south down a tree lined tarmacadam road which had a ‘Dead End’ sign with a little road coming out of the red bar. We hoped that you could get through with bikes. After a couple of miles the road became gravel alongside fields of golden barley and wheat. It was nice riding in the sunshine, we stopped at a small car park area where there was a picnic bench just for a drink. There was a sign showing details of a coast to coast walking route that

ran through the footpaths. From there the gravel road became narrow and certainly not easily passable by a car. We rode it OK until it became too sandy and it was difficult to ride so we had to push the bikes for quite a distance. In the meantime the lovely morning sunshine had disappeared and the clouds had rolled in and we had a few showers as we pushed the bikes.

We must have had to push the bikes for about one and a half a mile which John found a bit hard on her back. It wasn’t until we got to a farm that we were back to a good gravel road. From there we cycled to a junction at Vittrup where there was a viewing point as it was was one of the highest points in Ribe county. During the war the Nazi’s had set up a radio listening point there. Having climbed the tower for the view which wasn’t bad although the tower could have been a bit higher as the trees had grown up blocking the view to the north. At the bottom there were some picnic benches so we stopped for a brew and some lunch. It was quite windy but we managed to have lunch without getting showered on. Just down the road from the viewing point was a cache in the woods so we decided to go and find it. Well at least I did John got distracted by all the fungi in the wood and spent her time taking photographs of them while I found the cache. From there it was about 1 mile on the gravel road until we met the main road to Lindknud which thankfully was a tarmac road.

It was only a couple of miles to Lundkund and part way along the road at Langdyssen we stopped to have a look at ‘Store Jyndovn’ a Viking long barrow. It is a 117m long and 8m wide long barrow from the Neolithic period, which is one of the largest prehistoric monuments in South Jutland. The barrow dates to around 3500 BC and is clear evidence of the earliest farmers’ views about the dead and their treatment. We had seen similar sites in Denmark on our previous tours. From there it didn’t take us long to get to the outskirts of Lindknud. Just as we stopped to get our bearings l noticed that there was a cache a few hundred metres just down the track to our left so we thought we would take that in as our way into the village. It was just as we had got a couple of hundred yards down the track that we came across the shelter pod. It seemed quite new and well appointed with a fireplace and earth closet the only thing that it didn’t have was any water. We contemplated using the shelters but unfortunately the wind was blowing directly into them, so as there was good grass we would pitch the tent behind a small copse of trees that would give us shelter from the strong wind. Having pitched the tent and whilst John was organising the gear inside I nipped into the village to get some water.

Lindknud to Torp

We had a very comfortable evening at the shelter pod. As there had been good grass and it had been quite windy the shelters were a bit exposed so we had elected to use the tent instead. I had woken early and as we had run out of milk I nipped off to the Brugsen in the village to get some and a few rolls for our lunch. With the tent packed up we headed around the village to take in a couple of the local caches before heading off on the bike route towards Holsted. It had been lovely and sunny earlier in the day but as we cycled on the cloud cover increased and it looked more likely that it might rain. When we got to Brørup gammel Kirke there was a funeral taking place which is always very sad to see. The road from Brørup gammel Kirke once we had left the main road was a nice surfaced gravel road which took us through some farms towards Tirslund. We stopped for some lunch at the Tirslundstenen which is a 3.5m high glacial erratic granite stone, which is 16 metres in circumference and it is the largest stone in Jutland and the second

largest in Denmark. It had been threatening to rain all morning but we managed to make a brew under the trees and escaped most of a small shower.

When we got to Tirslund we picked up bike route 6 which took us on to Holsted Stationsby which was another rather dreary Danish town. Denmark is rather funny in that its villages are usually very nice but their small towns can sometimes be a bit dull and dreary. After seeing a train go through at the railway crossing in town and finding a shop for some supplies we headed off again on bike route 6 towards Hejrskov where the bike route passed under the railway line. At Sønder Lovrup we turned off the bike route 6 and took in a few caches on the road north of the river Holsted. As we were riding along the road near Varho we could see dark black clouds ahead of us which looked like heavy showers and we hoped that it would miss us. We stopped to put our waterproof tops on and debated as to whether to put on bottoms as well but we thought it would miss us. Unfortunately it didn’t and our shorts got absolutely soaked. Fortunately for us the shower didn’t last long and we

cycled through it and then we were treated to a lovely full rainbow which made up for the soaking. After the heavy shower the sun came out and by the time we got to Gørding kirke we were nearly dry. We stopped at the church to pick up a cache and then headed for Torp where we hope to stop for the evening.

On getting to Torp we had the choice of camping at a organic farm or stay at a shelter pod. We decided to look for the shelter pod which we knew was near the scout place. There was a sign for the scout place that took us down a track to some cabins where judging by all the parked cars and the noise of people was the scout place but no sign of the shelter pod. We decided to go and camp at the organic farm back up the road. It was a lovely place with very friendly people who had dogs, cats and ducks. One of their cats took a liking to us. She was a gorgeous tortoiseshell cat and being the cat friendly couple we are we gave her loads of fuss and she stopped with us while we cooked and ate our evening meal. When we decided to put our heads down we gently put her outside, but she just climbed back in through the vent. We closed that and

popped her back out again. She had clearly decided that she was going to sleep with us come what may and then she cramponed her way up to the top of the tent and yowled. The damage to the tent had been done, so we just let her in and she spent the evening curled up between us under the duvet.

Torp to Fanø

When we got up in the morning I checked the damage to our flysheet, there were 37 holes where the cat had cramponed up it. Oh well it was our fault we shouldn’t have encouraged her in. What with the holes that the sheep had put in it when we were in Norway two years ago, it will definitely have to go off to Scottish Mountain Gear for some repairs. We had some repair tape with us but we didn’t want to overstay our welcome so we decided to leave it until we got back to Fanø. We decided to pack up the tent and stop and have our breakfast somewhere further up the road. We said our goodbyes and paid the woman for our stay and headed off. Luckily just about a mile up the road we found a shelter by the side of the

road with a table and benches. The only thing was that it was guarded by an enormous Hornet on the wood work. Fortunately it seemed docile and as soon as the sun warmed it up it flew off.

Suitably refreshed from our breakfast we headed off towards Esbjerg along bike route 6. It was easy cycling and the bike route was clearly marked. There were a few caches along the route which always makes the cycling a bit more fun. At Tjæreborg we stopped at a Brugesen for some lunch and very conveniently there was a picnic bench outside for us to eat and brew up on. At Sønderby we joined route 1 and followed this all the way into Esbjerg. It is a long straight road but it has a cycle track running alongside it away from the road so it was pleasant to ride on. We could see the large tower from the power station near the docks in Esbjerg so we knew we didn’t have that far to go. Fortunately some very kind cacher had put a whole lot of caches along the cycle-path so it helped to keep John going as I could tell that she was by now getting tired. We remembered this route as we had done this part of bike route into Esbjerg 20 years ago and to be honest it didn’t seem to have

changed that much. We were soon in Esbjerg and at the ferry terminal for the Fanø ferry. We were lucky with our timing as just as we bought our tickets the guy told us to hurry as the ferry was just about to leave. It was good to be back on Fanø and we decided to celebrate by stopping at the Pannekoken Haus for a well earned pancake before getting back to the campsite. All in all it was a good little tour which proved to John that she could still do it.

Aalborg to Skovgården Shelter pod

We had arranged with the campsite owner that we could leave our car in a field adjacent the campsite. So having packed everything up on the bikes I left the car where the woman had indicated and we set off. Our plan was to head west from Aalborg on bike route 55 to get to the coast and then follow route 1 up the coast as far as Skagen. After all the heavy rain that we had had yesterday it was a bright sunny day as we followed the the bike route which took us past the port and then over a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the river to the northern side of Aalborg. It was pleasant cycling on bike routes through a park and then through some residential areas with modern flats although there was a bit of a head wind coming off the water. Fortunately the bike route took us inland to Voerbjerb past some allotments and summer houses to a small lake which was clearly used for water skiing. The route was lovely as apart from a very short section alongside the main road we had been on tracks and we hadn’t seen any cars.

Just before Torpet we continued on what must have been an old railway line which continued all the the way to Aabybro and a little way beyond. The first bit was on fine gravel but at Biersted it became tarmac. It was so pleasant to ride along with fields of wheat and barley interspersed with a few woods. At Vadum there was a little diversion off the railway line via some small country lanes but after a couple of miles we were back on the old track bed. One kind cacher had placed lots of caches along the way which made for a bit of fun finding them. At Biersted we stopped for some lunch at the Shelter pod that was just off the bike route before continuing on along the old railway path till we got to Aabybro. Here we stopped to buy some supplies but as we left the town we picked up the bike route which again followed the old railway line which finally stopped at Ryå where we met a road which fortunately had a convienient bus shelter so we took advantage of its seat to stop and have a brew.

From Ryå we were now on proper roads but there wasn’t much traffic. We cycled on for a few more miles amidst woods and farmland until we got to Moseby where we started to look for the Shelter pod. We got to where it was marked on the Shelter app and there was a small wooden sign with faded writing on it and we could so easily have missed it. We followed a track down through the woods which brought us out in a field and the Shelter pod was just down the field edge. There were two shelters and a camp fireplace. The shelters were in good repair and after I had popped along to one of the houses that were back on the road to get some water we settled in for the evening. The shelters were nicely situated as they caught the evening sunshine and later after we had eaten our evening meal we were treated to a lovely sunset.

We had a very peaceful evening and we had been quite comfortable in the shelter. After some breakfast we packed the bikes and headed off towards the coast. We were initially on quiet roads and at Mosetoget we stopped at a small grassed area where there was an old locomotive and a few wagons on a small length of track apparently it was a train that was used to move clay to a brickmakers nearby. There was a multi cache associated with the spot so we decided to solve the questions and find it. The final stage took us through the lovely woods that were close by. A little further on we picked up route 1 and the route then took us through into a small forest on good tracks which eventually brought us into Blukhaus.

Blukhaus is very much a seaside town which although it has a very modern with a central square surrounded by modern shops it had some lovely old thatched buildings most of which seem to be restaurants or bars. We stopped at the Tourist information office where I bought an up to date map. Although we have moved to using electronic maps on my phone and the bike routes in Denmark are well marked I still quite like following a paper map in the map case on my barbag I have decided . As we were in a town we decided that as it was lunchtime we would find a restaurant and have some lunch. Suitably refreshed we headed off along route 1 which took us through the town and on to the strand. It was very much like the strand on Fanø with hard packed sand

which was easy to ride on but unlike Fanø strand this went on for 15km to Løkken. Like Fanø strand cars and buses drive up and down it and there were cars and camper vans parked in various points along the beach with people bathing and children building sandcastles or flying kites. As I was cycling along an ice-cream van came alongside and I had a chat with the guy driving it. He was asking us how far we had come and how far we were going. I asked him how the ice cream sales were going and he wanted the weather to warm up a bit more as proportionally he sold more ice-cream as the temperature went up. We stopped part the way along the strand to try and take a photo of the both of us to put on our Facebook page. We wanted to get both us and the bikes in the shot so a handheld selfie with my phone wasn’t going to work so I was trying to balance my phone on the top of a litter bin when a couple on bikes stopped and the young woman asked me if it would be easier if she could take the photo for us. They were a young couple from Copenhagen who were staying in one of the chalets that were dotted about in amongst the dunes. We thanked them and wished them well for the rest of of their holiday.

It was just while I was putting my phone away that I noticed a man running across the dunes towards us. He was stark naked and ran passed us dodging the cars that were passing and ran into the sea and began swimming. Clearly a common occurrence on Danish beaches as no one batted an eyelid! As we got towards Løkken the sand started to get a bit soft so we had to move on to the wave washed hard pack next to the

sea. It was lovely cycling along with the waves crashing gently to our left. We soon got to Løkken

and turned up the hard and

into the town itself. Løkken is another big seaside resort, after visiting a

supermarket we soon found the campsite. It was a nice campsite more geared up for caravans and it had a lot of cabins for hire. I asked for a quiet location and the guy at the reception directed me to a nice grassy area between a row of cabins and not too far from there kitchen and lounge area. This must have been one of the best we have come across it was really light and clean with superb cooking facilities. It gave us an opportunity to relax and charge up the phones and chat with some Danish couples who were watching a local football match on the TV in the lounge area..

Løkken to Lønstru

It was quite overcast as we set off this morning and as we left Løkken there was a very unusual sky, the clouds all looked pockmarked. I have never seen such a cloud formation like it before. Our route this morning was generally on small roads as we cycle out of Løkken and at Nørre Lyngby we past a sign to the ‘Fishermans Rest’ an English Pub selling ‘Fish & Chips’. If it hadn’t been so early in the day we might have been tempted! When we got to Sønder Rubjerg route one took us along a main road which in comparison to others was fairly busy with tourist traffic going to visit the Rubjerg Knude Fyr. We stopped at a museum just north of Nørre Rubjerg at the old coastal farm of Strandfogedgården it was very interesting as although it was in Danish it had some good exhibits explaining the geography and geology of the North Jutland coastline.

After stopping for some lunch at the museum we headed back up the road and a little further on from the museum we could see the huge sand dunes that make up Lønstrup Klint that dominates that part of the coast. Situated in amongst them is the Rubjerg Knude Fyr. It is a lighthouse that sits on the top of Lønstrup Klint which is a 60m cliff above sea level. The lighthouse was originally built in 1900 but eventually stopped functioning as a lighthouse in 1968. The sands shifted so quickly that the original buildings that were surrounding it that were once used as a museum and coffee shop were swallowed up by the shifting sands and were abandoned in 2002 and later demolished in 2008. The lighthouse tower remains but not for much longer as the erosion on that coast line is 1.5m a year and by 2023 the lighthouse will probably have fallen into the sea. It was a good walk across from the carpark to the lighthouse and back and there were a couple of caches to find along the way. We had a good view from the top of the lighthouse looking back in land at the lovely white painted Kirke at Gammel Venebjerg.

a short ride into Lønstrup and it was good timing as it was 5.30pm, time to find the supermarket and then the campsite. Our timing was also just right again as no sooner had we got the tent up at the campsite then it started to rain. Fortunately the campsite had a kitchen and a place to eat our evening meal. That evening as we got into our tent we found we had a visitor, a great big toad who had clearly come out with the rain to have an explore around for food.

Lønstrup to Hirtshals

After last evening’s rain we woke to a bright sunny morning and after packing up the tent we sat outside the kitchen area to eat our breakfast and to soak up the morning sunshine. After our breakfast we headed back up route 1 which was mostly on small roads through a myriad of summerhouses through Harrerenden and then the seaside resort of Skallerup. Just after Skallerup we must have made a slight wrong turn somewhere as we ended up in the Klithusegaarden equestrian center which didn’t seem to matter as it was open to the public. We stopped for a while to look at the horse and ponies and watch a farrier shoeing a horse which we always find fascinating. The route from there took us to the Skallerup Inlanddunes reserve. Just as we got to the little visitors center we meet a family of tourers who were cooking a meal on a Trangia stove on the picnic bench outside. They were a family from Sweden cooking up their lunch, I said that it smelt good but the young lad didn’t look too impressed. They had been out touring for a few days and staying in the shelterpads en route. They reckoned that they now needed a campsite for a good shower. We told them that the site at Lønstrup was good and had good showers.

The visitors center was interesting as it was clearly an converted old barn. What was interesting was the fact that the bike route was signposted right through it. Unfortunately the interpretive boards were all in Danish but we got the gist of what was on the reserve. Several Swallows had made their nests in the roof of the center and kept flitting in and out of the two entrances and there were several young Swallows sitting on the roof beams waiting to be feed. Once we had left the reserve we were back going through to open farmland with some ripe Oat fields ready to be harvested near Kæsgård. From there the bike route took us through the Tornby Plantage. We decided to stop for some lunch at a couple of picnic benches at a car park just into the woods. There were a couple of other tourers sat at one of them and we said hello and got chatting to them. They were Isabelle and Peter from Colorado who were doing the North Sea Bike route from Bergen to Hamburg. We talked about how we had toured parts of the NSCR ourselves and they were interested in doing the British section which we haven’t as yet done. We talked about that idiot Trump, they like us couldn’t believe that he got elected. They said that in the poor Afro-American areas they had to queue for up to 4 hours to vote as they had deliberately put in too few polling stations. We talked about the Shelter pod and I showed them the Shelter app. After a long chat we finally said our goodbyes and wished them well for the rest of their tour.

The track through the plantage was undulating and at one point we came to a bend in the track and there was a proper road sign with ‘Løse Sten’ written on it. Sure enough there was a steep drop to a bend with loose stones which we took carefully. What bike route in a forest in the UK would have a proper road sign or even a warning sign of some sort? The plantage was clearly popular with horse riders as we came across several. When we got to the outskirts of Hirtshals we spotted the lighthouse and the sign to the bunker museum and we turned in to have a look at it. They opened up one of the Bunkers and there was an exhibition in it and a couple of the rooms laid out as they would have been during WWII. Outside there were an extensive network of bunkers and radar stations. We explored a few of them and then had a look at the lighthouse climbing right to the top.

Hirtshals to Tversted Plantage

We wanted to go on the Bunker tour which was at 2.00pm so we decide to go to the Nordsøen Oceanarium in the morning. The Nordsøen Oceanarium is the biggest sea life center in Northern Europe and it was quite interesting place with numerous different tanks full of different types of fish which you could get right close to see the fish. It was a enormous building with several levels and you really need the plan they gave you to navigate around it. We heard announcements for the Seal feeding and it took awhile to work out how to get there as it was outside but up a level. When we eventually found it was one of the best bits as the seals were so comical when feeding and it was quite fun to watch. After having some lunch at the restaurant in the Oceanarium we headed back over to the lighthouse and the Bunker museum only to find that I had misread the sign and that they only did the tours in July. We decided anyway to go explore the area ourselves. One of the bunkers had been taken over by the local primary school and the children had turned it into a garden. It was quite nice to see a icon of war turned into something peaceful.

After exploring the various bunkers which were very similar to the ones we had explored on Fanø we thought we had better get going if we were to get to Skagen. On getting back to the bikes we bumped into 9 Norwegian guys who were touring on various odd bikes, there was 3 guys on a extended tandem pulling a huge Plastic Tuborg beer bottle on a trailer, two guys on cargo bikes one with a trailer with a sound system on it.

And a couple of others on standard bikes with trailers. We got chatting to them they had just got off the ferry and were going to tour around Denmark. They had been doing this tour together for the last 12 years, we called it the ‘Jolly Boys Outing’ after the Only Fools and Horses TV show. We said our goodbyes and wished them well for their tour. It didn’t take us too long to get back across Hirtshals and back on to route 1. We were soon back on easygoing gravel tracks through the woods of the Lillelien Klitplantage. John always likes cycling through woods as there are usually plenty of fungi to photograph and at one point she found this huge Wood Ant nest which must have been at least 3ft high. Unfortunately the good weather of the morning hadn’t lasted and it become overcast but it wasn’t cold. The route took us along more forest tracks through the Uggerby Plantage where we came across this amazing mobile wood chipper. The guy operating it was so adept with his use of the grab arm and he made short work of clearing a huge pile of fir tree tops and brashings.

As we approached Tversted the track passed through sand dunes and there was a lovely arched bridge over the Uggerby Å. When we got to Tversted village we ask a guy for directions to a supermarket and he directed us to one that was only a couple of hundred meters down the road. Suitably provisioned up we head back onto route 1 on a small road until we got the Tversted Plantage where we were again back on to forest tracks. We soon found the Shelter pod which was just off the track near the Østerklit Stokmølle which was a lovely old mill. One of the shelters was being used by a family so went and used the other one. I went over to the mill to get some water and we sat in the shelter having a brew. The family in the other shelter packed up their bikes and headed off, we thought it was a little late to be setting off. But about 5 minutes after they left it absolutely threw it down with rain, 10 minutes later the family reappeared and got back in the shelter. It rained solidly for the rest of the evening so it was probably a good idea that the family did turn back as they would have got absolutely soaked.

Tversted Plantage to Skagen

After it had been raining all evening we woke to a beautiful morning. What a lovely spot to wake up in. It was quite still and there was a mist over the heath and heather and the windmill looked pristine white in the morning sun. Everything was steaming in the morning sunshine after the evening’s rain and there were small frogs jumping across the path as I walked across to the mill to go to the loo. There were Swallows and House Martins zooming around the building and perching on the sails of the windmill. Inside the windmill the old machinery was all still there and there were some old wagons and a sledge. As I returned I met John coming across the heath she too commented on the number of frogs. On my return I got the stove going and we had breakfast. One of the nice things about using the shelter pod is that you don’t have a tent to pack up and after last evening’s rain it would have taken a while to dry it out, although in the morning sunshine it perhaps wouldn’t have take too long. Just before we left we went over to have a chat with the family who were in the other shelter. They were from Hungary and were cycle touring around Denmark and were off to Hirtshals the way we had come yesterday. They were hoping to go to the sealife center and we told them that they would enjoy it and we wished them well for the rest of their journey.

Our route to Skagen took us again on forest tracks out of the Tversted Plantage to Skiveren where there were some lovely thatched houses with pink rendered walls they reminded us of being back in Suffolk. From Skiveren we joined a road which took us to the white painted Råbjerb Kirke. We had been heading east but a couple of miles from the Kirke we turned north on more tracks across heath and dunes and passed close to the Råbjerg Mile which was a huge set of sand dunes and we could see people standing on top of them. The whole of this top end of Jutland is built of shifting sand moved by the action of wind and waves and the tip at Grenen above Skagen is growing daily. From the Råbjerg Mile we back into the forest of the Bunken Plantage and guess what it was full of concrete bunkers but this time judging by the design these were not German bunkers from the Atlantic wall but looked more modern probably from the cold war. After the Plantage we came to the village of Hulsig where the bike route took us past the local railway station just as train was about to come in so we stopped to have a look. They were spanking new trains with sliding doors and the carriage was level with the platform and we watched a woman easily push her bike onto the train. They were so much nicer than our old Greater Anglia trains.

good tarmac bike route initially across heathland and then in to the into the Skagen Klitplantage. It was a popular bike route and we met quite a lot of recreational cyclists. In the forest there several picnic benches along the path complete with there on water standpipe, these Danes have things well organised. We soon reached Kirkkilit where our campsite was. It was a lovely afternoon when we got to the campsite and we put up the tent and got the gear inside. We decided that we would have a cup of tea before we headed off to have a look around Skagen. To save time we decided to use the cooking place at the campsite it gave us an opportunity to charge our phones. Mine phone being completely flat as I was without the e-werk. I must admit both of us nearly fell asleep sitting there and John said if we don’t get going soon we will never get going. Just as we left the cookhouse it started to spit with rain so we hurried back to the tent. We hoped that it was a shower but it rained almost continuously throughout the rest of the afternoon, that evening and the evening. It was so heavy at one point during the evening that it woke us both up as it hammered down on the tent.

Skagen

We woke to a reasonable morning which seemed to get better as the sun came out as we were having breakfast. There was was hardly a cloud in the sky then so we got everything out of the tent in the sun to dry it and get the tent dry after all that overevening rain. John kept saying that the clouds are starting to build and I don’t like the look of those clouds we need to hurry up. I said the forecast is for good weather. Anyway she was right as I had just rolled up the exped mats when it started to rain. There was a mad scrabble to grab towels and jackets that were out drying and we dived back into the tent. Fortunately it was a short shower and it came out sunny again. We were keen get the tent packed away dry as we were heading back to Aalborg on the train and then back home. With everything packed away dry we headed off towards Skagen and on the way spotted the sign to The Sct. Laurentii Kirke known as ‘The Buried Church’. The original church had been buried in the shifting sands and what remains today is the whitewashed tower which dates back to the 15th century. The rest of the church was demolished in the 18th century and the church tower was left as a sea mark.

From there we rode into Skagen itself and stopped at the Kystmuseet which is an open air museum with examples of old Danish houses, windmills and an old Lifeboat House.We had a look around the center of Skagen and its port lined on one side with busling seafood restaurants before heading to the most northern point of Denmark the Grenen. Along the way we came across the Vippefyr a most ingenious lighthouse beacon. It was such a simple idea as the beacon was on the end of a large counter weighted arm so the beacon could be easily raised and lowered in was originally built in 1627 and the present one is a replica. The road out to the Grenen has a good cyclepath running alongside it and part way along we passed the ‘Grå fyr’ (grey lighthouse) which was built in 1858 as a replacement for the ‘Hvide fyr’ (white Lighthouse) which we had past earlier just north of the town. The ‘Grå fyr’, which is 46 m high and was designed by Danish architect N.S. Nebelong is Denmark’s second tallest lighthouse. The honour for the tallest being taken by the Dueodde Fyr on Bornholm, which is apparently one metre taller. We soon got to the carpark area for the Grenen which means ‘the branch’ in Danish which is a bank of sand on the Skagens Odde and is the most northern tip of Denmark where the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas meet. We did try and cycle to it but the road was too sandy so we returned to the car park area and caught the Sandormen (the sandworm) which is a large coach trailer pulled by a tractor. It took us right out to the point where the the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas converge. It was quite dramatic as the waves were crashing onto the spit from both sides there were black skies ahead and behind us. John elected to take her boots off and stop with a foot in both seas.

On returning to the car park and our bikes the black skies over Skagen were very dramatic and we got some good photos before heading to the Skagen Bunker museum which was close by the to the carpark. It was a good move as just as we got there it started to rain. The Bunker museum was very interesting and by far the best we’ve seen in Denmark. Not only did it have some of the rooms recreated as they would have been in WWII it had some other relics from the german occupation. The most chilling exhibit was the list of deaths by each country in WWII. When we got back out of the museum we had missed the heavy rain and headed back into the town. Our train to Aalborg wasn’t until 6.30pm so we decided to go and have something to eat at the seafood restaurants near the port. Suitably refreshed from that we head for the station. The local train to Frederikshavn was the same train that we had seen at Hulsig station and with its sliding doors and carriages at the same level as the platform it was so easy to wheel our bikes on to it. However when we got to Frederikshavn we had to change trains to an intercity train to Aalborg. These clearly hadn’t changed in the last 20 years as they still had the 3 huge steps to negotiate with our heavily laden touring bikes. Once we had them on the carriage there were places for them but it was hard work! The train ride to Aalborg was fairly uneventful and we got off at Aalborg Vestby St. Although it was a high level station above the road it fortunately had a lift to get us and our bikes down to the street level. From the station it was a short distance along Kastetvej to the campsite where we found our car in the field next to the campsite. After loading the bikes onto the bike rack I quickly popped next door to see the woman in the campsite reception to tell her we were back a we had picked up the our car. We then headed south to get us on our way home.