A Tour Guide on Summer Holiday: My Insider Tips for the "Nose" of Denmark
Actually, I'm the one who shows you everything up here in the north. Through my work as a tour guide, I really know every stone and every story between the yellow houses of Skagen, the harbor of Strandby, and the idyll of Sæby. This is my home, this is where I work, and this is where my heart belongs to the history of our coast.
But once a year, always in August, I leave my territory and head south to the Djursland peninsula.
This trip is a labor of love for me: I visit my Danish teacher. She originally comes from Randers and moved to Germany over 40 years ago for love. There she taught me for years and prepared me for my life in Denmark, long before I took the leap to move here myself. When she now enjoys her "summer holiday" in her summer house in her old homeland in August, it's the perfect occasion for me to return the visit.
Through these annual visits, I've been able to explore the area thoroughly. Here are my detailed insider tips for you:
Ebeltoft - Half-Timbered Houses, Glass, and Sea Giants
Ebeltoft in August is like a living museum. The narrow alleyways with their rough cobblestones and blooming hollyhocks have a special charm all their own.
- Det Gamle Rådhus: Probably the smallest town hall in the world. A photo in front of this crooked half-timbered building is a must.
- Fregatten Jylland: The longest wooden ship in the world lies here in the harbor. You can descend deep into the hull and experience firsthand how sailors lived and worked there over 150 years ago.
- Glass Art: Ebeltoft is world-famous for its glass museum. You can watch glassblowers at work—a fascinating craft that never ceases to captivate me.
- Culinary Delights at the Harbor: For a quick bite, I recommend Røgeriet Ebeltoft for freshly smoked fish straight from the hand. If you prefer something cozier: Karens Køkken serves fantastic, hearty fish platters with a view of the shipyard.
Grenaa - Where the Sharks Live and the Sand is Finest
- Kattegatcentret: An absolute highlight. In the glass tunnel, sharks and rays swim directly over your heads. There are also penguins, and you learn incredibly much about the ecosystem of the seas that surround us.
- Grenaa Strand: It's considered one of Denmark's best swimming beaches. The sand is incredibly fine and the Baltic Sea water here is usually a bit warmer than in our far north.
Wild Experiences and Vast Views
Djursland offers an incredible density of experiences that you can wonderfully combine in a single day:
- Ree Park Safari & Skandinavisk Dyrepark: Here you experience animals in huge natural enclosures. The bears and wolves in Skandinavisk Dyrepark are particularly impressive.
- Mols Bjerge National Park: The rolling landscape is a great contrast to my flat north. Drive to Sletterhage Fyr. The lighthouse sits at a spot where the water is extremely deep. You can watch huge ships pass by very close—a place with incredible peace and quiet.
- Kalø Slotsruin: A walk across the 700-year-old dam to this majestic castle ruin in the water is pure magic, especially in the evening light.
A Detour to My Teacher's Hometown: Randers
Since my teacher comes from Randers, a visit to this area is simply part of it:
- Hvidsten Kro: This historic inn is a legend. You must try their traditional "Æggekage" there—an opulent omelet with bacon and tomatoes that has been served there for generations.
- Gammel Estrup: A magnificent Renaissance castle that today houses the Danish Agricultural Museum. Here you get wonderful insight into the lives of the nobility and servants in past centuries.
This annual trip is for me a wonderful way to say thank you—to the woman who taught me the language that I speak every day in my adopted homeland. Even though it always draws me quickly back to Skagen and Sæby afterward, Djursland in August has its own special charm.
