The Globe Trotter: 25 January
When you visit somewhere special, a beauty spot that mass tourism hasn’t yet discovered, it’s tempting to keep it to yourself. I found such a place recently.
Look at a map of Western Europe, trace a line eastwards from Aberdeen, and at the very top of Denmark you’ll see a slim, slightly hooked finger of land pointing to Sweden. This is the stunningly beautiful coastal area in and around the fishing town of Skagen.
The promontory has stunning white sandy beaches and pristine landscapes, and in summer Danes flock here, temporarily raising the population from a resident 9,000 to 50,000 in a single day. One of the other chief draws is Grenen, ‘the Branch’, a headland of shifting sand where two seas, Kattegat and Skagerrak, meet – stroll to the end and you can watch the turbulent waters wrapping around each other. It’s also the very northern point of continental Europe.
But the most extraordinary thing about Skagen is the light. Some say it’s due to the reflective sands, others that it’s because the area is surrounded by sea and the landscape has no big buildings to block out the sun. Whatever the reason, it is this golden light that attracted painters here in the late 1800s. Quickly, a colony of Danish and Nordic artists was established that included Anna and Michael Ancher and PS Krøyer – his best-loved work is probably Summer Evening On The Skagen Southern Beach With Anna Ancher And Marie Krøyer (his very beautiful wife).
The Skagen Painters were joined by writers and poets, including Holger Drachmann, and architects – among them Ulrik Plesner, who designed many of the town’s beautiful buildings. These include Skagen Museum, which holds more than 1,800 works of art, many by the famous group, as well as the original dining room from the fabulous Brøndum’s Hotel where the artists used to meet – Hans Christian Andersen and Karen Blixen stayed here.
The white beaches of Skagen
You can stay at this hotel, too, and enjoy wonderful food in the restaurant (seafood here is superb, perhaps because Skagen is Denmark’s biggest fishing port), or near the seafront there’s Hotel Plesner. This delightful, 16-room boutique hotel is close to Skagen’s splendid selection of shops and galleries (I spent a fortune!). Skagen also has its own beer – the old power station has been turned into a brewery – and there’s a nice little Spa Centre at the Color Hotel.
Your trip to Skagen must include a visit to the Den Tilsandede Kirke (the sand-buried church) – it’s exactly what it says on the tin, a church half-buried in sand. It was built in the 14th century. The area’s shifting sands, put down to wind and currents, meant that the congregation had to dig their way in when they wanted to attend services. In 1795, they finally gave up and now only the tower is visible – an extraordinary sight in a truly extraordinary destination.
Rooms at the Hotel Plesner in Skagen cost from Dkk995 (about £109) per night: www.hotelplesner.dk
Car hire from Avis: www.avis.com
www.skagen-tourist.dk or www.visitdenmark.com
Contact Wendy at wendygomersall@lady.co.uk
Swiss Miss
Inntravel’s new holiday, Jemima Morrell’s Victorian Adventure, marks the 150th anniversary of the first documented ‘package tour of Switzerland’. In 1863, Miss Jemima Morrell and six companions travelled from Leukerbad to Lucerne, and Jemima captured their adventures in her journal. Twelve nights cost from £1,740 per person. 01653-617007, www.inntravel.co.uk
Good vibrations
Switzerland’s Grand Resort Bad Ragaz offers guests a 75-minute Sound Journey spa treatment. The therapy uses special singing bowls to create positive vibrations that lead to deep relaxation (£135 per person). Double rooms from 490 Swiss francs (about £330) per night, including breakfast, use of facilities and fitness lessons. 00 41 81 3033030, www.resortragaz.ch
Look at a map of Western Europe, trace a line eastwards from Aberdeen, and at the very top of Denmark you’ll see a slim, slightly hooked finger of land pointing to Sweden. This is the stunningly beautiful coastal area in and around the fishing town of Skagen.
The promontory has stunning white sandy beaches and pristine landscapes, and in summer Danes flock here, temporarily raising the population from a resident 9,000 to 50,000 in a single day. One of the other chief draws is Grenen, ‘the Branch’, a headland of shifting sand where two seas, Kattegat and Skagerrak, meet – stroll to the end and you can watch the turbulent waters wrapping around each other. It’s also the very northern point of continental Europe.
But the most extraordinary thing about Skagen is the light. Some say it’s due to the reflective sands, others that it’s because the area is surrounded by sea and the landscape has no big buildings to block out the sun. Whatever the reason, it is this golden light that attracted painters here in the late 1800s. Quickly, a colony of Danish and Nordic artists was established that included Anna and Michael Ancher and PS Krøyer – his best-loved work is probably Summer Evening On The Skagen Southern Beach With Anna Ancher And Marie Krøyer (his very beautiful wife).
The Skagen Painters were joined by writers and poets, including Holger Drachmann, and architects – among them Ulrik Plesner, who designed many of the town’s beautiful buildings. These include Skagen Museum, which holds more than 1,800 works of art, many by the famous group, as well as the original dining room from the fabulous Brøndum’s Hotel where the artists used to meet – Hans Christian Andersen and Karen Blixen stayed here.
The white beaches of SkagenYou can stay at this hotel, too, and enjoy wonderful food in the restaurant (seafood here is superb, perhaps because Skagen is Denmark’s biggest fishing port), or near the seafront there’s Hotel Plesner. This delightful, 16-room boutique hotel is close to Skagen’s splendid selection of shops and galleries (I spent a fortune!). Skagen also has its own beer – the old power station has been turned into a brewery – and there’s a nice little Spa Centre at the Color Hotel.
Your trip to Skagen must include a visit to the Den Tilsandede Kirke (the sand-buried church) – it’s exactly what it says on the tin, a church half-buried in sand. It was built in the 14th century. The area’s shifting sands, put down to wind and currents, meant that the congregation had to dig their way in when they wanted to attend services. In 1795, they finally gave up and now only the tower is visible – an extraordinary sight in a truly extraordinary destination.
Getting there
Skagen can be reached from Gatwick to Aalborg, from £48 one way, then a 90-minute drive: www.norwegian.comRooms at the Hotel Plesner in Skagen cost from Dkk995 (about £109) per night: www.hotelplesner.dk
Car hire from Avis: www.avis.com
www.skagen-tourist.dk or www.visitdenmark.com
Contact Wendy at wendygomersall@lady.co.uk
Other highlights
Flower powerThe first Blenheim Palace Flower Show, 21 to 23 June, will feature more than 150 floral and gardens exhibitors, a Grand Floral Marquee with RHS judges, 10 garden landscapes, food and refreshments. Advance tickets cost from £10. To book visit www.blenheimpalace.com or call 01702 549 623.
Swiss Miss
Inntravel’s new holiday, Jemima Morrell’s Victorian Adventure, marks the 150th anniversary of the first documented ‘package tour of Switzerland’. In 1863, Miss Jemima Morrell and six companions travelled from Leukerbad to Lucerne, and Jemima captured their adventures in her journal. Twelve nights cost from £1,740 per person. 01653-617007, www.inntravel.co.uk
Good vibrations
Switzerland’s Grand Resort Bad Ragaz offers guests a 75-minute Sound Journey spa treatment. The therapy uses special singing bowls to create positive vibrations that lead to deep relaxation (£135 per person). Double rooms from 490 Swiss francs (about £330) per night, including breakfast, use of facilities and fitness lessons. 00 41 81 3033030, www.resortragaz.ch