Denmark - Aalborg and Lonstrup

We had a short two-hour flight to the city of Aalborg, situated on the main waterway and gateway to northern Jutland. Located on the Limfjord, Aalborg has a long history as an important seaport, although today it is better known as a lively, modern university city.

There is plenty to see and do in Aalborg, with a great mix of history, culture and modern attractions. Highlights include the Musikkens Hus, the Utzon Center and Jens Bang’s House, a fascinating historic building and former apothecary that operated for nearly 300 years before finally closing in 2013. The city also has lots of lovely pedestrianised shopping streets, cafés and restaurants, making it a great place to explore on foot.

We hired a car and headed north-west from Aalborg, stopping first at the amazing Viking burial grounds and museum at Lindholm Høje. From there, we drove on to Lønstrup, a charming seaside town on the west coast with beautiful beaches, lovely fish restaurants, galleries and cafés to explore.

Just south of Lønstrup is the spectacular Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. Perched amongst enormous sand dunes, the lighthouse has become famous because of the rapidly eroding coastline. In 2019, the entire lighthouse was carefully moved further inland to protect it from falling into the sea. Even after being moved, the relentless movement of the coastline means that it may eventually need to be moved again.

We also visited Skagen, Denmark’s northernmost town, which is a lovely place to wander around, with its colourful buildings, galleries, shops and cafés. From Skagen, we travelled to Grenen, a fascinating sand peninsula just north of the town. This is where the North Sea and Baltic Sea meet, creating the famous sight of two bodies of water coming together. The meeting of the seas, combined with the currents and differing water conditions, creates an impressive natural spectacle.

This part of Denmark was completely new to us, but we absolutely loved it. There is such a wonderful combination of beautiful scenery, fascinating history, charming towns and great food, and we would definitely go back.

If you’re thinking of exploring northern Jutland, I’d be very happy to help you plan your trip and share some of the places we discovered along the way.