Carina brings plenty of plastic bags, a huge roll of aluminium foil and two different coloured felt-tip pens to our breakfast table. We are a little puzzled. Should we make something now, should we draw something? Actually, after a fantastic morning meal at Hotel Højgaarden, we were about to set off on our second stage through North Jutland. In other words, through the north of Jutland, as the large peninsula between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea is called in German. We started in Aalborg; the route took us to the west coast of Jutland on the first day. To Jammerbugt, which actually bears its name because so many people from the coast lost their lives on the rough North Sea. From there, the route continues southwards, through Thy National Park, finally heading east to the Mors peninsula in the Limfjord, and then in numerous detours more or less along the coast of Denmark's largest sea route back to Aalborg.
Smørrebrød for the pannier
Carina comes back to our table, she is an extremely friendly person, but now she even looks a little stern and says: "Wait a minute, I'll be right back. She brings a platter of smoked salmon, a portion of liver pâté, egg salad and herring salad - as if there weren't already enough goodies on the buffet. "You must make your own smørrebrød to take away. If you keep travelling, there won't be anywhere to eat for ages." Then she mumbles something in Danish that sounds like: "If you want to starve, here you go...".
We don't quite believe her, but because she is so nice, can look so stern and the ingredients are so temptingly delicious, we diligently make smørrebrød. We layer cheese and ham, put tomatoes, pickles and fresh herbs in between, combine liver pâté with berry jam, wrap up fish and even spread a sandwich with potatoes on top, refined with remoulade and onions. Yes, bread with "kartofler" is actually part of the smørrebrød culture, which is almost sacred to the Danes. Carina is satisfied and we are allowed to leave.
Here we go: Stage 2 of our cycle tour through North Jutland
The path soon leads through an impressive dune landscape. You can hear the sound of the sea, the crunching of tyres on the gravel paths, nothing else. There is nothing but landscape far and wide. Was Carina perhaps right after all? No, she wasn't, even though the area up here in western Jutland is really lonely. But thanks to a tip from her boss Niels, we head for Thorup Strand. And that's just 20 kilometres, so you really won't starve. Niels, head chef at Højgaardens Hotel, told us that he had bought the freshly caught plaice the night before from the fishermen at Thorup Strand. I have never eaten such fantastically fresh fish in my life - and I live in Germany just 50 kilometres from the North Sea.
So we had a small lunch - "Frokost" in Danish - where the fish is caught. Thorup Strand is also a thoroughly nice place by the sea. When the fishermen are not out on the North Sea, their boats are moored in the sand on the beach. Here on the west coast of Jutland, the fishing boats are simply pulled onto the beach with a tractor or bulldozer and "parked" there.
We didn't just eat
So as not to give the wrong impression: Of course, we didn't just eat, we also cycled. The mostly well-signposted cycle paths initially lead us from Thorup Strand through typical Danish farmland, through sweeping fields of grain, past small lakes and those typical whitewashed churches - but then at some point into a very special landscape that you wouldn't expect to find in hygge Denmark. "A bit like Africa," says my fellow cyclist Henning. "A bit like the Lüneburg Heath," I was about to say. That may sound daft, but somehow both are true.
To the north, you can see as far as the horizon; to the west, a wooded hill borders the heather-covered plain. As we are travelling in mid-August, the heather is in purple-violet bloom, which is reminiscent of the Lüneburg Heath and looks particularly pretty. Not far from the cycle path, the water of a small lake glistens in the sun. No giraffes, no heather sheep to be seen at the watering hole. So: neither Africa nor Lüneburg Heath, definitely North Jutland.
Cycling holiday in the home of the Tour de France winner
At Vigsø, the cycle path leads back to the North Sea. We could recognise this from afar - from the many kites floating in the air. The coast here is clearly an Eldorado for wind and kite surfers. Hundreds of camper vans, mainly from Germany, are parked here while their visitors let off steam on the North Sea waves. The many campers don't really bother us, but something smells terrible. Somehow like a dead animal. In Hanstholm, we finally find out. The town seems to consist only of fish-processing businesses. A certain Jonas Vingegaard worked in one of these fish factories alongside his cycling careerbecause his career as a professional cyclist didn't really take off at first. A few years later, in the summer of 2022, the man from Nordjylland won the Tour de France.
We roll past the former workplace of the Tour winner as quickly as possible and marvel at the bunkers in the dunes that the Nazis once built here as part of the gigantic Atlantic Wall to prevent an invasion by the Western Allies.
Dunes stretching to the horizon in Denmark's most beautiful national park
After Hanstholm, we set course for Klitmøller. The way there is once again a natural spectacle. To the right, the waves of the choppy North Sea thunder onto the beach, the dune grass sways silvery in the wind, illuminated by the sun, and to the left, this very special dune heath landscape stretches as far as the horizon. This landscape, interspersed with numerous lakes, is part of Thy National Park, the oldest and certainly the most beautiful national park in Denmark.
This extraordinary landscape was created during the last ice age, when the ice masses moved underground and the land was raised. It was formed by the strong sand drift in the coastal area. Time and again, the coastal inhabitants had to leave their homes and relocate because of the sand drift. Beach grass and trees were planted to protect against the sand, and the latter still characterise the landscape today alongside the dune heaths.
The Danes proudly call the area their "greatest wilderness", and we now know again what Carina meant. As far as the eye can see, there is not a single sign of civilisation - no supermarket, no restaurant, no nothing. But luckily we have our Smørrebrød with us ...
After the surfing hotspot Klitmøller, also known as "Cold Hawaii", we say goodbye to the North Sea and Thy National Park with a heavy heart and head towards the Limfjord. It had no connection to the North Sea until the 19th century, when the headland between Agger Tange and Haroøre Tange was destroyed in the mighty February flood of 1825. In the case of the Limfjord, a fjord is not really what you would generally expect from the fjords in Norway. But it is still beautiful along this 1500 square kilometre waterway, which has been connecting the Skagerrak in the west and the Kattegat in the east for almost 200 years.
The landscape of North Jutland tells us the history of the earth
At Nees Sound, we take the ferry across to Mors. From there, we cross the largest island in the Limfjord to Nykøbing Mors. Our hotel is right on the water, but unlike the rough North Sea, the waves here lapping gently against the beach. The landscape on Mors is lovely, but in the north of Mors it is downright mountainous by Danish standards. At the 61 metre high Hanklit on the cliffs, the so-called Moler, a sedimentary rock that is almost exclusively found here, is piled up with fossils and layers of volcanic ash and tells the observer something about 55 million years of geological history. And the spot at the top of the cliff is also a wonderful place to eat home-made smørrebrød with the best view over the Limfjord - today topped with slices of rullepølse, pork belly stuffed with herbs.
After Thisted, the path repeatedly leads directly along the fjord, sometimes even directly over the water on embankments. There is chattering, quacking and chirping, herons probe the surface of the water, duck families glide over the water, and the diving specialists among the waterfowl usually only have their rumps peeking out of the water. Parts of the Limfjord are designated bird sanctuaries. Gourmets, on the other hand, appreciate the oysters and mussels grown in the fjord, especially those in Løgstør.
Simply hygge - the Danish attitude to life
Not all the places on our tour are really picturesque and cosy, hygge, as the Danes would say. Løgstør, with its small fishermen's cottages on the water's edge, definitely is. Cosy or picturesque would not explain this "hygge" or hyggelig properly. It also stands for coming together with other people, it stands for tolerance and serenity. It is something like the attitude to life of the Danes, who are repeatedly named as the happiest people in the world in numerous surveys and polls.
Cycling in North Jutland is definitely hygge and has also made us pretty happy. Our happiness is perfect as we sit on the harbour front in Aalborg on the morning of our departure and enjoy our Smørrebrød with one last view of the Limfjord.
North Jutland cycle tour - tips & info
Tour character
From Aalborg, the capital of North Jutland, the 400-kilometre tour leads north of the Limfjord to the North Sea coast, where it first heads south through the impressive Thy National Park. A little south of Klitmøller, the surfing spot par excellence in Denmark, the route continues eastwards to the Limfjord. Via the island of Mors, the towns of Thisted and Løgstør, you return to Aalborg - often with a view of the fjord.
Denmark is definitely a cycle-friendly country. The paths there are well signposted and large parts of the route run along the Vestkystruten, the Danish part of the North Sea Cycle Route, as well as the Limfjordsruten. The majority of the route is on tarmac paths or easily passable gravel, with very few really bumpy tracks. The route never climbs higher than 60 metres, but there are a few steep inclines along the way. The wind definitely plays a bigger role in Nordjylland, blowing mostly from the North Sea - and often with wind force 5 or more.
Tour itinerary
Aalborg - Aabyro - Tranum Strand - Slettestrand - Hjortdal - Thorup Strand - Frøstrup - Viggsø - Hanstholm - Klitmøller - Stjenberg - Bedsted - Næssund - Tæbring - Nykøbing Mors - Ejerslev - Sejerslev - Bjergby - Vilsund Vest - Thisted - Amtoft - Øsløs - Vester Thorup - Løgstør - Farstrup - Sebbersund - Nibe - Nørholm - Aalborg
GPX data for the cycle tour in Denmark
You can download the GPX track for the cycle tour to the north-west of Denmark download here for free or find them in the MYBIKE Collection "Through the wild west of Denmark" on komoot.
Arrival
Car: Northern lights can easily cover the distance in one day. It is around 450 kilometres from Hamburg. The route crosses the border after Flensburg and reaches its destination via Kolding and Aarhus.
Railway: It takes around six hours by train from Hamburg. There are connections where you have to change trains in Flensburg and Fredericia, while others do not require a change in Flensburg. The connections via Odense on Funen take a little longer. You must register in advance if you wish to take a bicycle with you. You can find connections on the Deutsche Bahn or Danske Statsbaner (DSB) websites.
Places of interest in Nordjylland
Perhaps Denmark's most famous architect comes from Aalborg. The Utzon Centre on the harbour front commemorates Jørn Utzon, the creator of the world-famous opera house in Sydney.
The Finnish master architect Alvar Aalto built "Kunsten", the museum of modern art in the capital of North Jutland.
Along the way, nature is the main attraction, especially the Thy National Park. Exciting background information on this extraordinary landscape can be found at the information centre at Stenbjerg Landingplads.
The Limfjordmuseet in Løgstør provides information about the history of fishing and shows in several aquariums how life in the fjord has changed since the breakthrough to the North Sea.
In a museum bunker and a documentation centre in Hanstholm, you can learn about the largest Nazi fortification in Northern Europe, part of the Atlantic Wall.
Accommodation
- Slettestrand Hotel Højgaarden, 9690 Fjerritslev - hojgaarden.dk
- Stenbjerg Stenbjerg Kro, 7752 Snedsted - stenbjerg-kro.dk
- Nykøbing Mors Danhostel, 7900 Nykøbing Mors - danhostelmors.dk
- Thisted Hotel Thisted, 7700 Thisted - hotelthisted.dk/en
- Løgstør Løgstør Parkhotel, 9670 Løgstør - logstorparkhotel.dk
- Aalborg Hotel Kompas, 9000 Aalborg - kompashotel.dk/en
Food and drink
On the North Sea coast and around the Limfjord, freshly caught fish and seafood characterise the culinary offering. The finest oysters are farmed in the Limfjord, and mussels are another speciality, especially those around Løgstør. Otherwise, you will find a pølser stall on every other corner in the north of Jutland, where, among other things, Rød Pølser are offered kogt (boiled) or risted (fried) and made into hot dogs with dried fried onions, gherkins and plenty of sauces. The red sausages are almost as popular in Denmark as the smørrebrød variations. While Danish cuisine was otherwise quite boring until a few years ago, the country has now made enormous progress in culinary terms. Many restaurants are now focussing on fresh, regional and high-quality cuisine.
MYBIKE tip
Aalborg Streetfood: Various vendors cook fresh food in an old factory building right on the waterfront. There are no Danish delicacies, but there are delicious dishes from all over the world in a cosy atmosphere and at reasonable prices.
Maps
ADFC cycle tour map, Denmark Jutland North, scale 1:150,000, 9.95 euros
Information/Planning
The websites of Visit Nordjylland and Visit Denmark are good places to start when planning your trip.
Bicycle service and hire
Vestkyst Cykeludlejning is based in Løkken on the North Sea coast, but delivers hire bikes to Aalborg or to the start of the route in Nordjylland for a reasonable price. They offer e-bikes (200 DK per day/1100 DK per week) and two different city bikes (120 DK per day/550 DK per week), which are also great for travelling.
