Skagen

Skagen, or Grenen was the final destination of our summertrip around Jylland in the summer of 2026. The iconic Den Tilsandede Kirke and Kurt Hielscher's photo would be on of the highlights, but I have to admit that I used a small trick to align these two photographs.

Upon arrival at Den Tilsandede Kirke, the "church covered by drifting sand", beautifully set amid the dunes and dating back to the thirteenth century, I discovered that the view from Kurt Hielscher's original vantage point had long since disappeared behind dense bushes and trees. There was simply no way to stand exactly where he once stood and recreate the scene. Instead, I photographed the church from the opposite side while carefully preserving the same angle and composition but also turning it into a mirror version of Hielscher's photo. Did you already notice? 

Inside Den Tilsandede Kirke.

A kilometer to the southeast of Skagen stands the remarkable remains of Den Tilsandede Kirke. Dedicated to Saint Lawrence, the patron saint of sailors, the church fought a centuries-long battle against the relentless sand drifting inland from the nearby Kirkeklit dune. Time and again, worshippers had to dig their way through the sand simply to reach the entrance. Eventually, nature prevailed. By 1795, the advancing dunes had forced the abandonment and demolition of the church. Only the tower survived, preserved by royal decree as a navigational landmark for sailors and later painted white. Today the tower with its 22 meters height rises above the landscape, partly surrounded by pine trees planted to stabilize the dunes. Ironically, those same trees that saved the area from further encroaching sand also obscured the very view that Kurt Hielscher captured nearly a century ago.

At the northern edge of Skagen, we parked near Det Hvide Fyr. From here it is an easy walk to the historical Vippefyret.

Vippefyret.

Grenen, the northernmost point of Denmark where Skaggerak on the left and Kattegat on the right meet. If you look well, you can see the colordifference, well in real life, not so much on the photo.

Skagen is about yellow painted houses.

Skagen is a lovely town of just under 10,000 inhabitants and is known for its characteristic yellow houses. 

Skagen Grå Fyr, the famous lighthouse at the horizon about which later more.

Below: View on Grenen, the uttermost northern point of Denmark where Skaggerak on the left and Kattegat on the right meet.