Grenen – the end of Europe
Country: Denmark
Place: Grenen, Skagen
Visited in: May 2009
It consists of no more than sand and shingle and yet Grenen, the northern tip of Jutland in Denmark, is a very popular destination for both international and domestic tourists.
While the tip of Grenen is not strictly speaking the northernmost point of Denmark, it is often regarded as such. Being able to stand at the very point where both Denmark and the European continent are perceived to end has made Grenen a must see for many visitors to Denmark.
The very tip of Grenen is also perceived as the point where the two straits, the Skagerak and Kattegat, meet. This meeting is evident to the naked eye, in particular in stormy weather, as waves coming from either side crash against each other.
The meeting of the two straits makes the currents around Grenen extremely dangerous and absolutely no bathing is allowed.
The currents and the hundreds of cubic metres of sediment transported annually from the west coast of Denmark constantly change the shape of Grenen, sometimes from day to day.
While sediment is added on the northern side, the eastern side of Grenen is in constant danger of erosion. To combat this erosion u-shaped wave breakers, as seen on the photo above, have been built from some of the sediment deposited on the northern side.
When we visited Grenen in May we took the tractor-driven Sandormen (Danish for sandworm) from the car park to the very tip, because we were in the company of someone who had difficulty walking. But if you’re able to, I’d highly recommend walking out there. I would estimate the walk from the car park to the tip of Grenen to take between 15-30 minutes.
For a good view of Grenen and the u-shaped wave breakers on the eastern side, I’d also recommend a visit to the top of Skagen Lighthouse (Skagen Fyr in Danish, or Det Grå Fyr). The 46-metre tall lighthouse was built in 1858, and we enjoyed some fantastic views from there.
A few more photos of Grenen and Skagen Lighthouse are available on our Grenen and Skagen Lighthouse photo page.
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