Skagen (The Skaw) is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,636 (1 January 2010), in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. Skagen is located in Frederikshavn municipality. The area is extremely picturesque, and distinguished by its low, yellow houses with red tile roofs nestled into the beach areas. The impressive and wild landscape was largely formed by a severe process of desertification that hit the area in the 18th and 19th centuries. Problems with moving dunes and desertification were brought under control in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries by large-scale plantations of grasses, bushes and fir trees. Two significant migratory dunes remain in the area, including the enormous Råbjerg Mile.
The area continues to be a popular tourist destination visited by many people each year. A highlight of the year is the celebration of Midsummer Eve or St. John’s Evening (Sankt Hans Aften) on the beach with blazing bonfire and songs. Skagen is the setting for small but important parts of Jonathan Coe’s novels The Rotters Club and The Closed Circle. Today Skagen is a hideaway for the Danish money nobility, who put great efforts in the restoration and maintenance of the old fishermen’s houses and by doing so give an important stimulus to the conservation of the sites. A sustainable combination, as one would wish for at other places too.
To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facepage pages/Twitter accounts. Read more on Skagen-Tourist.dk, Wikipedia Skagen and Skagen-Guide.dk. Learn more about the use of photos.
