Saturday 24th June 2017 – Aalborg, Denmark

Today was planned as our longest journey of our visit to Denmark. We were heading for Aalborg in Northern Jutland but wanted to take in some of the scenery of the west of Jutland. We had identified a castle and a couple of museums that we could take in on the way but decided to concentrate on the scenery instead. After going round Ebsjerg, we headed for the coastal side of the Ringkobing Fjord. I should explain that you mustn’t think of Norwegian fjords, Jutland is essentially flat and the fjords are essentially large lakes with a connection to the sea. The coastal strip is a huge sandbar with vast sand dunes and, in some areas, nestling in amongst them are large numbers of holiday homes. We wondered what their house insurance cost as there must be considerable risk of sand invasion or flood damage during winter storms. The area is very beautiful and we found a car park well away from the main road where we could easily walk to the sea. The weather was sunny but the wind was vicious!

We continued north past a couple of small fjords and then the larger Nissum Fjord before heading inland to Lemvig.

Just a few kilometres east from Lemvig, close to a vast area of sea called Nissum Bredning, we stopped for lunch at viewpoint with 360° views inland and over the Nissum Bredning to the land beyond. This is an important shipping lane right through the islands that make up northern Jutland. We continued north over a bridge and then next to more fjords and brednings until we arrived at Aggersund at the western end of Limfjord. Here there is a large Viking ring fort, built by Harald Bluetooth, consisting of a large bank and ditch that encloses a very large area used to house a settlement. The fort commands extensive views over Limfjord and Logster Bredning and is at the pinch point between them, giving control over any ships navigating between.

Using the bridge south over the strait, we then turned east, heading to Aalborg and Aalborg Camping.

Photos: Jane sporting a new hairstyle – caused by a vicious westerly wind; Nature in the raw and lots and lots of sand, inland as well as on the beach; We are very relaxed and don’t mind occasional minor delays and this one at a fjord’s opening to the sea was fun; Part of the 360° view from our lunch spot – you may just be able to make out a bridge raised in the background and this is the bridge that we crossed after lunch; Aggersborg Viking ring fort in its commanding position overlooking the strait.