A Fjellerup Treat, Beaches, the Heather Hike, and Sæby Seafood

9/6/2024

September 5

One more night in our Tved lodging today - for the day we head up to the Djursland peninsula's north shore for something special, find a fossil beach, and then loop back south to find a brewery.

"Djursland is a 547 sq mi hilly lowland peninsula at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, between Denmark and Sweden in Northern Europe. Djursland protrudes into the Kattegat sea, as part of the larger peninsula of Jutland, which itself extends from the Central European continent. Agriculture and fishing has been the mainstay of the rural culture here for millennia. There are many prehistoric relics here of the past reaching back to the earliest cultures of the Nordic Stone Age. Djursland is a popular place for recreation in the summer and attracts both Danes and foreigners alike and tourism is a major economic contributor."

Scenic highways and byways along the route...

We make it to the coast at Fjellerup - a popular Summer resort spot for Danes, Germans, and others.

Okay, here's the real reason we're here (the something special):

Heading east, we arrive at Sangstrup Klint and a rocky beach, where if you work hard enough you may find fossilized ancient sea creatures washed up on the beach. We didn't spend that much time here, so no fossils for us, but the beach was lovely.

Now in Ebeltoft where there's supposed to be a brewery - and we find it as well as other interesting stuff...

"The wooden frigate ‘Jylland’ was built 1857-1860, it was both the first and last warship in the Danish navy with steam driven engine and sails – a cutting edge hybrid of its time, superior in speed with its long and slender hull. It survived 18 hits during the battle of Heligoland in 1864 and then worked as a royal ship, sailing King Christian IX to the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Saint Petersburg in 1874 and 1876. Since then, she has functioned as lodging for soldiers and children of the rural districts of Denmark. Many times, it has faced the destruction of slow decay and being sold for scrap. Thanks to ardent people, skilled craftsmen and generous foundations, the proud ship survived and now resides in its dry dock in Ebeltoft. "

Brewpub på Maltfabrikken

Heading back to lodging, we spy more cool stuff - these shots are from Google Maps, as it was difficult for us to snap shots from within the car out through the windows.

September 6

Today we head up to Sæby for a couple of nights, stopping halfway for a hike in the heather and wooded hills of Rold Skov Forest near Ravnkilde.

We set out for the hike...

Trail invaders - us or them? - Mr. Sluggy and Mr. Snaky?

We're here a bit late to see the spectacular purple heather blooms - it's almost all faded out by September..

A sheep scratches its back.

Almost done now - with a little geocaching along the way, the 1 hour hike is taking 2 hours.

Now in Sæby - we check into our lodging that comes with some interesting history.

"Rolykke was built in 1892. The name comes from the writer Gustav Wied. He lived here with his family from 1894 to 1897, where he found 'peace' and 'happiness'. After 1897 it became a summer boarding house. During World War II, the building was used by the German Armed Forces and the Gestapo. In the mid-1960s, the Norwegian Armed Forces took over the building and for many years it was the headquarters of the Home Defense District Vendsyssel."

The lodging host provides loaner bicycles, perfect for heading into town to eventually attend to a seafood buffet.

We come upon a big white church...

"The beautiful Church of St. Mary is the last part surviving of a huge, 4-winged Carmelite Monastery from 1470."