The Road to Skagen
Skagen was slowly transforming into a holiday resort at the very tip of Jutland in the late 1800s – but there was one major obstacle: there was no railway service here yet. Journeys therefore had to be undertaken by horse-drawn carriage along uneven roads. Gravel and small chippings had been laid on the busiest stretches, but otherwise, the trip was a rather bumpy experience. Considering that it took around 16–20 hours to arrive back then – one must say it was quite an achievement in itself. After his trip to Skagen, H. C. Andersen gave this description of Skagen's special atmosphere in Folkekalenderen:
“Piercing cries of countless seabirds fill the air... one involuntarily turns to see if there is still solid land behind them and not standing out in the ocean depths – a mere worm for these sky swarms of screaming birds.”
The first holidaymakers gradually found their way
It was at this time that seaside guest houses and bathing hotels gradually began to spring up along the coasts, which at the time seemed like small castles in the eyes of the local fishermen. Here, two worlds met: the locals and the elegant ladies from the capital, who came to enjoy “the healthy life by the sea”.
A 3-day stay with full board cost DKK 4.50 per day – a very considerable sum at the time.
The visitors at the largest sites were received by the curator, who stated:
“You should not take your first sea bath until the third day after arrival. In the first week, you should not take more than three baths. You should not stay in the water for longer than five minutes, as the bath's effect will have already occurred.”
Skepticism and pioneering spirit
In 1898, the author Holger Drachmann expressed his scepticism in Politiken:
“Where are the wealthy guests supposed to come from – who can afford to pay 7-10 kr. daily for the pleasure of lying on Grenen and playing seal?”
Despite scepticism from some of the leading minds of the time, a tourist association was established in 1906, driven by local enthusiasts. These hardy individuals believed there was a need to organise and develop Skagen as a holiday destination – and thus laid the foundation for what we know today as one of Denmark's most iconic tourist spots.
From gravel road to destination
Much has changed since then. The journey to Skagen is no longer made by horse-drawn carriage, but either by train directly to the town's own station or by a multitude of other vehicles powered by engines or even one's own leg muscles. The roads are no longer covered in gravel and stones, and the trip certainly doesn't take almost a day – unless, of course, guests are coming all the way from Southern Europe.
Anyway, it's as if time somehow stands still once you've arrived in Skagen. The atmosphere in the town still oozes of olden times, and perhaps that's precisely why the town and the area continue to attract guests from near and far; because history is still felt in everything from the dunes with views of the great seas to the experience at the still-existing seaside hotels.
When one looks back at the first guests' long and arduous journey to Skagen – and compares it with today's easy access – one thing is clear: the journey has always been part of the story. Skagen is not just a place you arrive at; it is a place you experience. And as H.C. Andersen wrote:
“To travel is to live.”
