Summer Holidays - Fjaltring-Skagen in Denmark

Summer Holidays - Fjaltring and Skagen in Denmark.

Holidays on the Children’s Terms…

I would feel cheated if I had gone abroad this summer. The beautiful sunny days and the many delightful places in Denmark have convinced me once again that summer in Denmark is wonderful. It was so enjoyable to go on holiday with my wife and two children, and it added to the pleasure that there are so many lovely sites in Denmark and a Danhostel close by. That makes Denmark the optimal place for summer holidays with children.

Our final destination was clear from the start. It was Skagen. I gave the trip some consideration. My first plan was to drive over to Ebeltoft and experience the beautiful and child-friendly area at Danhostel Gjerrild; instead we decided to take a trip to the West Coast. With this in mind, we ended up at Denmark's smallest hostel in Fjaltring.

Wind and Birdsong

We felt welcome from the moment we turned onto highway 181 in the city's commercial center and shortly thereafter swung into the gravelled car park at Fjaltring Guesthouse. It was so peaceful in Fjaltring. You could hear the wind whistle through the trees and the birds sing. The children played undisturbed on the large playing field, skipped on the playground at the city's free school and picked strawberries. From the guest house terrace, the view to the sea is only disturbed by the beautiful village church and the lush rolling fields.

The guests who stayed at the hostel were friendly, talkative and generally behaved in a more sociable manner than guests you usually meet at a hotel or a resort. From the moment we arrived, the receptionist was in sync with my family. How many other places would allow our 3 year old daughter, Sophie, to waltz past the reception desk, talk as if she were an adult, then be put to work washing windows? Would this be possible in a hotel? Hardly. Sophie thought it was great to get a bucket of water, a rag and a squeegee and start with the big windows on the building's east side. Though this might seem to be an insignificant occurrence, it is a good example of what you can expect when you visit a Danhostel.

Book your vacation at Danhostel Fjaltring here:

Violent waves

After sitting in the car for many hours, we looked forward to visiting the beach in Fjaltring which is just a short distance from the guest house. We planned to jump into the sea, but the waves just west of Fjaltring were too violent for our children who are just one and three years old. The area has plenty of swimming opportunities, and Høfde Q and Ferring Beach at Bovbjerg Lighthouse are the most popular. We had dinner at the harbour in Lemvig.

Before our departure the next day, we enjoyed the delicious breakfast buffet at Danhostel Skagen and revelled in the fabulous view from the dining room window before continuing our road trip northward. In order to experience the West Coast's unique environment, we drove on the scenic route past the ferry Thyborøn - Agger, on the narrow roads through Thy Hanherred and Vendsyssel, all the way to Skagen. We were welcomed by the sunshine which greeted us when we arrived and the staff at Danhostel Skagen.

The hostel is located outside the city centre in a quiet spot in one of Denmark's most popular vacation destinations. The place was fully booked, but there was still enough room for all. There was no hustle and bustle, especially in the outdoor area which had play tables and benches. This hostel was not just a hit with our family, but all the hostel guests.

Lots of experiences

Our holiday was on the children's terms, so we were quite relaxed. We experienced the migrating dunes called Råbjerg Mile, Grenen with its Sandormen (the beach transport) and had a day at the beach with water, shovels and a picnic basket. We then strolled on the city's pedestrian street and ate ice cream. We enjoyed the maritime atmosphere with its fish dishes at Skagen's famous and expensive restaurant, Fiskehuskaj. The area has other seafood restaurants such as Pakhuset and Skagen Fiskerestaurant which draw a full house during the summertime.

Our second day in Skagen had a beach theme. The city is surrounded by attractive beaches; however the first one we went to in Gammel Skagen was filled with stones and devoid of people. We then decided to drive to the east coast, north of Skagen harbour where we sat on the softest sand beach in front of the old light tower. It was perfect. The kids quickly found other children and together they built sand castles and splashed in the water. The hours quickly disappeared under the sun.

After lunch we drove with Sandormen to Grenen, took the obligatory holiday photo with a foot in both Skagerrak and Kattegat (two seas which met at the tip of North Jutland), then we returned to Danhostel Skagen.

We decided to cook dinner and eat on the green area directly outside our room. It turned out to be a good idea after a full day of water, sun, sea, sand and plenty of experiences. The children had a blast in the middle of dinner and later refused to go to sleep while in the same room. There was so much chatting from the beds, and both children refused to surrender. The first night in Fjaltring the younger child eventually fell asleep on a bed in the spacious room, while the other slept on a couch in the common room with the hostel's other guests. It just seemed so sweet and cosy that she would sleep there.

Come together

One of the many good reasons to stay at hostels is that you can cook your own food and make your holiday cheaper than when you stay at other vacation spots. The guests at Danhostel Skagen chose to do just that. During breakfast, the dining room was packed full of guests who enjoyed the large buffet before departing to visit the area’s many attractions. It seemed that breakfast was enjoyable for all the guests at the hostel. Everyone at the hostel was so relaxed and chatted merrily even with people they had not met before. It seemed that many of the guests enjoyed socializing and getting to know one another. It was so cool to meet people from other countries in all sizes, shapes and colors, all with the same goal: to get out and meet new people and create experiences. I see no reason to travel anywhere else for holidays, when there are so many places in Denmark to visit and explore.
When we checked out of the hostel in Skagen, we decided to visit the farm-holiday playground Farm Fun before departing for home. Everything on the farm was a big hit - kittens, rabbits and much more. If you have small children, you could spend hours here on rides, hay slides, go-carts, watching the ostriches and more. Our kids played so much, they slept all the way home. You know how much you love your children and how cute they look when they are peacefully asleep during a long car ride.

This is certainly not our last family holiday at Danhostel. If all the hostels are as welcoming, full of life, soul and charm as Danhostel Skagen and Danhostel Fjaltring, we know exactly what our summer plans will be for many years to come.

Book your vacation at Danhostel Skagen here: