Skagen

Skagen sits at the very northern tip of Denmark, where the North Sea and the Kattegat (leading to the Baltic) meet. Ships dock or anchor at the harbour. The town has yellow-painted houses with red roofs and a history as a fishing port and artists' colony. The Skagen painters of the late 1800s were drawn by the particular quality of light here. Grenen, the northernmost point, is a sand spit where you can stand with one foot in each sea. The Tilsandede Kirke (Sand-Buried Church) is exactly what it sounds like: a medieval church half-swallowed by migrating sand dunes, with only the tower protruding. The Skagens Museum displays paintings from the Skagen artists colony, including works by P.S. Krøyer and Anna Ancher. Fresh fish, especially plaice and herring, is served at harbour restaurants. The Danish Krone is the currency.