administrative region of Denmark
Europe > Nordic countries > Denmark > Jutland > North Jutland

North Jutland, also called the North Denmark Region, comprises the northern part of Jutland in Denmark.

Limfjorden runs east-west, in the western part being the border of North Jutland, in eastern part running through the region.

Regions edit

 
Map of North Jutland

In terms of municipalities, North Jutland consists of Brønderslev, Frederikshavn, Hjørring, Jammerbugt, Læsø, Mariagerfjord, Morsø, Rebild, Thisted, Vesthimmerlands and Aalborg.

The northern part of the region is actually an island, completely separated from the Jutlandic peninsula by the Limfjord. It goes by the name of North Jutlandic Island (Nørrejyske Ø in Danish), but is usually considered part of Jutland anyway. The same holds true for the smaller Limfjord islands, including Morsø. The North Jutlandic Island is divided between the traditional provinces of Thy, Han Herred, and Vendsyssel.

Cities edit

 

North Jutland is largely a rural region. There is only one city in North Jutland, all other settlements have less than 30,000 inhabitants.

  • 1 Aalborg — old, urban center for North Jutland, founded in the Viking Age. The city has grown around an inland harbour on the Limfjord and has a proud history as one of Denmark's industrial centers. Today, it is still a hub for various industries, as well as education, culture, and trade.

Towns edit

  • 2 Hjørring — inland town in Vendsyssel area
  • 3 Frederikshavn — coastal town on Kattegat Sea. Ferry to Sweden, Norway and Læsø Island.
  • 4 Thisted — town at the western end of Limfjorden
  • 5 Hobro — small town at the bottom of a deep Jutland fjord

Small towns edit

Interesting smalller settlements with less than 10,000 inhabitants, includes:

  • 6 Sæby — coastal town on Kattegat Sea
  • 7 Aars
  • 8 Skagen — Beautiful and historic town on the top of Jutland. Originally a fishing village, but with a long history for artist collectives attracted by the natural landscape and unique light conditions. The small town swells with holidaymakers in the summer.
  • 9 Hirtshals — important ferry harbour with services to Norway.
  • 10 Hadsund — small town and crossing point at Mariagerfjord
  • 11 Blokhus — one of Denmark's most popular beaches
  • 12 Dronninglund — town in Vendsyssel
  • 13 Fjerritslev — small village in the central of Han Herred, the land between the North Sea and Limfjorden, building a bridge between Thy and Vendsyssel
  • 14 Hanstholm
  • 15 Hjallerup — famous for the annual Hjallerup Market days. Originally a horse market for farmers since 1744, the market now includes a big hawkers market, music, events, and general entertainment.
  • 16 Løkken — small coastal settlement on the North Sea coast. Very popular with holidaymakers and beach-goers in the summer.
  • 17 Mariager — namesake small town at Mariagerfjord

Other destinations edit

Islands edit

  • 3 Hirsholmene — a group of 10 islets, mostly a nature reserve.
  • 4 Læsø — off the beaten path island half way to Sweden, with its own unique atmosphere and history.
  • 5 Mors   (or more formally Morsø) — a relatively large island in the Limfjord.

Understand edit

The geography of North Jutland can be confusing. The Limfjord is, by geographic terms, not a fjord, but a strait. The North Jutlandic Island is a natural island, separated from the mainland by the Limfjord, but it is traditionally described as part of Jutland. The island is seldom referred to in daily parlance, however; most people stick to the three constituent provinces of Thy, Han Herred, and Vendsyssel instead.

Get in edit

By ferry edit

There are ferries from Sweden and Norway to Hirtshals and Frederikshavn in North Jutland.

By plane edit

There are planes from Copenhagen, Oslo, London, Málaga, Tórshavn and Reykjavik to Aalborg Airport.

By train edit

There are trains from Copenhagen, Aarhus, Randers, Odense, Esbjerg and other cities to Northern Jutland.

By car edit

By bus edit

From Copenhagen or Aarhus: Take the 888 bus to Aalborg, and from there take another bus to your destination

Get around edit

See edit

Natural scenery edit

 
Råbjerg Mile
  • 1 Rold Skov, Rebildvej 25a, 9520 Skørping, +45 99 88 90 00, . One of the largest forests in Denmark, dating back to the last Ice Age, Rold Skov forest has a rich history and many opportunities for great nature experiences. The forest has a visitors center (RebildPorten) in Rebild, a small town in the northern region of the forest. In and around the village is a unique and protected heath landscape of heather-covered hills, known as Rebild Bakker. Nestled in the hills' beautiful natural scenery is a large outdoor scene that hosts various events throughout the year, including concerts and a traditional meet-up for American immigrant families on the 4th of July. The Rold Skov area also offers access to an old abandoned limestone mine and a large underground Cold War bunker.    
  • Råbjerg Mile in Skagen is one of the biggest migrating dunes in Europe. It is moving about 15 m per year eastward leaving a new land to be populated by plants and animals on the western side. Also in Skagen is Grenen, where the northernmost point in Denmark where Baltic Sea and North Sea meet.
  • Rubjerg Knude in Løkken is a former lighthouse, standing 60 m above sea in up to 30 m high sand dunes. In 2019 the lighthouse was moved 70 m into the inland, to avoid it meeting the same destiny as the buildings that once surrounded it: disintegrating due to sand pressure and falling from the cliff.
  • 2 Lille Vildmose, Vildmosevej 100, 9280 Storvorde, +45 99 31 75 50. A large wild bogland southeast of Aalborg. Special protected nature with a visitor centre. Parts of the protection is accessible for free year round, while other parts can only be accessed with a nature guide. Great for bird watching and nature lovers. kr 160 (adults), kr 60 (children).    
  • North Sea Oceanarium in the coastal town of Hirtshals, offers you a chance to experience the nature of the North Sea without getting wet. Top attraction in the region.

Culture and history edit

 
Voergaard Castle

Aalborg is a treasure trove of culture and history. You can visit Lindholm Hoeje, an ancient Viking graveyard. There is an adjacent Lindholm Hoeje museum. Utzon Centre is a cultural centre exhibiting art, architecture and design that focuses on Jørgen Utzon's own work and other work somehow related to him. It also has a restaurant. The KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art Aalborg is also here. The Aalborg Zoo is a cosy zoo with many "classic" zoo animals such as giraffes, elephants and big cats. The biggest enclosure is the savanna, where several African animals are free-ranging. There is also a big playground and a nice restaurant. Lille Vildmose is the largest raised bog in Western Europe, good wildlife exhibition center with small cafe and restaurant and excellent bird watching. Budolfi Church is the Lutheran cathedral in Aalborg.

Voergaard Castle[dead link] is a beautiful 16th century renaissance castle in the countryside, now a public museum.

Hanstholm Bunkermuseum is a large WWII museum in an abandoned bunker in the west coast fishing town of Hanstholm. It is a top attraction in the region.

Do edit

 
Fårup Sommerland

This region presents some beautiful nature hikes, some of which are among the very best in Denmark. These noteworthy hikes include the cross-regional long-distance route of Hærvejen, starting off in Hirtshals (or Frederikshavn) and traversing the entire Jutland peninsula, as well as shorter and more manageable trails like Vestkyststien along the North Sea coast and the one-day trails of Rebild Bakker Ruten at Rebild and Mariagerfjord Panoramaruten at Hobro, the latter presenting some amazing scenery of a Danish fjord.

Eat edit

  • Skawbo rødspætte (plaice with cranberries served with berry porridge of cranberries, lingonberry or gooseberry.
  • Rulleål (filleted eel rolled around onion and parsley, and cooked in salty water)
  • Krystekål

Drink edit

  • Jomfru Ane Gade: A bar street in Aalborg.

Sleep edit

You don't need to stick to town hotels, when you visit North Jutland. Apart from plenty private Bed & Breakfast offers, and countryside holiday homes for rent, North Jutland have the highest concentration of beach hotels in Denmark. Nearly all of them are on the west coast, and quite a few are high-end with exquisite restaurants and luxurious service. Here is a good selection:

  • Ruths Hotel the Skagen area is packed full of lovely beach hotels, some of which are historic high-end luxury stays. Ruths Hotel is among the most famous.
  • Svinkløv Badehotel high-end seaside hotel with a history dating back to 1925. Renowned for its relaxed, toned down atmosphere, location and good restaurant.
  • Løkken Badehotel celebrated as the best beach hotel in Denmark in 2018, this historic hotel is located in the small coastal settlement of Løkken, a very popular destination for holidaymakers in the summer.
  • Strandhotellet Blokhus this luxurious wellness-centered beach hotel was recently built in 2017, but in a style that mirrors the original traditional Danish beach hotels, including the iconic white-painted wooden panels. The small settlement of Blokhus on the North Sea coast is very popular with beach-goers in the summer.
  • Villa Vest Badehotel another historic, traditional beach hotel in Lønstrup on the North Sea coast. Simple, elegant style with good service. Close to the Rubjerg Knude dune.
  • Strandgaarden Badehotel a lovely beach hotel on the island of Læsø in an old timber-framed building. Læsø has some good child-friendly beaches, as it is situated in the more quiet Kattegat Sea.
  • Aalbæk Badehotel small three-star beach hotel in the little village of Aalbæk, north of Frederikshavn. The beach here is excellent, and child-friendly. Overall, the Kattegat Sea coasts are much calmer and safer than those on the North Sea in the west, but from Aalbæk, you can easily do both; the North Sea coast is just a ten minute drive away, across the Skaw Spit.

Camping is also an option in North Jutland, and you can choose to do it cheap by bringing your own tent, or rent a campsite cottage or maybe a van. Some places are focused on families with children and offers extra entertainment for kids.

  • Jambo Feriepark is a relatively new and appraised family friendly campsite with plenty of on-site entertainment options for kids especially. Cheap stay if you bring your own tent, or pay more and stay in a campsite cottage or a van. The North Sea coast and Fårup Sommerland is just around the corner.

Stay safe edit

Go next edit

Routes through North Jutland
'END'  N   S  RandersAarhus


This region travel guide to North Jutland is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!