As our around the world trip is just around the corner the wanderlust becomes stronger and stronger. The wallet, on the other hand, strongly opposes travel. Therefore I set aside 60 dollars to travel to Denmark; including absolutely all costs.

It all started when I read a Norwegian article on the blog Glimt av verden about Rubjerg Knude lighthouse, a lighthouse in Denmark. As usual the immediate reaction was “I want to go there!”, but unlike other times this was actually doable both in terms of money and time.

Any trip costs money, therefore I set myself the challenge of seing the lighthouse without spending more than 60 USD, or 500 Norwegian kroner to be precise. With a starting point in Stavanger, Norway, the distance to the lighthouse was less than 300 km, but with a whole lot of water in between. Flights were $350 to Aalborg, a nearby city. Due to the long distance going around the sea, driving was not an option. Swimming was also a big no-go, which only left the ferry as an option.

A quick search showed that there is a direct ferry from Stavanger to Hirtshals, a mere 30 km from the lighthouse. Unfortunately the price was $120, way above the budget. By joining the loyalty club I could reduce the price by a few bucks, but an “air seat” was the cheapest form of onboard accommodation, putting the cheapest total price at $159.

Then I discovered the key to cheap travel. It turns out, the ferry company has a total lack of logic! If I added a bicycle to the ferry ticket, the price dropped to $54, and this included air seats both ways. How this is possible is still beyond my understanding, but it was $6 below budget and I was happy. Tickets booked, and $6 to spend on something else.

Departure was Friday evening and return from Denmark 24 hours later. This way all nights were spent onboard the ferry, saving costs for accommodation. Only food remained, as the bicycle covered transportation (it was not brought just for the cheap tickets!). In Norwegian style I prepared a plethora of home made sandwiches to cover a day and a half’s worth of food. Into the backpack went food, camera, change of clothes, passport and Norwegian milk chocolate. Game on!

To my surprise I was the only passenger riding a bike both ways on the ferry. The air seats onboard were an upgrade from regular economy seats on airplanes, but far from good. Adding the fact that there were 40 seats in a room, statistics will tell you that at least one person will snore loud at night. And he did. A lot. But who cares about sleep, the you are going to see a lighthouse in a desert – in Denmark!

Arriving in Hirtshals I energetically started peddling and even made it in the right direction after some map reading. Just above an hour later I stopped for a break at Vennebjerg Mølle, an old mill. This was no revolutionary sight, but a nice place to stop to rest. Entrance was also free, so no budget issues yet.

Half an hour later I rolled into Rubjerg Kunde parking. From here a sand-like path took me to the destination. The sight was strange to say the least; the area was covered by green heather, which all of a sudden stopped, changing into huge dunes, as if straight from Sahara. Between two dunes rose a white square lighthouse, and just behind it the ground plummeted down to the beach below, followed by water as far as the eye could see.

The lighthouse was originally constructed with multiple buildings around it, but over time they have fallen victim to the force of the sand and winds; today only some bricks and foundations are left.

Originally the lighthouse was built more than 200 meters from sea, but over time the coastline has been pushed closer and closer as the waves dig into the huge dunes. Today there’s only meters separating the lighthouse from the sea below, and it’s estimated that within 7 years the lighthouse will be history, maybe even earlier.

Entrance to the lighthouse is free, and after around 100 stairs and 23 vertical meters I reached the top. From here vast areas of Denmark can be seen, as well as the strange sight of ocean, sand and forest at the same time.

After an important refill of chocolate the trip continued back towards the ferry, with a few stops along the way. First stop was Rubjerg Gamle Kirke, a (former) church about to face the same destiny as the lighthouse. The church itself has been removed, but a path, some monuments and gravestones still stand in the original location. The outer edges of the area are closed off due to the danger of falling down, and in a few years the whole area is probably gone.

An area still safe from the sea is Lønstrup Mølle, another mill, or at least so it was before someone converted it into a house. Even though the sails fell off in the ’90s, there is still little doubt about what this used to be. This is not a big must-see, but as it was right on the path back, why not take a look? After all, it was free.

From here on there were about 22 km to Hirtshals. After some research I discovered that there is a bike path going along the coastline, known as Danmarks nationale cyckelrute 1 (Vestkystruten), going all the way from Rudbøl to Skagen. It is slightly longer than the path along the road, but you do get to see more nature and coast, not to mention the “Drive in exhibition”, a way to learn about nature while travelling through a building on your bike. Unfortunately there’s also more gravel and sand along this path, making the journey slower than on asphalt. Therefore I would recommend doing this on the way down to Rubjerg Knude when the motivation is at it’s peak, and return along the road when you just want to get back.

After refuelling some motivation (chocolate) I passed the city sign for Hirtshals and rolled in to the last stop before the ferry: Hirtshals lighthouse and the bunker museum. Both attractions are more or less in the same spot and can be seen at the same time. Entrance to the lighthouse was 20 Danish kroner, something I could actually afford! However, I did not actually have any cash on me, so the tower was observed from the ground only. The bunker museum is a series of bunkers and defence facilities along the coastline. Neither are very impressive, but worth a visit if you are passing by; the view is nice.

At last I rolled aboard the ferry and returned home to Stavanger. Throughout the weekend I had managed to stay within the $60 budget. Even taking into account the food brought from home (that would have been eaten anyway), the total did not exceed the budget. Rubjerg Knude is a very special sight recommend for anyone to see. Experience it now, because in a few years it’s history!

Practical

Cycling in Denmark

Denmark is a very bicycle friendly country, but there are a few rules to be aware of:

Danmark er et veldig sykkevennelig land, men det er et par regler det er greit å være klar over:

• It is illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk, bicycle lanes are always to be used if available, otherwise stay on the right in the road
• Bicycles are to be equipped with: Bell; white safety reflector in front, red in rear and yellow on wheels and pedals; two independent breaking systems; white or yellow light in front and red in rear between sunset and sunrise.
• It is illegal to use mobile phones while cycling
• Helmets are not mandatory, but recommended.

Danmarks nationale cykelrute 1 can be found here.

What to bring

• Passport: The Schengen agreement is not really working anymore, so even if you are from an EU country, bring a passport just in case
• Tire foam: Bring a spray can of tire foam to quickly get rolling again. Although not a permanent solution, it makes it a lot easier than trying to fix a tire in the middle of nowhere
• Battery pack: Charging points for cameras and phones can be far in between, bring a battery pack
• Extra clothes: Even on a short trip it’s good to have a spare set of clothes in case of rain.
• Sunscreen: Don’t get a sunburn while being out all day.
• Milk chocolate: Hello, this is quite obvious!