Sand dunes
Shifting with the wind.
Olgierd Rudak — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ansgar Koreng — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olgierd Rudak — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Karlheinz Klingbeil from Germany — CC BY 4.0 · Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland — CC BY-SA 2.0
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse stands on the North Sea coast at Rubjerg, in Hjørring municipality in North Jutland, Denmark, about 45 km west of Aalborg in a straight line. Construction began in 1899, and it was first lit on 27 December 1900. It stands on top of the Lønstrup cliff, 60 metres above sea level. The area suffers from shifting sands and coastal erosion averaging one and a half metres a year; the lighthouse stopped working in 1968, and its small buildings were abandoned in 2002 as the sand advanced. In 2019 the 23-metre, 720-tonne tower was moved 70 metres inland on specially built rails to save it from falling into the sea. The white stone tower stands alone in a sea of tall golden dunes edged with green grass, with the blue sea and wide horizon behind. The dunes reshape constantly with the wind, so the lighthouse seems to stand in a desert at the edge of the sea. Visitors walk from the car park across the dunes to the lighthouse, climb the new stair inside to the top and stand at the cliff edge to see the coast. It is windy and sand flies often, so protect your eyes; sunsets here are lovely.
Shifting with the wind.
60 m.
Over the North Sea.
Rubjerg, Hjørring municipality, Denmark
Sunglasses for sand, a windproof jacket.
Yes, from Aalborg or Skagen.