Follow Strandvejen and when it turns right out towards the sea in North Sealand, you’ve arrived in the atmospheric seaside resort of Rågeleje. Just the drive itself is an experience, but the town, and especially the beach, doesn’t disappoint either.
On Rågeleje Strand, striped beach huts are lined up, making the wide stretch of coast look like a scene from ’Badehotellet’. The dunes provide shelter for sunbathing and relaxing, and the town’s promenade is perfect for a stroll with a refreshment in hand. Round off the day with a beautiful sunset from the beach or the Heatherhill Hills just outside town.
Behind Smidstrup’s pretty red and black summer cottages is a gorgeous hidden bathing beach. There is a jetty and a designated area where dogs are permitted to swim and stay off-leash, and Smidstrup Strand is one of the only beaches in Denmark where bonfires are permissible - a cosy treat for those long summer evenings when it’s nice to stay out after dusk.
Smidstrup town has shops, cafés and an ice-cream parlour. The popular Kollerødgård Ice Cream Dairy voted the best ice cream in Gribskov, is a short drive away
The charming fishing village of Gilleleje, boasts not just one, but several great beaches to choose from. Strandbakkerne lies on the east side of town. It is a lovely family beach. On the other side of the harbour, Veststranden is an approximately 20-metre wide sandy beach, where the water is a bit deeper, and there are usually a few more waves. Both beaches are a short walk from the cafés shopping in Gilleleje town centre and the ice cream parlours, eateries and maritime atmosphere of the town’s beautiful harbour.