Thy National Park

Thy National Park runs along the North Sea for roughly 55 kilometres between Agger and Hanstholm, a band of dune heath, wind-bent plantation, shallow lakes and empty beach that Denmark designated as its first national park in 2008. The landscape is the product of sand drift: pale open heather, pine planted to hold the dunes down, and freshwater lakes such as Nors So and Vandet So trapped behind them. Red deer move through the plantations, and the reserve at Hanstholm in the north is one of the largest protected areas in the country. Marked trails, gravel cycle routes and simple shelters cross it, and the sea is nearly always audible.

What you actually see

• The dune heath - open heather and grey dune that give the park its bare, treeless look.
• Nors So and Vandet So - clear lakes held behind the dunes, good for swimming and birds.
• The Hanstholm reserve - a large protected area where red deer are often visible at dusk.
• The beach - kilometres of hard sand with almost nothing built behind it.

When to go

May to September gives the warmest water and the longest evenings, and the heather colours in August. Autumn brings the deer rut and migrating birds; winter is raw but the beaches are completely empty. Wind is constant here in every season, so bring a shell layer whatever the forecast says.

Honest expectations

This is subtle scenery: flat to gently rolling, grey-green, and easy to mistake for nothing much on a dull day. Public transport is thin, and without a car or bicycle you will see very little of the strip. The water is cold and the currents on the open coast are strong. Facilities are basic and mosquitos gather near the lakes in summer.

Nearby

Thisted and the surf town of Klitmoller sit on the edge; Bulbjerg and the Limfjord are a short drive.