Danish Lighthouse: Rubjerg Knude Fyr

The cool breeze, the smell of the ocean, the sandy dunes, the silence, and the stunning lighthouse. Rubjerg Knude Fyr!

Ever since I found out about this location, which is several years ago already I've wanted to visit this place so bad.
It really is one of the "Must Photograph" places that keeps popping up on the internet. There's a decent amount of great photographs online. The place just looks so unreal from all the shots I've seen, so I really wanted to see and visit this location myself, so badly. For some reason I never got round to doing so. But then finally, on my trip to Denmark last month I finally was able to spend some time at this super awesome location. Its crazy to imagine that I've been to Denmark for about 10 times in the past few years and never made it there before. Well this time I made it happen!!

My wife and me left early in the afternoon from our accommodation in mid Jutland. We paid the city of Aalborg a little visit before finally making it to the beach in Løkken. From the parking lot to the beach/cliff it was a little bit of a walk, around 20 minutes I would say.

People walking up the dunes towards the lighthouse, seen from the trail leading into the dunes. Used my 18-200mm for this shot to create this interesting composition. 

People walking up the dunes towards the lighthouse, seen from the trail leading into the dunes. Used my 18-200mm for this shot to create this interesting composition. 

After making it up onto the sandy dunes the views keep getting better and better. I took this very minimalistic shot of nothing but the sky, the dunes and the lighthouse.
There's just so much opportunities for awesome compositions.  

The Lighthouse

The lighthouse is on the top of Lønstrup Klint (cliff), 60 metres (200 ft) above sea level. Until 1908 it operated on gas which it produced from gasworks on the site.
Both shifting sands and coastal erosion are a serious problem in the area. The coast is eroded on average 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) a year, which can be seen most clearly at the nearby Mårup Church. Built around 1250, the church was originally 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) from the coast, but was dismantled in 2008 to prevent its falling into the sea.

The lighthouse ceased operating on August 1, 1968. For a number of years, the buildings were used as a museum and coffee shop, but continually shifting sands caused them to be abandoned in 2002. By 2009, the small buildings were severely damaged by the pressure of the sand and were later removed. It is expected that the tower will fall into the sea by 2023.

Minimalism you say? yes... the sky, the dunes, the lighthouse.... nothing more. I loved it.

Minimalism you say? yes... the sky, the dunes, the lighthouse.... nothing more. I loved it.


I really planned out our visit really well, I figured that going around sunset would be nice, for the conditions obviously. But I was also hoping that it would not be super crowded. We really hit the jackpot, we definitely made the right choice. At first there were some people around, as you would expect for such amazing views. But later on we had the whole area for ourselves. Really happy with that. Finally making it to this place, being there alone for quite a while, the conditions and just being in Denmark again was hitting me right in the feels. These days are golden.

Here are some more shots, enjoy the stunning views. Thanks for checking this blog out.
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Thanks again for reading my blog, your visit to my website means a lot to me! My next post will be about a very nice national park in Sweden, so stick around for that!

El Peñon de Ifach, Spain

Last year in September we went to Spain with the family (again, haha) just to have a good time together, and enjoying Spain basically. We went to Moraira, a nice and little coastal town that is located on the Costa Blanca strip. Back in 2011 we basically did the same trip, stayed in the same town and accommodation and sort of had a similar holiday. It was that good in 2011 that we decided to do it all over again.

A short drive from Moraira is Calpe, a little bit bigger, more tourism, more high rises and sandy beaches. Just as you would imagine the Spanish coast would be. But also home to a quite known landmark, the El Peñon de Ifach. It basically is a giant rock sitting on the shore next to the town. In the old times the rock was a strategic lookout point for locals providing them with perfect views of the sea and the surrounding towns. 

It is the smallest nature park in Spain, perhaps even in Europe. But when you are standing at its foot it is quite intimidating. It is 332m tall, and it is also home to over 300 species of animals and numerous rare plants. The rock has this awesome hike trail that takes you all the way up to the top. Its quite a heavy and tricky climb to get to the highest point. But the views are amazing. Have a look at these pics below, stunning views right?

 

Normandy, France, 2015

Back in September 2015 I went to France with my wife, brother and sister and my brother in law. Reason? You guessed it, no reason needed to go to France, that's always a good idea. We just went on a nice little family roadtrip together. Going away for a bit, breathe some fresh air and have some quality time together in a beautiful area.
And obviously I took my camera with me to snap some landscapes. Here's a small collection of the photographs I came back home with.

Étretat

My brother in law is taking some long exposure shots here, go follow him on 500px

We went to Normandy, to the towns of Etretat and Fécamp. Both are incredibly beautiful towns located at the Atlantic shore. Situated between the cities of Dieppe and Le Havre.
The weather was as you expect for this area in September, sunny and warm, but not boiling. Just perfect to go out and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

ÉTRTAT
Étretat is best known for its chalk cliffs, including three natural arches and a pointed formation called L'Aiguille or the Needle, which rises 70 metres (230 ft) above the sea. The Etretat Chalk Complex, as it is known, consists of a complex stratigraphy of Turonian and Coniacian chalks. Some of the cliffs are as high as 90 metres (300 ft). Nature has carved fabulous shapes out of the white cliffs at Etretat. The extraordinary site drew Impressionist painters aplenty.  Another startling attraction is the cliff-top golf course.
 

Fécamp, long exposure

FÉCAMP
Fécamp is situated in the valley of the Valmont river, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Albaster Coast. It is around 35 km northeast of Le Havre, and around 60 km northwest of Rouen. Fécamp has a population of roughly 20.000 people.

The history of Fécamp has always revolved around the fishing industry and its harbour (first mentioned in the 11th century). The beach in Fécamp, like many in this area, is shingle rather than sand—that is, made up of small rocks. The falaises make for a dramatic setting. To the north of the town is the Cap Fagnet, with beautiful views of the town and the English channel.