So, head to a seaside hotel by the North Sea! That’s exactly what we did on an August day to celebrate my 50th birthday with lunch and afternoon coffee with walnut layer cake.
The day we visited Svinkløv Badehotel, the weather was as typically Danish as it could be – windy and overcast. Every now and then, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, casting the sea in the bluest shades that beautifully complemented the green marram grass in the white dunes. But inside, in the warmth, with classic Danish North Sea dishes, we could enjoy it all through the windows of one of Denmark’s most iconic seaside hotels – Svinkløv Badehotel.
Svinkløv Badehotel is tucked away behind North Jutland’s weathered, salty landscape at the bottom of Jammerbugten. Every year, Danes flock to this old wooden hotel to relax and enjoy the nature near Fjerritslev. The hotel dates back to 1925, but it burned down completely in 2016 and has since been rebuilt, though with great respect for the old charming style.
I have passed by the hotel a few times while driving around North Jutland, but I had never stayed or eaten there. It had therefore always been a dream of mine to step inside and experience the atmosphere. My mother picked up on that wish, so for my 50th birthday, I had the chance to enjoy lunch with my loved ones in the restaurant, where I could gaze out at the most beautiful thing I know – the sea.
We booked a table one day in early August and drove across Jutland, which that day felt like “Dark Jutland” with black clouds and rain most of the way. But as we approached the Fjerritslev area and the scent of the salty sea returned, the sky brightened, as if to welcome us.
Lunch at Svinkløv Badehotel
We had long discussed what each of us wanted for lunch. I had no doubt. I was going for the plaice with potatoes and parsley sauce – a dish that always reminds me of my childhood on Mols, where my father would come home in the morning after tending his nets at sea, carrying a bucket of plaice for us to cook that evening.
I was a little nervous about whether plaice and potatoes would really be the best choice, as it is, in many ways, an everyday meal. Could it live up to my childhood memories (possibly glorified) of these wonderful fish?
The plaice I was served was one of the largest I’ve ever had, thick and full-bodied, just like the ones I ate as a child. It was perfectly fried, crisp, and bursting with flavor. It came with new potatoes, cooked to perfection, and lovely parsley sauce.
With a beer (organic draft from Thisted Brewery) in hand, plaice in front of me, my family around me, and the sound of the sea outside, I felt, in that moment, almost completely happy.
My husband chose Hand-Cut Tartare of North Jutland Beef, my mother went for Marinated Herring, and our son opted for Pan-Fried Fish Cake. All dishes were served with homemade bread and butter.
The meal was delicate, simple, and very Danish – a quality I sadly often forget when grocery shopping and see the small, soggy fish packages in the chilled aisles. I forget it, even though I love fish and simple dishes made with a few quality Danish ingredients. But here, all those values were perfectly realized, right here, between the dunes, two hours over the Jutland heath, and a little further north.
FYI: Svinkløv bases its dishes on the local fishermen, millers, and dairy producers in the area, using seasonal ingredients. Everything is organic and made from scratch.
Afternoon coffee with a dream of a layer cake
After a walk on the beach and a stroll through the forest, we returned to the hotel for a cup of coffee before heading back home to Aarhus.
For coffee, we had their famous Walnut Layer Cake, which tasted even better than it looked. My mother chose Old-Fashioned Kringle. The coffee was a bit weak, but perhaps that’s just because we’re used to stronger coffee at home.
It was very warm inside the restaurant, but I couldn’t help enjoying the view of the swaying grasses and the blue, rolling sea right outside the windows. In that moment, the warmth didn’t matter at all.
Why is Svinkløv Badehotel so popular?
It’s very easy to understand once you’re there yourself, but I’ll try to give you an insight into why.
First and foremost, there’s the journey to Svinkløv Badehotel. The drive from Fjerritslev toward the coast winds through pine forests on lonely roads, and it’s clear that nature increasingly takes over as you approach the shore. Especially when you turn off toward Svinkløv Badehotel, the road narrows and tall trees surround you in the undulating landscape.
Just as you arrive at the coast, the large white wooden building appears, greeting you. That alone gives me goosebumps every time I visit. I’m sure many others feel the same way.
The hotel itself
Imagine standing in a stiff gale and then stepping into a room where everything suddenly becomes completely still. That’s how I felt entering the reception.
The hotel is built of wood and painted in light colors, likely inspired by the nature outside the windows. It’s said to be Denmark’s longest wooden building, and you feel it immediately. There’s space to breathe, even when the rooms are fully booked and the restaurant is full.
Everywhere you go, light streams in through the paned windows. Through the windows, nature “hangs” on the walls like landscape paintings, sending your mind to rest and your thoughts toward the horizon.
Svinkløv Badehotel doesn’t provide Wi-Fi codes, and there are no phones in the rooms either. Their aim is for guests to truly disconnect from the stress of everyday life and sink into presence and calm. This is immediately noticeable and reminds me of a bygone era, when the internet wasn’t omnipresent and both body and mind could rest between impressions and experiences.
Svinkløv has 36 rooms, each designed with its own character, most with private bathrooms. Some rooms face the sea, while others look out over what I can only describe as “raw, unspoiled forest and dune heath,” in their own words.
The hotel completely lives up to my idea of what a seaside hotel should be, in both atmosphere and location. I can clearly see why people love this place and always have. It is light and simple, just like the best summer days you can experience in Denmark.
Among the 15 most beautiful natural sites in Denmark
Did you know that Svinkløv (and Fosdalen) was included in Denmark’s Nature Canon in 2018? With this, the area received a national seal of quality, making it one of the 15 most beautiful natural sites in Denmark. “Incredible wildness and unparalleled calm” are some of the words used to describe the area.
The nature surrounding Svinkløv Badehotel ranges from the softest pastel colors to raw, rugged landscapes. As with most coastlines, there is a very special light here, stretching over the endless sea. The clouds feel both close and infinitely distant at the same time. The raw dunes offer protection from the wild waves, while the sand is the finest, whitest you can imagine.
The beach sand, unlike the dune sand, is coarse, hard, and full of stones washed up from the sea – perfect for a contemplative walk.
Behind Svinkløv Badehotel lies a forest of tall pines, with the forest floor soft and prickly with needles and wildflowers. The woods shelter the land from the sea’s wind. Just as the area balances the delicate and the rugged, it also holds the contrast between the all-encompassing calm of the forest and the roaring noise of the sea.
We took a short walk into the forest, which had small paths and hiking trails we could follow. Here, the sun reached us, warming skin and soul, while mosquitoes danced in the beams of light. The heather had just bloomed, bringing soft August-purple tones to the late summer.
The trip to Svinkløv Badehotel became the perfect celebration of my 50th birthday and the most beautiful bow on top of the summer.
When can you visit Svinkløv Badehotel?
The hotel is open every summer and closes for the winter. But you can always visit the area, admire the beautiful hotel from the outside, take a walk, and let the fresh air invigorate your cheeks and soul.
It’s definitely worth the adventure.
Enjoy!
Useful Links
- Svinkløv Badehotel
- The History of Svinkløv Badehotel (danish)
- visitnordvestkysten.dk/(danish)
- Visitnordjylland.dk (danish)
