Kattegat Journal

Slow notes from the Danish coast: ferries, islands, weather and walking.

Ferry hopping without a plan

18 October 2026

The best way to see the small islands of the Kattegat is to stop treating the ferry timetable as an obstacle. Most crossings run a handful of times a day, and in the off season…

Walking to the tip at Grenen

27 September 2026

At the northern tip of Jutland two seas meet on a narrow sandbar. On a windy day you can watch the waves come in from two directions and fold into each other along a line of white…

Salt, smoke and seaweed roofs on Læsø

30 August 2026

Læsø has a long history of boiling salt from the brine that lies just under its meadows. For centuries the island supplied salt to the mainland, and the forests were cut down to…

My first season of winter swimming

14 March 2026

I started winter swimming the way most people do: a friend dragged me along and I did not want to look like a coward. The first dip in November was a shock. By February it had…

What I carry on a coastal day walk

2 February 2026

The Danish coast is gentle on the map and rough in the wind. Most of my kit is about staying warm and dry rather than about…