On April 28, 2023, Scandinavian Airlines launched a new route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Aalborg Airport, giving U.S. travelers a chance to explore a lesser-known area of Europe – Northern Denmark.
During the summers of 2023 and 2024, this new route will take off three times a week from Newark on an A321 Long Range aircraft, which reduces carbon emissions by 15-18 percent and feels more like a regular plane rather than a large, crowded long haul aircraft.]
Scandinavian Airlines launched a new route between Aalborg and Newark with a brand new aircraft. (photo via Alex Temblador)
There are three classes – SAS Go, SAS Pro, and SAS Business Class – available on this flight. SAS Business Class is especially comfortable and comes with Fast Track and Priority boarding and lie flat beds equipped with outlets, a reading light, and a 15.4-inch HD entertainment screen. Special touches like free Wi-Fi, three-course meals, and Scandinavian toiletries add to the whole experience. For those who want additional comfort but can’t afford the SAS Business price tag, go with SAS Pro as it offers wider reclining seats with footrests and two-course meals.
The SAS flight to Aalborg leaves late in the evening and arrives mid-day in Aalborg, the fourth largest city in Denmark. Travelers who like outdoor adventures, great food experiences, and cultural offerings in a lesser-known destination, should read on to see what the northern area of Denmark, or North Jutland, has to offer.
Aalborg
After landing in Aalborg, check in at the newly renovated Hotel Pier 5. It has a front row seat to the Limfjord which runs through the city and is a summer swim spot. A 10-minute walk will take you to Old Town, a charming area with historic half-timbered homes, cathedrals, and winding streets with shops.
The Aalborg Old Town has beautiful architecture, shops, and restaurants. (photo via Alex Temblador)
The city is quite walkable and is full of artistic institutions with incredible architecture like the Musikkens Hus and the KUNSTEN – Museum of Modern Art. Designed by world famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, the KUNSTEN holds the work of some incredible artists from Denmark and around the world. Don’t forget to visit the outdoor sculpture garden and experience a performance in the outdoor amphitheater.
Aalborg has other great spots like the Park of Music, full of trees planted by musicians where you can play one of their melodies, and the Utzon Center, which has amazing Danish architectural and design displays. Our favorite restaurant is Restaurant Emil, whose chef is doing some creative things with seafood in terms of taste and presentation.
Regan Vest is Denmark's coolest tour experience -- an underground Cold War bunker with all the original items. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Thirty minutes south is one of the most unique attractions in the world, Regan Vest. Built as a Cold War bunker for the Danish government and royalty, Regan Vest opened in February 2023 as a museum. It’s the only Cold War bunker in the world that has all the original furniture and materials. You can take a tour of this underground bunker and learn what life would have been like if the Danish government needed to utilize it during the Cold War. Tickets go on sale quarterly, but they go fast. Travel agents can get access to Regan Vest tickets that you otherwise could not.
Thy
The northwest coast of Denmark is home to a beautiful adventure and cultural destination called Thy. This area is nicknamed ‘Cold Hawaii’ for its stellar surf spots in small fishing villages located at the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska. Learn to master the waves with a lesson from one of the many Thy surf shops like Surfshop Vorupor.
OutNature takes adventurers on an ATV tour of the Lokken beach, stopping at the WWII era bunkers. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Go hiking, mountain biking, swimming, or mushroom foraging in Denmark’s first national park, National Park Thy, which has a beautiful hilly coastal terrain. OutNature in Lokken offers kayaking and snorkeling, as well as a beach safari via an ATV ride. During the tour, you'll drive fast around old bunkers from World War II, see an old cemetery crumbling toward the sea, and have a beach bonfire.
Thy may be known for outdoor fun, but it’s not without its cultural experiences. Enjoy a whiskey tasting at Thy Whisky, climb a lighthouse in Hanstholm, shop for beautiful jewelry from Danish jewelry master, Jan Jorgensen, and visit the Museum for Paper Art which has paper sculptures unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Don’t forget to stop by Kesses Hus to taste Danish pancakes and Restaurant VANDret for an elevated dining experience in a beautiful space. Book a reservation at Restaurant TRI, which offers a 13-17 dish dinner full of local seafood and produce.
Restaurant TRI opened in 2023 and is already one of the most prestigious restaurants in Denmark. (photo via Alex Temblador)
While exploring the Northwest Coast, we suggest families stay at Hotel Hanstholm Madbar for the apartment-style rooms with a kitchenette. Otherwise, check out the brand new Vorupor Badehotel, a stylish boutique hotel with a great bar and restaurant, or Strandhotellet Blokhus, which has a historic style, is just meters from the beach, and offers a great restaurant with gourmet food.
Laeso
Off the northeast coast of Denmark is the island of Laeso, world-famous for its fishing industry, seaweed houses, and salt production at Laeso Saltsyderi (a salt-making museum you can visit). Laeso is a great day trip adventure via a ferry, however, if you stay on the island, we suggest renting one of the famous seaweed houses, such as Tanggaarden Skoven. Laeso is the only place in the world where roofs were historically made of eelgrass (not actually seaweed). You can learn about how the Laeso women perfected the ‘seaweed houses’ at Museumsgarden.
Laeso had 330 seaweed roof houses, but today, there is only about 30 left. (photo via Alex Temblador)
For more seaweed fun, book a seaweed foraging tour with Laeso Tang, or stop by their shop to buy seawood-infused crackers, honey, facial products, and even beer! After that, go meet a famous pipemaker and artist, Anne Julie, at her gallery, and end your day with a tractor and wagon ride through the salt flats with Ronnerbussen.
To fill your belly, stop for a fresh seafood lunch at Huset Palsgaard or a lovely dinner of Laeso lobster at VestersVenner.
Skagen
Skagen is a popular Danish summer destination with most houses and buildings painted in a particular color of yellow. Expect lots of people flocking to the beach and staying at the city’s most famous hotels, Ruth's Hotel and Brondums Hotel. Ruth's Hotel has a delicious brassiere and Oke, a gourmet restaurant, while the historic Brondums Hotel is a perfect spot to try Danish cuisine like open-faced sandwiches (or smorrebrod).
A tourist stands on the Grenen peninsula where the North and Baltic Sea meet. (Photo via Alex Temblador)
Skagen’s location on the northernmost point of Denmark means the city is incredibly sunny, has stunning sunsets, and is home to a natural phenomenon where two seas (the Baltic and the North) meet. Watch the waves of the two seas come together at Grenen peninsula.
About five meters of this Skagen church is buried under sand, giving the building it's name, the Sand Buried Church. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Make your way to Skagen Museum to learn about the famous painters of Skagen before cycling to Peter Ravn’s Gallery Munk near the harbor for a paint experience with Skagen’s most delightful artist. You can’t leave Skagen without seeing the sand buried church – a beautiful white church whose bottom floor is completely buried under a sand dune.
If you need a Skagen guide, contact the wonderful, Claus Bruun, as he’ll show you all the best spots and provide a local look into this historic community.
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