Grenen

The northern tip of Denmark - of Jutland, more specifically - is a large spit that curves northeastward into the water between the Skagerrat (towards Norway and the North Sea) and the Kattegat (towards Sweden, and eventually, the Baltic).

AERIAL VIEW

The aerial image shows a series of curving beach ridges that record the growth and the migration of this sandy point of land over hundreds or thousands of years. My observations from the ground, besides driving across the coastal plain and old ridges, were mainly out at the tip, where the dunes give way to a low point of sand that eventually disappears beneath the sea.

The beaches are a mix of sand and gravel (as all my favorite beaches are), although the two express themselves quite differently from one place to the next).

The southeastern shore, past the lighthouse and down toward the town of Skagen, is protected by a series of segmented breakwaters. These suggest that this shoreline is retreating - or at least trying to - and is cutting into the beach ridges as it goes. Skagen itself is located behind it's harbor, which is heavily protected behind large jetties.

There's probably a great story about beach evolution here, and one that I suspect has been written about by people much more informed than I - although perhaps in a language I can't read.