Råbjerg Mile is the largest moving dune in Northern Europe! It is a mini-desert of almost one square kilometer, which holds four million cubic meters of sand, and the highest point is about 40 meters above sea level. It moves about 15 meters in a northeasterly direction each year, and the movement of the dune has not been stopped to allow people to experience the astonishing and scary power of nature. In other places in the area, trees were planted to stop the migration of the sand.
It has been calculated that the section of the main road between Skagen and Frederikshavn that the mile will pass through will be covered with sand around the year 2200 and that the sand will reach the Kattegat well over 30 years later, swallowing fields and houses along the way.
When I visited back in 2016 I was really lucky, as just before I have arrived, there was a storm, so there was no one else visiting the dune. Additionally, the sand was wet making it so much easier to walk on it, even though it was quite cold. I was surprised by how vast this mini-desert was! The initial plan was to walk along the borders of the dune, but I gave up on that idea after walking for a while.
A few years later, in 2023, I returned to the area for my summer vacation and was lucky enough to experience amazing weather conditions. That also meant we were not the only people in the area and walking became a little more strenuous as the sand was no longer wet and solid. Yet, who can resist the siren call of warm sand beneath their toes and the thrill of racing up and down dunes? Not me! So with all the grace of a jubilant toddler, and donning a skirt no less, I took to the hills. And… predictably tumbled down in a rather un-ladylike fashion, offering an impromptu showcase of my stylish undies to the unexpected audience! Here’s hoping they appreciated the view and got a good chuckle out of it 🙂
