Saturday 22nd September 2018
Friday night has to go down as one of the most blustery nights that we have endured so far in the caravan here in Ballum. Added to that was the torrential rain which sounded like someone spraying the top and sides of the van with a hosepipe! We were suffering the effects of one of the current storms sweeping off the North Sea from the Atlantic.
Luckily by mid afternoon there was a break in the weather and to stop us going stir crazy we ventured out in the car to explore the local area.
This area of Denmark is located within the National Park Vadehavet /The Wadden Sea National Park, a UNESCO Heritage site.
The Ballum Marshlands is characterised by the vast embanked, open and flat land. The are was nearly entirely agricultural, with neatly ploughed fields and grazing sheep either side of the main road, sprinkled with the occasional farm.
Close by was Vesterende Ballum, a delightful picture postcard village and one of the seven Ballum villages.
Centre stage in this tiny hamlet was Ballum Church with its’ neatly hedged and exquisitely well maintained churchyard.
The churchyard was surrounded on all four sides by equally gorgeous thatched cottages and houses, a sight I had not anticipated when we were driving through areas of Denmark.
If the weather had been more amiable it would have been wonderful to leave the car here and wander down towards the sea and take a stroll along the embankment near the coast and the island of Rømø. Unfortunately we were dodging the heavy downpours interspersed with bursts of sunshine 😉
The National North Sea Cycle Route was signposted here. This section is known as the West Coast Route and runs some 560 kms from Rudbøl, in the south to Skagen in the north.
Back in the car we made our way towards one of the islands in the National Park, known as Mandø but we soon discovered, as did several other people, that the road is only passable at low tide, doh!
We passed the Natural History Museum, the Vadehavscentret on our way there and back, which does have an admission fee but showcases all the Wadden Sea has to offer. Several popular experiences include guided tours to wonder at; The Black Sun, a murmuration of starlings, a natural spectacle, usually during Spring & Autumn, seal or Baltic safari or Oyster Tour or even a unique tractor bus to Mandø island. The area is a delight for bird watchers and those interested in wildlife.
On our journey back to the campsite we also paused at a tiny museum, just off the road called Møllekilen.
The museum was open but unmanned and contained a delightful painted mural of the natural habitat, including local wildlife and plants, as well as information about the floods, watermills and work on the museum. Unfortunately everything, as it is in Denmark is not translated into any other language.
We were disappointed not to have had more time to explore Denmark, as we know it has a lot more to offer but we can always return.