Hi

STW always has an answer, so hopefully someone can help.

I’m taking the family on a three week hol in the summer, taking the ferry from Newcastle and driving from Ijmuiden up to the Swedish Lake District for a 4 day canoe and camping trip as the focus, starting and finishing in Bengtsfors.  We’ve got various things planned for the way up (Legoland for my son’s birthday), but not so much for the way back.

So we have 7 nights to get back from Bengtsfors, back to Amsterdam for a couple of nights before the ferry at Ijmuiden.  Anyone have any suggestions for good campsites, national parks, must sees in southern Sweden (what’s around Gothenberg like?), Denmark, northern Germany, or even a wee hop over into Norway?  Nice towns, nice countryside for walks or other activities…anything considered.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be very welcome!  Many thanks in advance.

Fraser

Something en route that immediately come to mind would be the cliffs of Mon Klint in SE Denmark

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B8ns_Klint

I would definitely nip across the border to Norway as you will be so close, even if it is just to say you have done it. Kids love those sort of bragging rights (unless they have already been of course!)

Coming back down the Island of Fehmarn and the Baltic coast of Germany has a number of really nice sandy beaches and the sea is surprisingly warm for swimming (well it is late in the season for sure).

Also well worth a visit is the Luneburger Heide just south of Hamburg, especially if you have bikes. If not you can hire them there. Very nice peaceful sandy heath land.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCneburg_Heath

We stayed at a campsite at Angelholm on the Swedish coast. Gorgeous beaches, shallow warm water, some foresty type biking stuff.

Skagen on the very northern tip of Denmark is lovely.  Nort sea coast of Germany is interesting, weather can be changeable.

What way are you planning on driving there/back? Or is it all up for negotiation?

Nip down to the Nurburgring for a couple of laps, you can use any roadworthy vehicle on it.

Gränna’s not a bad place to visit if you are in that part of Sweden, very picturesque, and I believe that Gothemberg has a brand new indoor skydiving tunnel now, so that might be worth a visit too. Failing that, you could come down the east side and hit up Stockholm for the day.

Whereabouts are you actually going in Sweden? I’ve not heard of the lake district, but I have only been to the south-eastern parts and will be living in Stockholm from next month.

If going to Billund for LEGOLAND you could go to Ribe on the way north. for a little walk around the old part of town and visit the Viking museum. Ribe was founded by Viking ad is the oldest town in Denmark. Also the west coast of Denmark is very nice. South of Esbjerg its all marsh land but from Blåvand and north its almost all nice sandy beaches. Blåvand is a nice spot if you want to go swimming in the sea.

While you’re in Billund set some time aside for the waterpark in Lalandia.  It’s pretty pricey but our boys (7 & 10 at the time) absolutely loved it.

There’s a great 4 man inflatable ride which almost made me soil my swimmers – I honestly thought about which kid I could try to save as we all fell to our certain death for a split second

When in Blåvand (or anywhere in Denmark but it makes sense while you’re by the see) make sure your try some IS (ice cream) usually with a few scoops of proper icecream, them soft ice (like mr whippy but better), then toppings, the Guf (sort of like unset marshmallow). Probably thousands of calories but you’ve got to do it.

Oh, Blåvand in the summer is like being back in Germany, there are so many tourists.

Ribe is worth a visit (my wife is from Ribe, by coincidence we now live it Ely which is it’s twin town). Thought Lallandia was awful but we did go before kids.

Oslo is doable I’d have thought.

When I used to live in Oslo we used to nip to Karlstad for a day…

Oslo has the Viking ship museum and also the Ski museum up at Tryvan… its a decade ago but the cycling at Tryvan was pretty good…

We’ve done exactly the areas you’re suggesting last summer / summer 2010.

Sounds like you’ve got the first run through Denmark, Billund etc sorted.

We really liked the Bengtfors area so that will definitely be good. Get out on the gravel back roads at dusk to see wild Elk.

If you strike a little north  then can do Alta rock paintings and Viking ship house in Oslo (better than the Denmark Roskilde ships if I had the choice of only one or the other). You can then either turn tail and head back down Sweden or head into Norway and get ferry back to Skagen area in Denmark from Kristiansand or Bergen (but you’d then be repeating some of the outward journey back down through Denmark).

Or just heading south here are some brain dump ideas (some mentioned earlier).

Trollhattan has a hands on science museum, Saab museum, waterfalls and cable car all in the same area (maybe worth 2-3 hours).

Bohuslan coast north of Gothenburg is very nice (big rounded rocks).

Gothenburg usual city stuff. Some mtb riding in the forests. Theme park. Aeroseum military aircraft museum cave bunker thing. Volvo museum.

Beaches at Bastad / Angelholm. There is some mtb riding with hills(!) and mtb near Bastad (make sure you don’t clash with the tennis tournament in Bastad or it will be rammed). http://www.ridgecycling.com/

Handy overnight ferries from Trelleborg back into northen Germany. Sassnitz is a long way east but you could then visit Peenemunde if V1 rockets are your thing (not sure how much there is there).

Nicer option is probably bridge across to Copenhagen (lovely small city). Viking ships at Roskilde. Then down via Mons Klint (maybe worth a day). Camping Mons Klint is nice and they have a quieter field across the road if it is busy. There is an hour or two of muddy waymarked MTB in the forest above the cliffs. Geocentre looked an expensive tourist trap so just stick to the (free) forests and beach etc. Canoe looked a nice option to view the cliffs. Then head eventually to the quick Rodby – Puttgarden ferry and a days drive back across Germany.

Hamburg with kids = https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/

Universe in Als land is worth going to. Really good theme park with a hands on educational element, owned by Danfoss. You can get a ferry from to Als instead driving across the bridges and via Jutland.

I used to live in Göteborg, it’s ok. The parks and the islands are nice but the city wasn’t anything special IMHO.  come North to where I live now, it’s much better.

Also the west coast of Denmark is very nice. South of Esbjerg its all marsh land but from Blåvand and north its almost all nice sandy beaches. Blåvand is a nice spot if you want to go swimming in the sea.

Or you could take the ferry from Esbjerg over to Fanoe. It’s a pretty little island with loads of great beaches.

The North Sea coast in Germany is ok but has massive tides so you have to walk miles on  wet sand just to get to the water. The Baltic Sea coast is much nicer but also more out of your way in the direction of home. If you do head in that direction there are loads of nice campsites but keep in mind the campsites get very busy in the summer.

Lübeck is also worth a look and it’s surrounded by lakes. Hamburg is also a great city with lots to do and AFAIK there is a campsite direct on the Elbe near the city center. As said Lüneberger Heide is pretty nice and I can recommend the Südsee Camping site for the kids with its own swimming lake and lots of children’s entertainment. Heide Park Soltau is also close if you want to do an amusement park day. It’s like Alton Towers on steroids.

We’re back off to Denmark again this summer for 2 1/2 weeks in the campervan. Catching the same ferry service as the OP and then driving up to Juelsminde on the Danish east coast with a night stop over on the way. We did this two years ago and given the choice of this again or Florida the kids chose Denmark again!

There’s a great campsite right by the harbour in Juelsminde, great beach and very safe cycling with kids.

We’ll probably go to Legoland again – the kids loved it last time. I’d like to go to Ribe and we’ll probably go up to Skagen for a couple of days to see where the two seas come together.

If anyone is around mid June. https://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/fano-internationale-dragefestival-gdk975870

Really cool time for a walk on the beach on Fanø

but you’d then be repeating some of the outward journey back down through Denmark

I used to drive that a lot (used to get a ferry to Oslo) and it’s not that inspiring.

Memories of lots of very flat fields full of pigs.

Nicer option is probably bridge across to Copenhagen (lovely small city).

Definitely would be my choice if I was on holiday.

Memories of lots of very flat fields full of pigs.

I’ve spent about at least weeks a year in Denmark for the the last 8 years and I’ve never seen a big. They battery farm their pigs, they’re not seen outside. It’s pretty flat though.

I’ve spent about at least weeks a year in Denmark for the the last 8 years and I’ve never seen a big. They battery farm their pigs, they’re not seen outside. It’s pretty flat though.

I spent quote a long time in the last couple of years (according to my Danish Tax) but that’s been retracted to Copenhagen…. this memory is from 99-2000 when I used to live in Norway and drive up … to get the ferry.  To be fair didn’t leave the main road as it was a case of getting there rather than being able to hang about.

They must have some free range pigs still 😀

Not sure how these places fit with your schedule, but a random scattering:

Soderasen, near Malmo. It’s a really unexpected river gorge hidden in what’s otherwise a bit flat countryside. Places to camp, or else stay at the “Pippi Longstocking” style hostel (apparently recently changed its name to Villa Soderasen) http://www.villasoderasen.com/

Molle, north of Helsinborg. Lovely little towns and coastline with places to swim. Crazy sculpture ladonia.org

Skagen – as above

Bornholm – island reached by ferry from Wallander’s home town of Ystad

Day trip from CPH to the Swedish island of Ven, peaceful lanes to bike and Tycho Brahe museum

Hornbaek north of CPH, past Helsingor – reminds you of how summer holidays from your childhood might have been (but never were)

Good call on Söderåsen.

Spend a weeek camping under a tarp there many years ago, there is also some primitive wooden shelters with fireplace etc. in the park free to use.

Goteborg is a good city for a stopover, loads to do and see, if you want a change from the trees, lakes and rocks of Sweden.

I spend 2 nights there, staying in a “boat” hotel, which used to be an Ibis, was called a Good Morning, but can’t find detail of. It was just a Travelodge, but I liked the fact it was a boat.

The city museum has loads of Viking type history. Walking through town will be interesting for the adults, maybe less so for the kids.

I hired a kayak and went around the harbour and canals, which was excellent fun. http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/49989-G%C3%B6teborg

The boat trips to the fort sounded good.

The Maritime museum was superb, basically about 20 old boats moored in the harbour which you could just wander through.

Wow – loads of good suggestions, just wanted to thank you so much!  STW is always brilliant for this sort of thing.

We are off to Bengtsfors to do a canoe trip with http://www.naturetravels.co.uk/category-canoeing.htm, after being recommended the area and the canoeing by a friend of a friend.

I guess the upshot of the advice is that we’ll maybe change plans.  We’d intended to head straight to Bengtsfors after the Legoland stop off, but it seems as if there are plenty of places to stop on the way up through Denmark and southern Sweden (ferry from Frederishavn to Gothenberg), then come back over ‘The Bridge’ and see something else on the way back down that way.

So a weekend of looking up your suggestions and plotting the best route. Hadn’t planned to take the bikes but perhaps we need to re-think that too.

Any further suggestions welcome, and thanks folks, very much appreciated.

Fraser

Ängelholm has been my home town for over 11 years now so it’s funny to hear people on STW talking about it.

Some good options listed, there’s a lot on offer in Southern Sweden in the summer so you really need to decide where you want to stop between drives and what you want to do. Camp site at Mölle offers a nice location for access to Kullaberg national park. Söderåsen nationial park is raw beauty for those who like to roam free.

Båstad is a nice location but it’s full of Stockholmers around the summer/tennis week so best avoided at all costs, unless you’re a tennis nut. Next to here is Hallandåsen ridge where there’s some great riding or hiking, there’s even a DH park there is you’re into that, more enduro than proper DH but still fun (I built some of the origional trails there).

The South East corner of Skåne is also beautiful, normally quiter and has some beautiful beaches like Ängelholm. I’ve camped at a nice place called Kivik, famed for its cider.

Up at Gothenberg you have the archipelago which are very popular and very beautify, and the city is quite nice as well.

Billund is a must for kids and parents alike, been every year for the last 5 lol, and La Landia water park, my recommendation would be 1 day at LaLandia and 1.5/2 at Lego land to really get the most from it.

//Jeff

How much time have you got between Legoland and Bengtsfors? You could do a big circle:-

Lego, Silkeborg (lake district, biggest “mountain”), Aalborg, Skagen, short ferry to Oslo (Viking ship etc) then work back south down Sweden rock Alta, Bengtsfors, G’burg etc.