Dramatic rescue stories and traditional dwellings in Skagen museum

Among the grassed, reclaimed sand dunes in Skagen is the 19th century Viking-style long house, fisherman's cottage and, Dutch windmill.

Our guide showed us framed pictures and stories of the local sailors who put their lives at risk time and time again to rescue shipwrecks driven by the turbulent seas leading to beachings and shipwrecks. Local crew were decorated again and again for their brave successful rescues. Some saved so many lives,  they were rewarded with money rather than medals. Ships' crews from Newcastle and Grimsby were among those rescued by Skagen's skilled mariners.

Outside among the grassed dunes is a long house, similar in style and use to the Viking long houses we visited on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Built in the 19th century, the Skagen one was more up to date than the ones on Lewis, but shared the practice of accommodating farm animals in the house. There was another, smaller, more humble house on the site, a Dutch windmill, a lump of worn sandstone and two boat sheds, one of which displayed the local mariners gear and equipment.

The whole of Skagen up to the Grenen is built on reclaimed sand dunes.

The 19th century Viking-style Skagen long house has a thatched roof. In the foreground is a rough piece of local sand stone.