| FREDERIKSHAVN is neither pretty nor particularly interesting, and as
a ferry port it's usually full of Swedes and Norwegians taking advantage
of Denmark's liberal boozing laws. But the town is virtually unavoidable
if you're heading north, being at the end of the rail route from
Aalborg. If you've an international ferry to meet at Hirtshals, change
to the private train (InterRail fifty percent reduction, Eurail not
valid) at Hjørring.
If you have half an hour to spare, visit the squat white tower,
Krudttårnet (June to mid-Sept daily 10.30am-5pm; 10kr), near the station,
which has maps detailing the harbour's seventeenth-century
fortifications and a collection of military paraphernalia from the
seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. With more time, take bus #3 to
Møllehuset and walk on through Bangsboparken to the Bangsbo-Museet (June
to mid-Sept daily 10.30am-5pm; winter closed Mon; 35kr), where displays
chart the development of Frederikshavn from the 1600s, alongside the
grotesque but engrossing "Collection of Human Hairwork" and an
assortment of maritime exhibits, distinguished only by the twelfth-century
Ellingå Ship and an exhibition covering the German occupation during
World War II and the Danish resistance movement.
Buses and trains into Frederikshavn both stop at the train station , a
short walk along Skippergade and Denmarksgade from the town centre. Some
continue to the ferry terminal near Havnepladsen, also close to the
centre where Color Line ferries leave for Larvik, Stena Line ferries for
Oslo and boats (InterRail fifty percent reduction) and the cheaper and
much quicker sea catamarans make for Gothenburg. The tourist office is
close by at Skandiatorv 1 (mid-June to Aug Mon-Sat 8.30am-7pm, Sun
11am-7pm; rest of year Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 11am-2pm; tel 98.42.32.66,
www.frederikshavn-tourist.dk ). The cheapest hotels are both central:
Discount Logi Teglgården , Teglgårdsvej 3 (tel 98.42.04.44;
£10-15/$16-24/¬18-27), and Hotel Herman Bang at Tordenskjoldsgade 3 (tel
98.42.21.66; £15-20/$24-32/¬27-36). There's also a youth hostel at
Buhlsvej 6 (tel 98.42.14.75, www.danhostel.dk/frederikshavn ;
£5-10/$8-16/¬9-18), 1500m north of the train station, and a cabin-equipped
campsite , Nordstrand, at Apholmenvej 40 (tel 98.42.93.50; April to late
Oct; bus #4), 3km north of the centre off Nordre Strandvej.
|
from $131.00
USD