There are plenty of places for a seaside getaway in Denmark, but I think the best is Gilleleje.

Lying on the north coast of Zealand, the town is a short drive from the capital but feels like a hidden gem. A lively harbour still heavily in used for fishing means the town hasn’t been gentrified into a tourist town, but still serves locals with the products they have been using for generations.

Beautiful beaches, quaint shops and cafes and amazing walks out into nature along the coast make it a must-see for any visitor to Denmark. The best bit though? In my opinion its the tranquil views across the sound to the west coast of Sweden.

In case that’s not enough, Gilleleje has its own incredible story from the Second World War, where Danish jews where whisked away to freedom aboard fishing vessels…more on this later though.

Read on in this guide to discover what Gilleleje has to offer, what to see and when is the best time to visit.

Visiting Gilleleje

Although a popular summer spot for Danish and international visitors alike, Gilleleje is really just a large village. The life and soul of the place gravitates around the harbour, where fishing ships pull up alongside tourist boats and cafes serve up all manner of seafood.

It remains the largest working port in the whole of Sjealland and the fishermen’s community centre is one of the largest buildings on the harbourfront.

Strolling through the streets from the harbour towards the beach, you’ll find quaint clothing, gift and ice cream shops.

Soak in the maritime atmosphere, the beach and the nature around Gilleleje, and enjoy quality seafood at the harbour.

The best time to visit Gilleleje is definitely in the summer, where temperatures reach around 25°C (68-72°F) and you have long daylight hours to explore the town and its surroundings.

A short history of Gilleleje

The earliest confirmed permanent residence in Gilleleje is in the early 16th century. An excavation, done in 1979 by the city museum, found a house under the layers of sand. The house had most likely been built shortly after 1536, as a coin was found, dated 1534-36. They also found ceramics reminiscent of other finds, so the archeologists assumed that the culture layer was from the late 15th century.

Gilleleje church

At around this time, the town had enough financial means to build a church and hire a priest. This required considerable funds, and the general consensus, then, is that the town went from seasonal fishing to year-round fishing, and the fishermen settled down in the years surrounding 1500.

In 1588, the vassal of Kronborg made a list of the taxes that the fishermen should pay. This was one or a half barrel of cod. From this list, we can see who the earliest citizens were. There are about 70 names (a name is analogous to a house - there were probably about 500 citizens), with the surnames Lauritsen, Rasmussen, Jensen and Skomager being the most common.

Unfortunately, the influx of fishermen made hard on the fishing, and several families could not catch enough fish to both sustain a living and pay the taxes. In 1632, only 18 families were left. This stabilized the conditions somewhat, and in 1682, the number was up to 30, according to the records of Christian V. A new problem was present, though. The shifting sand would bury boats and nets, and had to be shovelled away, delaying the real work. Part of the eastern side of the town was even deserted as a few houses had gradually been buried under dunes.

During the 1810s and 20s, the city expanded a lot, and many new houses were built in the eastern area that had once been abandoned. A real harbor was built in 1873, where the drying ground had been. This meant larger ships and thus more jobs, making more people move to the town. In 1890, the town was at 865 households, 112 of which were fishermen.

Gilleleje in the Second World War

The outer harbour was finished in 1902, and Gilleleje continued to thrive on its fishing until 1941 when the Germans occupied Denmark. Like most other Danes at the time, the Gillelejere were against the oppression and helped the Jews by hiding them in various places in the town. However, on 2 October 1943, the Gestapo set out to capture all Danish Jews. The Jews in Gilleleje were hidden in the church loft, and the fishermen prepared for taking them across the sound to Sweden in their cutters. They could not leave immediately, though, because of the German patrols in the street. After several days of hiding, an informer let the Germans know where the roughly 75 Jews were hiding, and they were all captured, bar a single boy who hid behind a gravestone in the cemetery.

A memorable exchange resulted after the Gestapo seized Jewish families in the town. "The poor Jews!" exclaimed one villager to a Gestapo officer. When the German responded that it was "written in the Bible that this shall be their fate,” the villager retorted, “but it is not written that it has to happen in Gilleleje.”

After the occupation was over, several memorials have been put up in the town, both commemorating the Jews and the fishermen who lost their lives when colliding with sea mines.

Eating and drinking in Gilleleje

Along the harbourside, you’ll find several seafood sellers. Don’t miss the smoked fish, which you can spot by the name ‘røgeriet’ (English: smokery) on the sign.

You can also get your hands on shell-on prawns and fried flatfish, as well as the Danish take on traditional British fish n chips. with plenty of fries on the side.

There are a few ideas here but a simple stroll will give you a good taste:

Adamsen’s Fisk
Havnen 2, 3250 Gilleleje Denmark

Fiskernes Deli
Kanalvejen 13e, 3250 Gilleleje Denmark

Fiskehuset Gilleleje
Havnen 4, 3250 Gilleleje

The Nakkehoved lighthouse

To the east of Gilleleje is the beautiful Nakkehoved Lighthouse and the Lighthouse History Museum. It’s only a short walk along the coastal path and worth the effort once you see the sea view over the Kattegat and the Sound from the top of the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built in 1772 to warn ships of the infamously dangerous seas near Gilleleje, where many ships met their end.

If you have time after your climb to the top, it’s worth a visit to the Lighthouse History Museum, which gives a good insight into the importance of lighthouses in Danish history.

Opening hours: 12. March – 24. April: Sat – Sun, 11-16.
25. April – 26. June: Thurs – Sun, 11-16.
27. June – 11. September: Tues – Sun, 11-16.
12. September – 30. October: Thurs – Sun, 11-16.
31. October – 27. November: Sat – Sun, 11-16.

Admission: Adults DKK 40. Children under 18 are free of charge - annual tickets for all exhibitions at Museum Nordsjælland, DKK 70.

Getting to Gilleleje

From Copenhagen, you can travel on frequent trains from Copenhagen Central Station to Hillerød.

From there, you can take the small Gribskovsbanen Local train 950R.  It’s a beautiful route northwards through pine forests and towards the coast, stopping off at a number of tiny villages along the way.

It should take about an hour and fifteen minutes by train in total. From the Gilleleje train station, it’s a short stroll down the hill into the centre of town and towards the beach and harbourfront.

Want to explore more? Check out more of my guides and articles to Scandinavian culture here, or check out my recent article on wild swimming below: