Stage 1

Starting in Rudbøl, your West Coast Cycle Route trip begins just north of the Danish-German border which runs right through town. You are now in the Wadden Sea National Park which is featured on the UNESCO world heritage list. From Rudbøl, the route takes you through some fantastic marshland before you get to the town behind the dike, the charming town of Højer, which raises up like the entrance to the marshland in the flat landscape with the notable, 22 metres tall mill of Højer Mølle.

From Højer, you continue on the dike which protects the flat area of marshland against flooding and storm surges. After that, the route takes you down narrow country roads and through several villages before you get to Vesterende Ballum and end up on the cycle path that runs next to the dike.

Once you have passed the sluice of Ballum Sluse, you continue to the dike of Rømø. Here you can either cycle across the dike and visit the island of Rømø or continue down West Coast Cycle Route a bit further inland. By Rejsby, the route once again takes you to the cycle path by the dike. Afterwards, you cycle past the Wadden Sea Centre and then onto Vester Vedsted and Ribe.

No matter whether you stop for the night or want to continue, it is a good idea to reserve some time for exploring the historical town of Ribe and the special atmosphere.

Tøndermarsken is the largest marshland area in Denmark, featuring special nature and a particular culture. Here, nature seems wild and uncontrollable; however, it has actually been meticulously designed and formed by human life, working with and against the water. The area features lots of bird life and in autumn, you can enjoy the amazing phenomenon of “black sun” when huge groups of starlings fly in fantastic formations before settling for the night in the reed forest.