Landscape and geology

Råbjerg Mile was formed during the sand drift period in the 15th and 1600s. It started on the west coast - at Råbjerg Stene about 5 kilometres from where it is now.

Råbjerg Mile is one of the largest migratory dunes in Europe. Around 4 million m3 of sand is contained in the impressive 35-40 metre high sand dune, which forms a "mini desert" of almost 1 km2. With an average velocity of 15 metres (varying from 0 - 30), the dune moves with the prevailing wind to the north-east.

In 1902 the State bought and protected the area, and in 1962 it was included in a very large (16 km2) dune protection area.

Everywhere along the west coast of Jutland, sand drift has been slowed down by sand drift mitigation and the establishment of large dune plantations, but here in Råbjerg Mile nature is allowed to prevail. Through conservation, the continued free movement of the mile has been ensured, although it has not yet been taken into account that in 100-200 years it will bury the main road to Skagen and 30 years later go into the Kattegat.

Parabola Dune

Seen from above, the mile has a crescent shape, with two "horns" facing up towards the prevailing south-westerly wind. The type of dune is also called a "parabola dune". The sand tumbles, bounces or flies with the wind up over the mile and is deposited on the steep lee side of the mile. In this turbulent environment, no plants can thrive. On the flanks of the dune, however, plants take hold and slow down the flight of sand. The flanks are stopped in their migration and remain as the legs of the parabola dune, while the central part continues its migration.

On the windward side, the sand is removed down to near the water table, where the moisture crumbles the sand crusts. The "footprint" of the meander is thus a fairly even plain - a blow-off plain - marked by numerous small lakes and marshes. The plain lies between the two legs of the parabola.

From the highest point of the mile there is a unique view over the dune landscape of Skagens Odde. More than 6000 hectares of dune and dune heath are protected in one of Denmark's most distinctive nature areas. In 2003, the County of North Jutland started a large-scale clearing of the dune heath south and west of the mile with support from the EU.

Cultural history

Råbjerg Mile is one of the few places where you can still experience the natural forces that made life difficult for people along the west coast of Jutland for many centuries. The sand drift did not really take off until the 15-1600s. Geologists call this period the "Little Ice Age" because glaciers all over the world advanced rapidly for a time. The large amounts of water trapped in the ice meant that sea levels were perhaps 10 cm lower than today. This meant wider beaches where the wind could really grab the sand. A contributory factor may be centuries of overuse of coastal dunes for grazing, heather harvesting and heather peat digging.

Over 3-400 years, parish after parish along the coast was laid waste, fields and farms were buried in the sand and abandoned. The lonely Råbjerg Church a few kilometres south of the mile stands as a monument to a parish where most farms and houses disappeared into the sand.

Only in the late 1800s did the state intervene and start a systematic sand fly control, with the planting of "dune roofs" - the grasses Marehalm and Hjælme and the construction of the large dune plantations.

Plant life

The meadow itself is bare of vegetation, but the floodplain in front of the meadow, with its many temporary ponds and damp depressions, is home to a large number of uncommon or rare plants adapted to this special environment.

The lobelia sends its flower shoots up above the water level in July and can dress the shallow parts of the lake with a pink carpet.

The Miles Islands are also worth a visit for the botanical enthusiast. The lakes belong to the clear-watered, nutrient-poor lakes, which are Denmark's rarest lake type. The type is also called "Lobelia lakes" after the flowering plant lobelia. It forms small rosettes on the lake bottom together with another characteristic plant of the lake type, Liden Strandbo, which can cover the bottom like a dense lawn. Sundew is a small low carnivorous plant (insects) found on the run-off surface.

The boundary between the moist sand of the blow-off and the dry sand of the lake - the grey dunes and the dune beds is a rare and threatened habitat type. In 2003, a large-scale nature conservation project started in the area. Unwanted growth, especially of mountain pine, is being removed on a large scale.

Wildlife

On a spring day at Råbjerg mile, the air is filled with the sound of thousands of chirping beach toads (Bufo calamita), which have one of the largest populations in the country in the many small lakes. Vipers (Vipera berus) are also abundant in the dunes. However, care is needed to see this beautiful snake, which disappears at the slightest tremor of the ground. The best chance is on a sunny spring day, when the viper is sunbathing on south-facing slopes.

Skagens Odde is known for its bird migration, especially in spring. The migration can also be seen from Råbjerg Mile, and the colossal dune terrain west of the mile is often a resting place for migrating eagles and owls, just as resting cranes can be seen at the Miles Islands.

Tourists

Råbjerg Mile is visited annually by about 1/2 million visitors (Skagen has about 2 million visitors annually, of which 1 million visit Grenen)

Filmset for three movies.