Are you doing a road trip along the west coast of Denmark? Then Thyborøn in Central Jutland is a great place for a pit stop. In this fishing village with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants, you’ll find a fun attraction: Sneglehuset. Sneglehuset is a house decorated with seashells. And I’m not talking about just a few shells stuck to a wall as decoration. Everything you see in and around this charming little house is made of shell.
History of Sneglehuset
To discover the origins of the shell house Sneglehuset in Thyborøn, we go back to 1949. Alfred Pedersen was a fisherman, but he also had a great passion for creating art. He came up with the idea to decorate a small house in a very unique way, a house especially for his wife. It had to be so special that people would come from the farthest corners to see it. That he was not only very creative but also incredibly patient became clear: what he started in 1949 was completed in 1974.
To decorate Sneglehuset, Alfred Pedersen used tens of thousands of snail shells, conches, and cockles. Wherever you look, it’s hard to find a single piece of wall or plaster between all the shells.
What to do at Sneglehuset?
Sneglehuset is especially popular among Instagrammers these days. If you sit on a bench here, you’ll see people arriving, quickly snapping a photo, and then leaving again. If you have a bit more time, be sure to take a seat on one of the benches on the terrace or explore one of the cosy little corners. Order an ice cream or a cup of coffee with a Danish kringle and just enjoy your surroundings.
Inside, for a small fee, you can have a look around. You could see the interior of Sneglehuset as a small museum. Among other things, you’ll find an exhibition of bottle ships made by fishermen from West Jutland. There’s also a little shop where you can buy all kinds of trinkets, often related to shells, the beach and the sea.
What else to do in Thyborøn
Love surfing? Then head to Thyborøn Surfcenter. The coastline of Thyborøn, just like the coast further north, offers perfect waves for surfing. Skaters can go wild at the THEMIS Skatepark, also known as Thyborøn Skatepark. Skateboards can be rented at Thyborøn Surfcenter.
Lunch options are also great in the small fishing village of Thyborøn. We had fish and chips at Fiskehallen. It seems to be a very popular spot—the large terrace was completely packed. Luckily, they also have a cosy indoor seating area with a view of the harbour.
