Skagen: When two seas meet...

The point where they meet is called Grenen – which in Danish means ‘the branch’ – and it is a sandy peninsula north of the town of Skagen, in the northernmost part of Denmark, a delightful fishing village much loved by painters for the particular light found there. The two seas have a different density and the wave motion tends to create a constant ripple that allows the water to brush against each other. It is as if there was an imaginary barrier due to the different temperature and salinity of the water. When the two seas meet, they generate turbulence that makes navigation difficult. For this reason, special signs have been placed that sanction the absolute prohibition of bathing in the northern part of the coast. Needless to say, the tongue of sand that marks the meeting point between the two seas is one of the most popular places for tourists to take pictures.