Gammelgab Beach

Between dune ridge and reed bed

Gammelgab Beach is located near Nymindegab, where the North Sea, the dunes and the southern part of Ringkøbing Fjord meet in a landscape that is neither quite beach nor quite fjord. Behind the coastal dunes lie wetlands, reed beds and lakes, giving the area a more rugged character than an ordinary day at the beach on the west coast.

An outlet that became lakes

The name Gammelgab is quite literal: this was where Ringkøbing Fjord formerly had a southern outlet to the North Sea, with Nymindestrømmen as the connection between fjord and sea. Today the old outlet is closed, but its traces can still be read in the terrain as a chain of small and large lakes behind the dunes.

A walk along Nymindestrømmen takes you through lakes, reed beds and open dune heath between Nymindegab and Gammelgab Beach. The paths connect to the marked routes in the dune plantations, so the area can be added to a longer hike if your legs and the weather are up for it.

Good to know in the dunes

Gammelgabvej runs through Nyminde Plantation out to the beach and is used by both cars and pedestrians. At Nymindegab Beach there is parking, toilets and a small café by the parking area, while the west coast here can have wild waves, strong surf and rip currents. The old outlet is now quiet behind the dunes, but the landscape still tells the story of water that once was in a hurry.