A second later, a large splatter of seagull droppings lands beside you.

That was close.

North Jutland stretches out before you. Where grasslands lie today, there was once a sea passage. Wild waves crashed against Viking ships sailing through the sheltered Limfjord from the North Sea to the Kattegat.

Now, the beach is deserted. On some stretches, you’re allowed to drive your car on the beach.

You look around but don’t see any other cars.

Only an old school bus stands abandoned.

To your left, a sign catches your eye:

‘No entry for vehicles.’

Yet tire tracks lead onto the beach.

You hesitate for a moment, then press the accelerator. The tires spin in the soft sand but quickly find traction.

You keep driving, kilometer after kilometer.

The horizon seems endless.

No other people.

No other cars.

Summer houses are tucked away among the dunes, their shutters closed and their porches empty.

The season must not have started here yet.

As the water continues to recede, your confidence grows. You cross a small stream flowing from the dunes into the sea. Water splashes against the wheel wells.

Then you see a sign of life.

In the distance, a group of people races across the beach in land sailers, driven by the strong wind.

The following morning, you leave the coast behind. At Aggersborg, you pass the remains of what was once the largest Viking fortress in Scandinavia. Only the outlines of the buildings are still visible in the grass.

You imagine thousands of fierce Vikings marching through the fortress with their axes. From the fortress, King Harald Bluetooth watched over the passage. Centuries later, his name still lives on, but now in digital form.

This historic place is not your final destination.

You have read about the Lille Vildmose Nature Reserve, where the largest members of the deer family on Earth roam.

Moose.

An adult bull can weigh more than seven hundred kilograms. His antlers are almost as wide as a grown man is tall. You’ve seen photos, but seeing a moose in real life is something entirely different.

Without realizing it, you scan the landscape as you drive toward the visitor center.

Inside, you ask the volunteer where you’re most likely to see a moose.

She slides a map toward you, unfolds it, and circles an observation tower.

‘Well, this morning there was one spotted here.’

‘You should definitely go there.’

As you walk outside, you keep looking at the map.

Could it still be there?

A boardwalk leads straight through the marsh toward the observation tower. You climb the stairs and look out over the landscape.

Cranes.

Reed beds.

Water.

But no moose.

After a while, you climb back down. On the way, something catches your eye among the reeds: flattened plants.

You stop.

Could a moose have walked here?

An animal smell reaches your nose, sharp and heavy, just like at a zoo. Carefully, you follow the trail. You watch where you place your feet. Adders live in this area too.

Something lies in the grass.

A pile of dark droppings.

They look just like Easter eggs.

A little farther on, there are more.

You crouch down and carefully poke one of the droppings with a stick.

They feel hard.

Not fresh.

Still, it gives you hope.

You stay until dusk. More and more cars drive slowly through the area. Apparently, you’re not the only one searching. You scan the heath with your binoculars.

Then you hear a familiar sound.

‘Cuckoo, cuckoo.’

You scan the branches where the sound came from.

There he is.

The cuckoo.

Could he be looking for a nest in which to lay his egg?

It grows darker, but it feels too early to leave. You decide to take one more drive through the area. By now, you recognize the other cars and smile at the drivers. Everyone seems to have the same mission. It feels like a safari.

Then you see something moving.

The animal moves through the reeds.

You keep your camera ready.

You follow it until it comes into view.

A red deer.

Unfortunately.

Not a moose.

By now, it is pitch black. On the Park4Night app, you look for a place to spend the night. Twenty minutes farther on, there’s a parking area. You hope you can spend the night there.

You blink in surprise when you arrive.

Are you seeing this right?

Vikings running across the grounds.

With wooden swords and axes, shouting and laughing.

Children dressed as Vikings.

For a moment, it feels as though Harald Bluetooth has called his warriors back.