Shopping

There are more shops in Gilleleje, per capita, than virtually any other small town in Zealand. At least part of that is attributable to the discretionary income of many of the well-heeled vacationers who flock here, or perhaps it's the tradition of buying and selling antiques that has been a part of the civic consciousness here since the 1960s. In any event, a walk up and down the length of the Vesterbrogade will reveal lots of small boutiques whose collective inventories might enrich the aesthetics of your home or office.

J.S. Antiques, Ferlevej 55-57, Ferle (tel. 49-71-79-79), is one of the biggest and most visible antiques stores in town. Another store that has garnered a devoted clientele from all around the world because of its knowledge of antique Danish porcelain, especially Royal Copenhagen, is Antik Ulla, Vesterbrogade 46 (tel. 48-30-07-58).

Know before you begin your barnstorming of Gilleleje's antiques stores that opening hours are relaxed to the point of being almost chaotic. In most cases, shops open daily except Monday and Tuesday, roughly 11am to 4 or 5pm, depending on business and the mood of the shopkeeper. Most, however, maintain extensions of the phone numbers listed that ring in their homes, so a call in advance will sometimes do the trick in getting a shop to open.