Jens Søndergaards Museum

About the museum

The painter Jens Søndergaard (1895–1957), born on Mors and raised in Hurup in Thy, is among the great names of 20th-century Danish art. He developed his own, powerfully colorful expression, received the Thorvaldsen Medal in 1946, among other honors, and exhibited internationally. Although he lived in København, he was drawn to Jutland every summer to paint. In 1928 he got to know Bovbjerg, and in 1930 he bought a summer house here, which from then on served him as a studio; the North Sea, the steep coast, and people in the wind became his most important subjects.

In the early 1950s Søndergaard planned his own museum. He had a large skylight hall added and in 1952 bequeathed the house, together with the painting collection located there, to the then Vandborg-Ferring Kommune. He died in 1957, and on May 16, 1958, the museum was inaugurated; in the first ten months about 10,000 visitors came.

The collection was assembled by Søndergaard himself, in part by buying back older paintings for it. It includes several major works, among them many large-format landscapes and seascapes, as well as lesser-known paintings and drawings. Alongside the skylight hall, the small, low rooms of the old summer house tell of the artist's personal side. Today the house belongs to Lemvig Museum; in 2026 it received a new reception area with a museum shop in the former office with a sea view, as well as a digital discovery tour for children.

Highlights

• Major works by Jens Søndergaard in the place where they were created
• Skylight hall and small rooms of the former summer house
• Location on the cliffs of Bovbjerg with a view of the North Sea
• Drawing materials and digital discovery tour for children
• Admission ticket is also valid for Lemvig Museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Jens Søndergaards samling – Collection assembled by the artist himself with major works and lesser-known paintings and drawings, mainly powerful landscapes and seascapes.

Founded

1958

Operated by

Lemvig Museum

Visitors per year

approx. 4,523 (2017)

Admission & discounts

The admission ticket is valid for both Jens Søndergaards Museum and Lemvig Museum.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There is a step between two exhibition rooms; a ramp is available for wheelchairs. Accessible restroom with baby changing table. Dogs can wait on a hook to the right of the entrance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Drawing materials for small and big artists are available among the paintings. The digital discovery tour "Jagten på Jens Søndergaards malerier" leads children together with an adult through the collection by smartphone with puzzles and questions.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the village of Ferring on the coastal cliffs near Bovbjerg Klint.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Museum shop

Small museum shop with art postcards, posters, ceramics, as well as ice cream, water, and candy. Picnic tables outside; Søndergaard's old garage serves as a room for bringing your own food.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit