Towards the end of the 19th century, Skagen could be reached in two ways: by train and horse-drawn carriage or by ship. Until 1890 the railway only went as far as Frederikshavn, and the last 40 kilometres of the journey had to be made by ageposten - a horse-drawn carriage. If you were coming to Skagen by sea, the large ships would anchor off the coast of Skagen, and the passengers would then be transported to shore by smaller boats, because until 1907, Skagen did not have a port where larger ships could dock. 

Several of the Skagen painters have described the difficult journey to Skagen. Many of the artists recount how they arrived in Skagen in bad weather and had to struggle their way through the sandy streets. Some of the artists even recounted that the journey to Skagen was so risky, that they nearly lost their lives on the way. Yet it was exactly the arduous and dangerous journey, combined with the characteristic landscape, which fascinated the Skagen painters.