Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Denmark Thyborøn Sneglehuset (The Snail House)
AO Edited

Sneglehuset (The Snail House)

A Danish fisherman spent 25 years covering nearly every inch of his home with tens of thousands of shells as a gift to his wife.

Thyborøn, Denmark

O opdewierd profile photo
Added By
opdewierd
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Sneglehuset   Sabrina Weisser / CC BY-SA 2.0
  opdewierd / Atlas Obscura User
  opdewierd / Atlas Obscura User
  opdewierd / Atlas Obscura User
  Ragnar1904 / CC BY-SA 4.0
  WRGS / CC BY-SA 4.0
Shells and bottle ships   WRGS / CC BY-SA 4.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Sneglehuset is a house decorated with shells. But we're not talking about a bowl of seashells in the bathroom or a few shells hung on the walls. Everything you see in and around this cute little house in a Danish fishing town is covered in shells.

For the origin of Thyborøn's shell house, we go back to 1949. Alfred Pedersen was a fisherman but also had a great preference for making art, and he came up with the idea to decorate a house in an extraordinary way. The house was for his wife Paula, and it had to be so special that people would come and watch from the farthest corners. He started adding shells to the house in 1949 and finished in 1974.

The shells are arranged in intricate designs that extend into the yard. There are spirals, flowers, hearts, and arches. On one exterior wall, you can find a seashell mosaic of a mermaid, and a row of large conch shells lines the top of the fence surrounding the property. In addition to the shells on and inside the house, you can find a large collection of bottle ships at Sneglehuset.

In 2019, Sneglehuset was bought by Ken Koustrup and Hanne Mette Kirkedal, who had lived nearby for many years and loved walking past the property.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Community Contributors

O opdewierd profile photo

Added By

opdewierd

Michelle Cassidy profile photo

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy profile photo Michelle Cassidy

Published

November 4, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.tvmidtvest.dk/lemvig/nye-forpagtere-af-sneglehuset-vil-gore-verden-lidt-storre-end-rugbrod-med-leverpostej
  • https://www.visitdenmark.nl/denemarken/reis-plannen/sneglehuset-snail-house-gdk606603
  • https://www.visit-nordvestkysten.com/nordvestkysten/planlaeg-din-tur/sneglehuset-gdk606603

Related Tags

Shells Mosaics Fishing Eccentric Homes Snails
Sneglehuset (The Snail House)
Klitvej 9
Thyborøn, 7680
Denmark
56.696201, 8.200742
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Elstedhaven

Snedsted, Denmark

miles away

Thagaard's Plantation

Thisted, Denmark

miles away

Klitmøller Beach

Klitmøller, Denmark

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Denmark

Denmark

Europe

Places 188
Stories 19

Nearby Places

Elstedhaven

Snedsted, Denmark

miles away

Thagaard's Plantation

Thisted, Denmark

miles away

Klitmøller Beach

Klitmøller, Denmark

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Denmark

Denmark

Europe

Places 188
Stories 19

Related Places

  • Entire length of one side of the wall facing the main street

    San Fernando, Philippines

    House of Seashells

    A house and its fence that are entirely covered with sea shells and giant clams.

  • Shell Cottage

    Cullenstown, Ireland

    Shell Cottage

    A 300-year-old cottage decorated with tens of thousands of seashells arranged in intricate patterns.

  • 'Caracol de Vida' ('Snail of Life')

    Xpujil, Mexico

    'Caracol de Vida' ('Snail of Life')

    A monument in the shape of the mighty conch honors the history and symbolism behind this shell.

  • Mosaic along the wall in the back yard

    Dunedin, Florida

    Mosaic House of Dunedin

    In this Florida couple's cottage, nearly every surface—inside and out—is covered in mosaic artwork.

  • Side of house.

    Toronto, Ontario

    The Wood Cake House

    This knick-knack-covered house (complete with a matching van) is a charming oddity in the middle of a modest downtown neighborhood.

  • Kallin Shell Midden

    Outer Hebrides, Scotland

    Kallin Shell Midden

    This impressive midden of scallop shells apparently all comes from a single fishing company.

  • Mosaic Tile House

    Los Angeles, California

    Mosaic Tile House

    Rainbow-hued local gem in Venice.

  • L'île Penotte Seashell Art

    Les Sables-d'Olonne, France

    L'île Penotte Seashell Art

    Wall after wall of this French seaside neighborhood is intricately decorated with seashells and corals.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.