Bogby 9520 – Denmark’s Book Town in Skørping

A book town at the heart of Skørping

Bogby 9520 turns the railway town of Skørping into a small literary universe. Along Jyllandsgade, a cluster of second‑hand bookshops forms the core of this book town concept, where shelves and tables are packed with pre‑loved titles. The atmosphere is informal and welcoming, with the door often propped open and handwritten signs enticing you inside. The project is run as an association, and that community spirit is a big part of the experience. Volunteers who staff the shops are usually locals with a genuine love of books, ready to point you toward a specific author or help you navigate the maze of subjects. It feels less like a transaction and more like being invited into a shared passion project.

Stacks, shelves and 150,000 stories

Inside the Bogby 9520 shops, you move through narrow aisles flanked by high shelves, where books are loosely organised by genre and language. There are well‑worn crime novels, poetry, children’s books, local history, art volumes and foreign‑language shelves, alongside older hardbacks that verge on the collectible. Rough estimates put the total stock at around 150,000 books across the different rooms and adjoining shops, so browsing can easily become a leisurely treasure hunt. Prices are generally modest, encouraging you to leave with a stack rather than a single volume, and the focus is firmly on giving books a longer life rather than on pristine condition.

A community meeting place built around reading

Beyond the rows of spines, Bogby 9520 also functions as a cultural meeting point in Skørping. The association occasionally arranges readings, literary evenings or smaller events among the shelves, and the informal layout makes it easy to linger for conversation. There is a distinctly local flavour, with sections devoted to the surrounding Rebild area, Danish nature and regional history. For residents, donating books and volunteering hours is a way to support a shared project; for visitors, it offers a glimpse into everyday cultural life in a small North Jutland town.

Combining books with nature and slow travel

Skørping sits close to the forests of Rold Skov and the hills of Rebild Bakker, and many travellers pair a stop at Bogby 9520 with walks or cycling in the surrounding landscape. The book town adds an indoor, all‑weather activity to an area best known for outdoor experiences, making it a useful complement on cooler or rainy days. The rhythm here is unhurried: opening hours are limited to selected afternoons and weekend mornings, and the compact size of the shops means you can comfortably explore them at your own pace. It suits slow travel, where browsing shelves, chatting with volunteers and picking out a few paperbacks becomes a highlight in itself.

Practical details for your visit

Bogby 9520’s main shops occupy addresses on Jyllandsgade, close to other everyday services in Skørping’s small centre. Typical opening hours are on Thursday and Friday afternoons and on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with occasional additional openings in holiday periods; it is sensible to check up‑to‑date times before planning a dedicated visit. Inside, space can be tight between the shelves, but there are small spots where you can pause to leaf through a book. Payment is straightforward and low‑key, reflecting the volunteer‑run, non‑profit character of the place. Overall, it is an accessible, low‑cost cultural stop that rewards curiosity and a willingness to browse.