The small but noteworthy Skagens Museum showcases works of the local, late-19th-century Danish Impressionist movement that was inspired by the land- and seascapes and the shifting colors and quality of the light here—which pours through the nicely designed building’s many skylights and windows. At Grenen, the country’s northernmost point, you can saunter along a pale finger of sand and plant your feet in the frothy coupling of two seas, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat.
Danish writer Isak Dinesen wrote much of Out of Africa while a guest at the gabled, wonderfully charming Brøndums Hotel. Creaking floors and antiques-furnished sitting rooms make this feel like a private home, one distinguished by a number of old paintings given in exchange for lodging. The 150-year-old inn’s intimate dining room produces exceptionally fresh and delicious meals, with a predictable accent on seafood. Every morning at dawn, the townsfolk and restaurant owners have the pick of the best at the wharf’s barnlike fish-auction house before the day’s catch is shipped off to markets all over northern Europe. The harbor-side Skagen Fiskerestaurant is an excellent spot at which to feast on the water’s bounty, from lobster and filets of sole drizzled with lemon to the ubiquitous herring.
WHERE: 300 miles/482 km northwest of Copenhagen. VISITOR INFO: www.skagen.dk. SKAGENS MUSEUM: 45/9844-6444; www.skagens museum.dk. BRØNDUMS HOTEL: Tel 45/9844-1555; www.broendums-hotel.dk. Cost: from $185. SKAGEN FISKERESTAURANT: Tel 45/9844-3544; www.skagen-fiskerestaurant.dk. Cost: dinner $50. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for warmest weather; Jun for Skagen Festival of music.
A Stroll Through Danish History in a Former Royal Capital
ROSKILDE
Sjeelland, Denmark
The fjordside Roskilde was until 1455 the ecclesiastical seat and royal capital of Denmark. The city’s hallmark building is its twin-spired 13th-century Gothic cathedral, a kind of Westminster Abbey of Denmark—38 Danish kings are buried here in royal marble and alabaster tombs. For something a bit more lively, head into the midst of this centuries-old trading town, where you’ll find a dynamic student population and, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a colorful, bustling market with 350 stalls and live entertainment.
Vikingeskibsmuseet Roskilde, the nation’s best Viking Ship Museum, displays five perfectly preserved longships discovered and painstakingly reconstructed in 1957. Dating from approximately A.D. 1000, they were presumably sunk in the Roskilde Fjord to stop the entry of enemy ships. It’s worth jumping on the old wooden steamer that sails out of Roskilde to cruise this lovely fjord, one of the longest and largest in Denmark. In late June or early July, an international crowd descends on Roskilde for what vies with England’s Glastonbury (see p. 28) as Europe’s largest open-air rock festival; more than 100 bands from the world over gather to play at outdoor venues around the ancient town.
WHERE: 20 miles/32 km west of Copenhagen. VIKING SHIP MUSEUM: Tel 45/46-300-200; www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk. ROSKILDE ROCK FESTIVAL: Tel 45/46366613; www.roskilde-festival.dk. Cost: 1-day ticket $175, includes camping; 8-day ticket $325. When: late Jun or early Jul.
A Taste of Herring and History on a Windswept Isle
ÆRØ
Syddanmark, Denmark
Folks from Copenhagen go to Funen, or Fyn, to relax (see next page); to really get away from it all, they head south to Ærø, its little-sister island with quiet marinas, quintessentially Danish villages, and a patchwork of farms. It’s a popular sailing center, ringed by about 90 smaller neighboring islands, some of which are privately owned, in the Danish Baltic Sea.
Life in low-key Ærø centers on salty, perfectly preserved Ærøskøbing, a 14th-century market town that reached prosperity in the late 1600s, when it was home to more than 100 windjammers. Today, visitors browse in the shops and stroll along cobblestone streets lined with winsome, sometimes gently listing, half-timbered houses decorated with red geraniums and lace curtains. (Particularly charming is the post office, built in 1749, the oldest in Denmark.) Ease into the evening at the Ærøskøbing Røgeri and enjoy freshly smoked herring and a Danish Tuborg beer while overlooking the harbor lined with bobbing boats. Denmark is a nation of bicycle riders, and touring by bike is understandably popular on both Ærø and Funen, where more than 580 miles of marked bike paths crisscross the gentle curves of the islands’ topography. Ærø’s empty country roads, sometimes single-laned, meander past old windmills, a 12th-century Gothic church, and thatched houses whose painted, decorative doors are unique to the island. Well-tended farms cover much of the 5-by-19-mile island, and produce is left alongside the roadway for sale on the honor system. Ærø is also proudly one of the greenest islands in Denmark, with wind turbines producing more than 50 percent of the energy for its 7,000 residents.
WHERE: 46 miles/74 km south of Odense, Funen’s principal town. VISITOR INFO: www.aeroeisland.com. ÆRØSKØBEVG RØGERI: Tel 45/6252-4007. Cost: lunch $20. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for the warmest weather; late Jul for a lively music festival.
Fairy Tales in the Garden of Denmark
FUNEN
Syddanmark, Denmark
The island of Funen is best known to the world as the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. He is possibly the world’s most esteemed storyteller, and his work—including beloved classics like “Thumbelina” and “The Ugly Duckling”—is more widely translated and read than anything except the Bible and the writings of Karl Marx. A bronze statue of his Little Mermaid is Copenhagen’s world-recognized icon. His hometown of Odense on Funen is Denmark’s third largest city, and it attracts fairy-tale lovers from all over. Born in 1805 to a local shoemaker and washerwoman, both illiterate, Andersen was an inveterate traveler, whose battered suitcases are on display at the museum adjoining his childhood home. Visitors can view original manuscripts and letters to his close friend Charles Dickens, then explore Odense, with its charming medieval core, boutiques, and outdoor cafés.
Seventeen miles south of Odense looms the regal Egeskov Castle, widely held to be Europe’s best-preserved Renaissance island castle. Constructed in 1554, it passed into the hands of the current owners’ ancestors in 1784. A Victorian-era suspension drawbridge links the castle to a grand forecourt where white peacocks roam; beyond lies working farmland. Among the highlights are the 30 manicured acres that feature Denmark’s most important private gardens (including a large collection of fuchsias).
Funen is home to a number of beautiful, historic inns, including the aristocratic Steensgaard Herregårdspension, whose main house dates from 1310. Set in its own shady 25-acre park and surrounded by well-tended English gardens, this half-timbered country manor lies beyond a swan-filled pond, at the end of a tree-lined entryway. In the candlelit dining room, you may feast on seasonal game specialties such as pheasant or wild boar. Known as the Garden of Denmark for its tapestry of farmlands and meadows, Funen is ideal for exploring by bike, thanks to both the relatively short distances between sights and to Denmark’s signature flat terrain. The island’s bucolic countryside is dotted with farmhouses, orchards, manor houses, and inns called kros. Falsled Kro is undoubtedly the finest of these, a complex of elegant, rustic buildings with thatched roofs and large, open fireplaces and set in a lovely farming village on Funen’s southern coast. Falsled Kro’s stellar restaurant is the real draw: Together with suppliers and gatherers from neighboring castles and manor houses, chef and co-owner Jean-Louis Lieffroy breeds, fishes, grows, hunts, and smokes much of what winds up on your plate.
Egeskov Castle is surrounded by a moat, which provided protection in uncertain political times.
WHERE: Odense is 97 miles/156 km west of Copenhagen. An 11-mile suspension bridge connects Copenhagen to Funen. HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN MUSEUM: Tel 45/6551-4601; www.hcandersen-homepage.dk. EGESKOV CASTLE: Tel 45/6227-1016; www.egeskov.com. STEENSGAARD HERREGÅRDSPENSION: Tel 45/6261-9490; www.herregaardspension.dk. Cost: from $280; dinner $75. FALSLED KRO: Tel 45/6268-1111; www.falsledkro.dk. Cost: from $370; dinner $150. BEST TIME: May–Aug for warmest weather.
Denmark’s Oldest and Best-Preserved Medieval Town
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RIBE
Syddanmark, Denmark
Ribe was a bustling Viking trading center starting in the 9th century, and is Denmark’s oldest town. Its medieval cathedral, the Ribe Domkirke, was one of the first Christian houses of worship in the country (before that, the Danes worshipped the Nordic gods). It is well worth climbing the cathedral’s 248 steps to the top for panoramic views of the Danish countryside. Then take a step back into Ribe’s history by strolling its ancient core, Gamle Stan, one of whose historic streets leads to the town’s 16th-century schoolhouse.
The postcard-perfect Torvet, the old market square, is the charming location of the country’s oldest inn, the Hotel Dagmar, named after a medieval Danish queen. Dating back to 1581, the 50-room hotel sits across from the cathedral and has been beautifully renovated, its sloping floors and low ceilings left intact. It also houses one of the finest restaurants in town.
The most popular residents in Ribe aren’t people. They’re white storks, which migrate yearly at the end of March to settle comfortably at the top of the town hall and atop chimneys throughout town—much to the delight of locals and visitors. Ribe’s surrounding marshland is alive with far more than just storks, drawing birders from around the country.
Ribe is well situated for taking a day trip to one of Denmark’s most kid-friendly spots: Legoland. Everything is constructed from the iconic building bricks at this colorful theme park, from miniature trains to kid-size cars. Their name comes from the Danish leg godt (“play well”), and they achieved a long-lasting, worldwide success after their launch in the late 1940s.
Ribe Domkirke is Denmark’s oldest—and only five-aisled—cathedral.
WHERE: 151 miles/244 km west of Copenhagen. VISITOR INFO: www.visitribe.dk. RIBE DOMKIRKE: Tel 45/7542-0619; www.ribe-domkirke.dk. HOTEL DAGMAR: Tel 45/7542-0033; www.hoteldagmar.dk. Cost: from $235; prix-fixe dinner $75. LEGOLAND: Tel 45/7533-1333; www.legoland.dk. When: closed Nov–Mar. BEST TIMES: May–Aug for nicest weather; late Mar–Aug for the town’s famous storks; May–Sep at 8 and 10 P.M. to follow the night watchmen.
Moody and Humbling Nature in the North Atlantic
FAROE ISLANDS
Autonomous Region of Denmark
Amid the foamy waves of the North Atlantic, midway between Scotland and Iceland, lie the 22 Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of Denmark. They form an archipelago that is achingly beautiful, in which rugged mountains are cleaved by deep fjords.
What strikes you upon arrival is how resolutely proud the Faroese—some 50,000 in all—are of their unique history, culture, and, especially, language, which descends from Old Norse. It’s taught and spoken throughout the islands, and many villages have their own dialects.
The archipelago’s rich history is revealed at every turn: ancient Viking settlements that date back to the 9th century, medieval churches, colorful fishing boats, and the distinctive turf-roofed houses. The small capital, Torshavn, on the principal island of Streymoy, features an atmospheric old quarter and a 15th-century munkastovan (monk’s house) built by Irish friars.
Throughout the islands, the backdrop is breathtaking: craggy mountains, bright-green valleys with tumbling waterfalls, and treeless expanses. No matter where you are, the sea is never more than a few miles away.
And then there’s the astonishing array of seabirds: Peer up at any cliff ledge and you’ll see puffins. These red-billed birds—along with other species, like fulmars and guillemots—flourish in the Faroes, from the Vestmanna Bird Cliffs to the tiny, remote island of Mykines. They carpet the islands in guano, which keeps them surprisingly green, as do the warm currents of the Gulf Stream.
Few visitors come during the colder months, missing out on nature’s ultimate show: the magnificent aurora borealis (northern lights) that transforms the sky into a giant, swirling painting of greens and blues.
WHERE: 495 miles/797 km southeast of Reykjavik, Iceland. VISITOR INFO: www.visitfaroeislands.com. WHERE TO STAY: The contemporary Hotel Føroyar overlooks Torshavn. Tel 45/298-31-75-00; www.hotelforoyar.com. Cost: from $175. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for warmest weather and midnight sun; Oct–Apr for the northern lights.
Glorious Corner of the Largest Island in the World
DISKO BAY
Greenland, Autonomous Territory of Denmark
For many adventure travelers, Greenland is the ultimate frontier. About 85 percent of the island is covered in ice, and adrenaline-spiking activities abound, from sea kayaking (“kayak” is from the Greenlandic word qajaq) and rock-climbing to musk ox safaris and biplane flights over mountain-size icebergs. Though Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, has the lowest population density in the world and is decidedly remote—it claims the world’s northernmost point of permanent land—visitor numbers are climbing. There are still only two stoplights on the entire island, and both are in the petite capital of Nuuk.
For prime exploring, head west to Ilulissat (“icebergs” in the local Inuit)—with a population of just 4,500, it is the country’s third largest city—and Disko Bay, where you can board a tour boat that noses its way past massive blue-streaked icebergs floating in the fjord. Time your visit for early summer, when the drift ice takes on a warm, luminous glow under the 24-hour sun.
Greenland is alive with arctic creatures, including sleek seals, reindeer, the majestic Greenlandic eagle, and even the narwhal whale, distinct for its impressive, 9-foot tusk. Popular whale-watching safaris take off from Nuuk, where it is common to spy minke and humpback varieties. Your best chance to see the elusive and endangered polar bears is on a trip to the vast Northeast Greenland National Park.
Global warming is no longer just an abstraction, and Greenland is on the front line. The island has been heating up every year and now claims the fastest-retreating ice cap in the Northern Hemisphere. Flying over the massive inland ice reveals how this phenomenon has affected the landscape as ice gives way to aquamarine rivers and deep pools of beautiful, bright blue meltwater. Southern Greenland is indeed greener than in the past, with summer highs in the balmy mid-50s Fahrenheit.
Cruise among the icebergs in Disko Bay via kayak or tour boat.
VISITOR INFO: www.greenland.com. HOW: Hurtigruten Cruises offers 9-day trips; in the U.S., tel 866-552-0371 or 212-319-1300; www.hurtigruten.us. Cost: from $5,915. Originates in Copenhagen, round-trip flight to Greenland included. When: Jun. WHERE TO STAY: The modern Hotel Arctic, on Disko Bay, offers views of the icebergs. Tel 299/944-153; www.hotelarctic.com. Cost: from $315. BEST TIMES: May–Jul for 24-hour daylight; Aug–Sep for hiking, camping, and sea kayaking.
Islands of Enchanting Beauty
THE ÅLAND ARCHIPELAGO
Finland
The extraordinary Åland Archipelago is among Finland’s most unusual regions. Jutting into the Gulf of Bothnia, the province consists of more than 6,500 small islands and is home to a people with their own distinctive culture and folk traditions. In fact, most residents here—citizens of Finland—speak Swedish and take pride in their high degree of autonomy: Åland has its own parliament, flag, and license plates and issues its own stamps. It even has its own Internet domain, ending with “dot ax” (as in www.aland.ax).
The islands themselves offer a vision of tranquility, with lush oak and elm forests backdropped by the emerald hues of the placid waters of the Baltic. Interspersed among the dense woods are fields and meadows and red granite outcrops, with nature trails winding through the rugged scenery. Ruins of old fortresses attest to the strategic importance of the archipelago. This was a vital trading center during the Viking era, which flourished in the 8th or 9th century. Åland was part of Sweden until 1809, when the Russian Empire swallowed it up (along with the rest of Finland). When Finland gained its independence in 1917, it took Åland with it—despite the wish of many Ålanders’ to reunite with Sweden.
Some 65 of the islands are inhabited, and the slow pace of life and sublime natural beauty of the landscape make the islands a popular destination for Finns, Swedes, and Danes, both in summe
r (for walking, bicycling, and boating) and in winter (for long-distance ice-skating, ice fishing, and iceboating around the smaller islands and skerries).
Mariehamn (population 12,000) is the principal town on Fasta Åland, the largest island in the archipelago, and makes a good base for exploring the region. From here, you can hire a car or rent a bicycle and set out into picturesque countryside, taking in centuries-old stone churches like the fascinating, 12th-century Sankt Michaels Kyrka in Finström, with its wealth of medieval frescoes and wooden sculptures. East of there in Sund stands the Kastelholms Slott, a beautifully sited citadel founded in the 14th century. During the Gustav Vasa-Dagarna festival, medieval-style revelry rules the day as locals enjoy feasting, jousting, and dancing. For a glimpse of Åland’s serene beauty, head west to Eckerö, a picturesque island with sandy beaches and a harbor lined with photogenic red boathouses.
WHERE: Mariehamn is 200 miles/320 km west of Helsinki, 100 miles/160 km northeast of Stockholm. VISITOR INFO: www.visitaland.com. WHERE TO STAY: Hotell Arkipelag is situated along the harbor in Mariehamn. Tel 358/18-24020; www.hotellarkipelag.com. Cost: from $230. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for warmest weather; early Jul for Gustav Vasa-Dagarna festival at Kastelholms Slott.
Grand Finnish
THE DESIGN DISTRICT
Helsinki, Finland
Considering the country’s small size (its population is just over 5 million), Finland has a formidable reputation in the design world. This is the country that nurtured the talents of textile design house Marimekko, the award-winning houseware designers behind Iittala, and architectural superstars like Eliel and Eero Saarinen and Alvar Aalto (see next page). Today, companies like Arabia, Hackman, and Artek continue to turn everyday objects—tableware, cookware, and furniture—into timeless works of art found in every Finnish home.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 56
