Now that you’ve explored Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital city, perhaps it’s time to broaden your horizons and check out some of the historic, charming, trendy and vibrant areas around the country. There’s historic harbor towns to see, castles that influenced great literature, amazing museums and you can walk where the Vikings trod. There’s adventures to be had and, haven’t you always wanted to go where Legos were invented? Of course you did, and the travel advisors at GetAway Travel will get you there!

Helsingør, Humlebæk and Odense

 Kronberg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is in the heart of charming Helsingør. Constructed in the 16th century, it is famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” A great example of Renaissance architecture, you can explore the grand halls and incredible underground passages where you can find the statue of Danish King Holger Danske.

There are actors throughout the castle acting out scenes from “Hamlet” and explaining their context to the castle.

The Danish Maritime Museum was rated as one of the eight greatest museums by the BBC. It is actually underground since it was constructed in the dry dock area of the harbor. The boat-shaped concrete area was sealed and protected. Exhibits center on the culture around the sea and sailing as well as concerns about protecting the oceans.

There are a number of amazing murals on buildings near the harbor. Spanish and Italian artists collaborated on a mural depicting Helsingør’s role in the country’s shipping history is on one building and a three-scene mural shows the journey of the church in Denmark. There are also a number of famous sculptures including Hercules and the Hydra and the He sculpture — a polished silver sculpture of a boy gazing pensively at the sea.

The engineering of trains, planes and automobiles: Past, present and in the future is on display at the Danish Museum of Science and Technology.

The oldest still standing monastery in Scandinavia is St. Mary’s Church and the Carmelite Priory. It is also one of the most preserved monasteries. There is amazingly intricate stonework in the church and a fabulous, immense baroque organ.

The red-brick Gothic style cathedral in the city is St. Olaf’s Church. Built in 1559 on the foundation of a former church, it has a tall-vaulted nave and an intricately carved pulpit as well as beautiful Renaissance frescoes. The large clocktower attached to the cathedral once functioned as a lighthouse.

Humlebæk is home to one of the world’s finest art museums, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It is surrounded by a stunning sculpture park and offers great views of the Øresund Strait. The building architects, Vilhelm Wohlert and Jørgen Bo took much care to balance the building with the natural surroundings. This is accomplished with the use of low profile pavilions, extensive grass walls and a minimalistic design that harmonizes with the park and the sea.

The museum attracts world-class traveling exhibits, but works from Picasso, Bacon, Warhol, Oldenburg, Richter, Rauschenberg and Cristo are in the permanent collection. The three-floor children’s wing offers opportunities for drawing, painting and model work.

The Karen Blixen Museum is an elegant attraction that was the former home of Baroness Karen Blixen. She work the acclaimed “Out of Africa” under the pen name of Isak Dinesen. The manor house displays her manuscripts, sketches, photos and memorabilia from her time in Africa. The gorgeous gardens around the house are a bird sanctuary.

Odense, Denmark’s fairytale city, is one of the country’s greenest cities and is often called cycling city because it has devoted substantial funding to bike-friendly roads, bridges and transportation systems. Biking is the primary transportation mode for many of the residents in Denmark’s third-largest city.

There are murals, statues and even playgrounds that offer homage to Hans Christian Andersen. His childhood home features historic objects combined with immersive storytelling to bring him to life.

Odense takes its name from Odin and doesn’t neglect its Viking roots. The Viking Museum Lady has the country’s only Viking ship burial with the museum giving insights into Viking rituals, craftsmanship and social structure.

Step into the cab of a giant locomotive steam engine at the Danish Railway Museum. Ride the mini-train through the mini-Danish landscape, see passenger carriages, old snow plows and models of ferries.

More than 250 years of Danish art is on display in Art Museum Brandts which is housed in an old factory. Kramboden is a museum shop in the heart of Odense that sells vintage goods, antiques and authentic museum replicas of items. Located in a historic merchant’s house, you can find classic kitchen utensils, fine glassware and porcelain items.

Tidens Samling is a different sort of museum. Nine rooms are decorated from decades starting in 1900. Touch the exhibits, try on vintage clothing, open the drawers and cabinets and check out books and magazines from that era. It pays homage to fashion and interior design from the decades.

 

If these cities have piqued your curiosity about additional adventures in Denmark after you’ve seen Copenhagen, GetAway Travel is ready to help with your continued travels.We can be reached at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel Stay tuned for our next blog when we’ll check out what you can see and experience in Aarhus, Roskilde and Billund.