Karen Blixen Museum - A Day Surrounded In Beauty

 

Karen Blixen Museum

A Day Surrounded In Beauty

To see beautiful flowers and lots of books, two things Karen Blixen loved, is about a 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen. After getting off the train at the Rungstead Kyst train station, it is about a 20 minute walk through town and lovely lavender fields to the Karen Blixen Museum. Her 40 acre property, off of the stunning coastline of Rungsted, is a bird sanctuary. Her love of nature can be seen in her home and throughout every view of this amazing place. 

Rungstedlund is the charming, historic home of Karen Blixen. She is one of Denmark’s famous authors. One of her first books, Out of Africa, became an Academy Award winning film. She was born at Rungstedlund in 1885 and died there in 1962.

Her home has been turned into a museum. A chance for us to peek in and see how and where she lived.For as grand as the property is outside, inside is a charming eclectic home. When you walk in, the first thing you see is a cute gift shop to the left and a lovely cafe to the right. Look straight ahead and you can see the beginning of the many acres that make up this bird sanctuary. After walking through the cafe, the official tour begins in the next room. Here we see huge posters sharing the biography of Karen’s life. It is in this room we can see original copies of Karen’s books, put in the order she wrote them. There is something truly remarkable about seeing these great works of Karen while standing in her home. These same rooms she lived in and worked in. Throughout the museum many life sized photos of Karen fill the rooms. These pictures help to tell the adventurous story of her life. Once we leave this room we have to put slippers on over our shoes so we don’t damage the floors. We start our tour upstairs where her bedroom is and walk through each room, many things in the rooms left as she left them. Her vibrant personality and attention to detail can be seen in each room. 

Karen Blixen had a great passion for art, music, and literature. Not only is she an author, she was an avid reader. She read everything from religious books to fairytales. Her love of literature is seen when you enter the library. The library is filled wall to wall with books. Since they are behind glass covered bookcases, we do get to touch them, however there are some second-hand copies on the desk that we can look through. That was pretty amazing to do, it’s like you are touching history. These books have been around for years and now I have had a chance to see them up close. 

Karen brought the outside in her home with flowers from her garden everywhere. Making flower arrangements was like painting for Karen, each one was carefully done and told a story. Karen created these beautiful arrangements for all her guests. This tradition continues today. As we enter the museum as guests of Karen, we get to see beautiful flower arrangements in every room. We not only get to enjoy these arrangements inside, when we walk outside we can see the beautiful flowers we saw inside in their natural habitat. It is truly breathtaking to walk outside and see a field of green with colorful flowers throughout. The Bird Sanctuary is beautiful and peaceful to walk through. There are some places you can sit quietly and just enjoy the beauty of nature. We walk through, some alone, some in small groups. Everyone makes their way around the land at their own pace. Finally making our way to Karen’s grave. Her grave is simple and humble compared to the dramatic and adventurous life she lived. She is resting in nature under the 300 year old beech tree on the land that she loved, the land she has shared with us all to enjoy.

Frederiksborg Castle

Frederiksborg Castle: A Day of History and Beauty

On July 4th, our CIDRE group set out from Copenhagen to visit Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød, and the trip itself became an adventure. What should have been a simple train ride turned into a mix of transfers and detours because part of the track was under construction.

We walked to Østerport Station to catch the S-train. At first, everything went as planned, but we soon had to step off at Bernstorffsvej and board a replacement bus. The back-and-forth of buses and trains stretched the journey out, but it also gave us a chance to see bits of suburban Denmark that we might have otherwise missed. By the time we arrived in Hillerød, I felt both relieved and excited to finally be so close.

The walk from the station made the first glimpse of Frederiksborg Castle even more striking. Surrounded by a lake and rising above the water with its red brick walls and green copper spires, the castle looked majestic and welcoming. The setting itself was worth the effort to get there.

Inside, each room revealed a new layer of Danish history. The Chapel of Orders stood out with its bright light, gilded details, and coats of arms, while the grand halls displayed portraits and paintings that told the story of Danish royalty. I found myself slowing down in each space, taking in how art, architecture, and history were woven together under one roof.

Just as memorable as the castle were the gardens. The Baroque layout stretched across terraces with fountains, flowerbeds, and carefully manicured hedges. Walking along the paths, I was struck by how perfectly the gardens framed views of the castle itself. They were peaceful yet grand, a place to pause and reflect after exploring the ornate rooms inside.

The day reminded me that travel isn’t always seamless, but the rewards often outweigh the obstacles. Visiting Frederiksborg Castle was more than checking a site off our itinerary—it was an experience of history, beauty, and place that will stay with me long after our trip.

Walking Through Extinction at Stevns Klint

When the bus doors opened at Stevns Klint, we stepped out into a landscape that felt completely different from the busy streets of Copenhagen that we had grown used to over the last two weeks. Instead of bicycles whirring past rows of colorful buildings, we were greeted by wide open skies, rolling fields, and the dramatic sweep of Denmark’s coastline. 

Our day at Stevns Klint began quietly, in a small museum near the cliff’s edge. The tour guide ushered us into the darkened theater, where a short film introduced us to the site’s deep history. On screen, the rock layers we would later stand on came alive. What we saw was white limestone that had been laid down over millions of years, interrupted by a thin, dark band of “fish clay.” Although only a few centimeters thick, this clay layer marks one of the most dramatic turning points in Earth’s history when the asteroid struck the Yucatan Peninsula about 66 million years ago. This extinction event not only marked the end of the “Age of Reptiles”, but it also paved the way for mammals (and eventually humans) to thrive.

The museum invited us to peer into history, while interactive elements drew us in. Some members of our group got a chance to visit the past via virtual reality goggles, and others sat down to color with colored pencils. These activities struck me as clever ways of making paleontology tangible for all.

 

 

Stevns Klint even has a mascot: a cheerful little mammal called Lucky, to represent our early ancestors who survived when the dinosaurs did not. Before leaving the museum, we checked out the gift shop where there was something for everyone. Here I purchased my very own stuffed Lucky that will serve as my class pet for years to come.

"Lucky to be here" -Stephen Jay Gould, American evolutionary biologist

Leaving the museum, the shift was dramatic. After quiet exhibits and films, the cliffs and fields felt alive with wind, wildflowers, and wide views. A climb up the sandy hill brought us to the edge of the cliffs, where the Baltic Sea stretched out in endless blue. Standing there, it was easy to understand why UNESCO declared Stevns Klint a World Heritage Site. This is a place where science, beauty, and cultural heritage collide. As an 8th grade science teacher who covers Earth’s history and the evolution of life in my curriculum, I felt a deep sense of excitement and gratitude standing there. It was powerful to connect what I usually explain with diagrams and textbook images to the very rocks that record this turning point in our planet’s story.

A short bus ride carried us further along the coast to Stevns Fyr. To prepare for our journey, we briefly stopped for an ice cream and fries. Next, we trekked along the coast, pausing for photos practically every two minutes. 

Finally, we finally arrived at the lighthouse. Rising tall against the horizon, it has guided sailors for over a century. Climbing its narrow spiral staircase was a tight squeeze well worth it. At the top, the view was breathtaking. We saw miles of coastline, boats of all kinds, and even bright white wind turbines dotting the sea. 

The final chapter of the day unfolded at an abandoned church, Højerup Old Church, which stands precariously on the cliff’s edge. Built in the 1200s, it once served as a thriving parish, but erosion has steadily eaten away at the land beneath it. In 1928, part of the church actually collapsed into the sea. Today, the remaining structure has been stabilized. We were afforded the opportunity to step inside its stone walls. Standing in the choir that now opens directly onto the sea below, I felt the haunting beauty of impermanence. The church is fragile, battered by time and tide, yet it endures as a place of reflection, memory, and awe.

The only real disappointment of the day was that the staircase leading down the cliffside was closed. I had hoped to stand at the base and look up at the dramatic layers from below, but safety concerns kept it off limits. Even so, the views from above were unforgettable and still gave a powerful sense of the site’s scale.

For me, the day at Stevns Klint was not just about geology or history. The cliffs and fossils we saw taught us that catastrophe and renewal are both part of Earth’s story. As we boarded the bus back to Copenhagen, I carried with me not just photographs of stunning views but also an experience I will never forget. To visit Stevns Klint is to walk through extinction and survival in both the past and the present. In the end, Stevns Klint reminded us of what was lost, what was saved, and what still lies ahead.

Sagnlandet Lejre living history park

Sagnlandet Lejre living history park, aka the “Land of Legends”, is an expansive and immersive experience that has something interesting to explore for visitors of all ages - the Iron, Bronze, and Viking ages especially! 

This 43 hectare spot in central Zealand is committed to allowing visitors to experience a breadth of historical eras via direct interaction with livestock, artisans, and architecture of each represented segment of local history. It would be limiting to simply call Sagnlandet a “Viking Village’, though it certainly does teach much on the Viking age - most impressively with the spacious Viking kings’ hall, a traditional long house/meadhall reconstructed to look as such a building might in the era of Beowulf and the Danish kings of old. The park is arranged in such a way as to encourage exploration - of artisans, livestock, ancient villages, sacred sites, or secluded walking trails. 

The Viking aspects are only a fraction of what we were able to experience on our visit. There are also segments of the park with recreated and functioning Iron Age and Bronze Age settlements - complete with knowledgeable historical reenactors - as well as a farm operating as one might have in this region in the 19th century. There are artisans in textiles, blacksmithing, and pottery working with period-appropriate technology to create beautiful handmade goods, and plenty of goats and sheep scattered about, with some willing to be gently petted by animal lovers. There is also an auroch pen for those interested to see large horned bovines; it is not advised to attempt a pat on the head for those fellows.

Exterior of the Viking King's Hall

Sagnlandet is clearly intentional in its appeal to young people. There are archery games, archaeology digs, rowboats, and Viking bowling geared toward children so that they might engage with experiential education at the living history park. Children are also welcome to explore the extensive trail system that runs around and through the park; the park is situated on rolling hills that provide panoramic views of the entire landscape and a few moments of solitude from the clanging of hammers and anvils. 

On one such hill is the ancient dance labyrinth, which is a ring of stones laid out in a circular spiral intended for use on the summer solstice. This labyrinth is an example of Sagnlandet’s efforts to represent the daily lives and worldview of all the peoples who inhabited this place; there is an explicit emphasis throughout the park to make living history as inclusive and honest as possible. There seems to be no desire to avoid, sugarcoat, or deny any aspects of the historical generations of the place - only a priority on making history come alive for visitors and an embrace of the complexities that historical knowledge often brings to light.

Ancient Dance Labyrinth

The various historical, material, and agricultural aspects of Sagnlandet are substantial in depth and breadth - the living history park there could easily make for a full day visit with a picnic lunch in hand - and this makes it a place that is exciting and interesting to visit for people with a variety of historical and cultural interests.

Viking Stone Ship grounds

Iron Age Village

 However, the common thread that weaves through the entire experience at Sagnlandet is that it is openly committed to portraying the layers of lived history in this particular place with honesty and fidelity. Whether it is the Viking stone ship sacred burial ground, the archery demonstrations, the Iron Age forge in action, or the textile looms, Sagnlandet does well at its task of presenting history as something to be experienced as part of a story, and a story that is meant to weave seamlessly into the fabric of its local and national community. The interpreters there, as well as the choices made by curators and the physical space itself, all point to a priority on experience as a gateway to historical understanding and the power of lived stories to give visitors there a sense of what it might be like to be a person living in a time and place. Even as a non-Danish visitor to the park, I felt a tangible sense of understanding this place (and Denmark more generally) because I was able to interact with stories presented at Sagnlandet.

Textile artisan workshop

Interior of the Viking King's Hall

My teaching career has repeatedly shown me that learners respond best to history when they can see themselves in the narrative being presented. The living history on display at Sagnlandet invites visitors of all ages to do just that - to immerse themselves in the story of a people and a place in order to better understand themselves. Coming from a country where there are such frequent battles over whose stories are told and which ones are ignored or excluded, it was a breath of fresh air to experience a place committed to the idea that the best way to make history come alive is to tell every story as specifically and personally as possible. Sagnlandet does an admirable job at this challenging task and is worth a repeat visit on my next trip to Denmark.

Auroch. Don't pet him

Intersection of Nature & Humans - Free Day at Camp Adventure

For our free weekend in Denmark, I decided to venture out on my own, to Rønnede, Denmark to experience Camp Adventure. You see, I’m lucky enough to have a part-time gig that I love going to – even after a week full of teaching. I spend my weekends at the treetop adventure park, Go Ape, in Raleigh. Our mother company actually started in the UK, so I looked into that. However, I soon discovered that Denmark had a treetop adventure course of its own, so naturally I had to go explore.

I began with a peaceful walk to the train station, where I boarded my empty train car in Østerport and settled in with a book and coffee for my hour train ride. Along the way, I enjoyed seeing smaller towns and countryside through the window. Once I arrived in Holme-Olstrup St., I had about a 30 minute wait for the bus to Camp Adventure. However, after a short bus trip, I was on my way to Camp – I just had to walk the remaining ½ mile to get to the actual reception area. Along the walk were lovely wildflowers and the Forest Tower peeking through.

Coffee + book + empty train = bliss

Forest Tower spotted from path to Camp!

The journey in total took about 2 hours; I’d booked a ticket to climb at 12, so I looked for a place to eat my lunch; I settled on eating at a cute table on the boardwalk, where I observed people walking by with dogs. Next, it was time to gear up. When the safety brief began, the instructor spoke only in Danish. I had Google translate up, but I was still not catching everything. Imagine my relief when he got to the end of his spiel and asked, “Does anyone speak English here?” My hand shot up immediately – as well as those of about 10 other guests in our group of 35-40. From there, we watched the safety instructions (also in Danish, but with English subtitles) and got into harnesses. I was pleased to note that the harnesses and safety equipment were similar to those that we use on our course at Go Ape, so I had no trouble getting myself strapped in. The helmet was new for me, but I soon became thankful for it, as I have a propensity for hitting my head… a lot.There were people of all ages and coming from many different places. I was intrigued by the number of younger kids who were preparing for the course, too. 

Boardwalk lunch

Getting geared up

After gearing up, it was finally time to climb! Another instructor took our small group of English speakers ahead and provided instructions on how to secure ourselves onto the course, how to maneuver over crossings, and how to zipline. After a brief, supervised practice, we were off! Well, after I figured out the map (I may have eavesdropped when someone else asked the guide where to start). Because I have experience, I decided to jump right into one of their intermediate courses.

Map of possible courses
Source: https://www.campadventure.dk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Baner.png

Info for courses
Source: https://www.campadventure.dk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Klatrepark_Baner-2.png

I began with the Turquoise, which sat around 20 meters high, was 680 meters long, and had 14 obstacles and 4 ziplines. This particular route started out very similarly to the courses at home, but soon became more challenging – especially without any signage to answer the question of “How do I get across this one?” when I came across something I hadn’t seen before. For example, the odd looking sled thing in the picture below and the free-hanging, upside down “T.” 

Start to turquoise

Um...what? #1

Um...what? #2

The turquoise course ended where the red course began – though I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I began. Looking back at the map, it was the “sport” course – one of the longest. Though I should’ve expected a challenge when the course began with the rope ladder… 

Start of red course

On the red course, I got held up a bit, but as a result, I met a nice Danish man who was visiting and completing the course with his adult daughter, son-in-law, and 9-year-old granddaughter. He let me in on the jokes his kids were making as they were climbing and helped me to the platform when I thought I was going to slip. We discussed how the safety equipment was similar to that in the U.S., his previous trips to the adventure park when his granddaughter was younger, and his travels to the U.S., where he spent time building factories in Tennessee and West Virginia. He recommended one of the courses and was even kind enough to video me coming in on the longest zipline of the course (see video below!). We parted ways on the ground, and off I went to do the final course of the day – the one he recommended. It was mostly ziplines, which felt nice after sweating it up on the red course.

Below are some of the pictures and videos I captured up in the trees. First, a rope net that I assume you swing into and climb up (we have one at Go Ape!). Then a test of agility -- the obstacles were not at even heights and even had some diagonal pieces. Finally, a nice after shot, sweat included! The video shows the height!

After the gray course, (and being properly sweaty) I decided to hang up my gear so I could make my way to the Forest Tower. The path to the Forest Tower was a scenic boardwalk through the woods. After what felt like forever (probably a mile or so), I arrived at this unique piece of architecture and prayed that it didn’t have stairs. 

Fortunately, when I made it to the tower, I saw that it was a ramp that spiraled up to the top of the tower. So up the tower I went…and went…and went. I climbed that tower for probably 10 minutes before making it to the top, all the while watching the trees get shorter and shorter. And lemme tell ya, the walk was worth the view. 45 meters from the ground, looking out at the surrounding landscape and forest – whoa. The tower was designed to create a space for humans to appreciate the surrounding nature, by bringing people face-to-face with the trees and allowing them to gaze at the surrounding south Zealand region beyond. The tower is a nod towards the Danish desire to create structures that highlight and harmonize with nature, allowing everyone to experience it, without harming the natural world. 

After a quick wardrobe change, a stop in the giftshop, and an ice cream, it was time to make my way back to the bus station, to return to Copenhagen. Though I traveled alone through southern Zealand, the interactions I had with the people and nature made me feel at peace and happy. I even experienced the friendliness of Danish children, excitedly trying to share with me their own adventures at the Forest Tower and nearby Bon Bon Land – and even sidling up next to me on the bus stop bench. I read on my return ride to Copenhagen, feeling weary but refreshed – and happy with the experience.