Its summer now, and the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and Copenhagen is bright and beautiful. A perfect example of how a short time can make a huge difference. Over our spring break holiday back at the end of March / beginning of April, we took a some time to drive around Denmark. The weather was a lot less “spring” and a lot more “brrr”. Yet we still had an amazing time, exploring some new spots outside of Copenhagen.
First Stop, Jutland
Ribe
We began our trip driving to Jutland, to see the west coast of Denmark. This was a freestyle vacation, in that we decided where to go while driving, the Lonely Planet Denmark guidebook our navigation tool of choice. We opted for Ribe; charming and medieval, complete with requisite cathedral, cute shops, and enticing cafes and bakeries, and holding the revered title of oldest town in Denmark.
For our stay, we rented a room above a bakery, waking up to the smell of croissants and freshly baked bread, and heading downstairs first thing for a coffee and pastry. From there, we spent some hours touring the cathedral and walking around the city.
Ribe Cathedral, aka Vor Frue Kirke was completed in the 13th century, and showcases a number of interesting details, in particular chancel paintings and mosaics by Carl Henning Pedersen. You can also climb the bell tower to see the really big bell, and you’re rewarded with some spectacular views of Ribe.
Wadden Sea National Park
Our second day in Jutland we started out bright and early to see the Wadden Sea Centre (Vadehavscentret); a fantastic art- and science-focused exhibition showcasing the local sea and birdlife found in the Wadden Sea park. The center is very kid-friendly and beautiful in design, in very Danish style.
Mandø
After visiting Vadehavscentret, we drove to Mandø, an island that can only be reached by car during low tide; which means visitors need to plan accordingly if they don’t want to spend the night! Mandø has about 80 inhabitants, and has a very tranquil, back-in-time feel. Sheep graze, windmills turn. The beaches are long stretches of muddy-sandy marshes, good for seashell investigations and bird-watching, but not so much for swimming.
Billund
After we left the coast, we began to head back towards Zealand. A short detour took us to Billund, the home of Legoland! It was late in the day, and cold, so not exactly amusement park weather. But here’s a little bit of a budget tip – if you don’t mind foregoing the rides, you can actually get into the park for free at the end of the day to see the Lego buildings and towns. We prepped the girls ahead of time about the fact that the rides would be closed, and asked them if they still wanted to go. They agreed, and we had a great hour’s walk to see the park.
Zealand
On day three we stuck closer to home and drove, hiked, and explored in Zealand, the island on which Copenhagen is located. Zealand has a ton to offer: beaches, castles, vikings, windmills – practically anything Scandanavian.
Esrum Kloster
First off, we spent a few hours at Esrum Kloster, a former monastery going back before the reformation. A really brilliant exhibit, titled the Man and the Monastery, can be found on the first floor, while an interactive reformation game can be played on the second. This game was surprisingly fun, our girls had a bunch of fun playing it and learning about the reformation in Denmark in the process. The grounds of the kloster include playgrounds, trails, and picnic areas.
After leaving Esrum Kloster we decided to take a hike in Tisvildeleje, where you can find castle ruins – Asserbo Slotsruin, a troll forest – Troldeskoven, and Tisvilde Hegn, a fantastic beach of sand dunes ideal for sea glass hunting.
We also briefly passed through Hornbæk; scouting for summer beach travel options. Ate a meal, walked along the harbor, and tried out the playgrounds. A great end to our spring break discovering Denmark.
thecloudsarelowerhere 