UP' North

By: Mathilde Moyell Juul

Copenhagen is a vibrant, beautiful and spacious city. In contrast to other capitals, it’s a metropolis where you can still breathe fresh air, travel easily and find plenty of open green spaces. Nevertheless, a good day trip outside of Copenhagen allows you to see a different side of Denmark.

Renting a car for one day is easy, only about 500 kroner and within 15 minutes you can go from the city center at Kgs. Nytorv to Copenhagen’s outer lying suburbs. The beach road north of Copenhagen - known by various nicknames including, the Daisy Route or the Whiskey Belt - is loved by many because of the beaches, forests and beautiful houses, though some target their disapproval at the vast wealth and exclusivity that the area has come to represent. Whatever the point of view, the beauty of the route to Helsingør is undisputed: the road has been marked with the Queen’s Daisy stamp, designating it as one of Denmark’s most beautiful excursions.

The first leg of the drive out of Copenhagen up to Skovshoved is an experience in itself. It’s remarkable to see how the scenery changes from blocks of flats to apartment houses to grand villas in just a 15-minute drive. The quickly changing neighborhoods not only signal how small a country Denmark is, they also make you think how fortunate people are to live so close to a vibrant capital, the seaside and forest all at the same time.

The drive up north is mainly all on one road, Strandvejen – the ‘Beach Road.’ For once, this is a road that lives up to its name. Having passed Hellerup, the first suburb on the way out of the city, you quickly find yourself on Strandvejen, a beautiful, curvy road adjacent to the sea that stretches on for miles. Soon, you will also discover that the beach road hasn’t always been this close to the waterfront. After passing a former rest stop, now a very popular café named Jorden Rundt, it’s possible to make your way onto the older former beach road in Skovshoved.

This road is a concealed oasis running parallel to the more congested and younger sister road, and in between big villas and the remaining small wooden fishing houses, you find the internationally awarded hotel, “Skovshoved Hotel”. The 350 year old hotel has 22 rooms, an intimate atmosphere and a beautiful restaurant that is perfect for an early lunch break. Making a sharp right out of the old beach road to the new road, another quick stop ought be made at Skovshoved Harbour. As one of the few harbours on this stretch, Skovshoved has more or less stayed true to its originally set-up 85 years ago. It has managed to keep its rural atmosphere and unspoiled focus on the maritime without any modern adjustments.

As you continue on the curvy coastal road, you pass the six-meter high modern statue of Danish polar explorer Knud Rasmussen looking out to sea. Immediately after, a wide beach and white town appear. The Bellavista flats, the white Bellevue theatre and the local kayaking club on Bellevue beach were all designed by the world-renowned Danish architect Arne Jacobsen. The town is a beautiful contrast to the neighboring ’Dyrehaven,’ the former royal hunting grounds. This massive park is a perfect spot for a walk, looking at deer or a nice walk up to the Eremitage castle for a beautiful view of the park on one side and the sea on the other. After a long walk, it’s tempting to have a coffee or drink near Kirsten Piil’s source at the restaurant “Piil & Co.” Perhaps you will be lucky to find healing power in the source under the terrace, just like the legend Kirsten Piil is said to have done in 1583.

Driving further north from Dyrehaven, it’s worth taking one more small detour through another stretch of the old beach road. Similar to Skovshoved, Taarbæk is a quaint little fishing town where families have been living for several generations.

The splendor continues up the coast past Skodsborg, a place that has marketed itself as the new ‘wellness’ capital of North Zealand. At Skodsborg Health Center, anything and everything is offered in the form of fitness regimes, beauty treatments and even plastic surgery.

Following the curvy beach road past the restaurant Strandmøllekroen, you drive through the village of Vedbæk, arriving in Rungsted at the home of author Karen Blixen. Here it’s possible to see the author’s grounds and house at Rungstedlund, which is now converted into a museum with her works and writings. No doubt, the neighboring Rungsted harbor has changed greatly since Blixen’s time. The Swedish style brewery houses have been converted into a long strip of restaurants, a setting which is ideal for a stroll with an ice-cream, having a beer while people-watching, or enjoying the catch-of-the-day at the renowned restaurant Røgeriet.

Rungsted is 25 minutes outside of Copenhagen and you can feel the spaces opening up as towering villas grow smaller as you continue up the coast. Driving the last leg from Rungsted to Humlebæk, you feel the scenery turn less and less urban. Just as the forests become thicker, a sign for an American state appears. But apart from its modern art, the Humlebæk museum Louisiana is far from the influence of America. In true Scandinavian style, the beautiful three-level building is located on the raised grounds with an extensive garden overlooking the sea.

If you have more time, the ‘Daisy Route’ continues north to Helsingør, with the rest of North Zealand having plenty more to offer. If this is your final stop, however, make sure you have a look around Louisiana – the museum is renowned for its exhibitions on contemporary and modern art and the café has a great view out to the garden and the sea. In short a perfect way to end a day up north.