Purple, sandy white and a never ending range of shades of blue
It surely isn’t an exaggeration to call Hornbæk the Nordic Riviera. Having lived in this little village for a couple of months now has made me appreciate its essence in a deep manner.
When I think of Hornbæk my mind is filled with a combination of violet rose bushes, soft white sand, multi-shaded blue ocean and a crystal clear sky that together create a unique and continuously changing scenery. When I say changing, I really mean that the scenery keeps on changing all the time. During my time here I have visited the beach pretty much every day and each time the colors have been different and the coastal line in a different place. Talking about the powers of nature!
As you can see from the map below, this idyllic fishing village is located in the coast of Northern Zealand facing Øresund, a strait that separates Zealand from Sweden. You can easily travel to Hornbæk from other Nordic countries in many different ways Helsingør being a central spot with its trains and boats to Sweden.
After 200 years still going strong
If you have watched the Danish tv series Badehotellet, you may recall the young lady Anne trying to escape from her “dull” family vacation to party with her friends staying in Hornbæk for the summer season. Badehotellet is placed in the 1920s but Hornbæk’s history goes much further. Already in the 18th century Hornbæk was a summer oasis for Danish artists living in Copenhagen. In fact, Hornbæk is the oldest and first summer cottage area of Denmark having an ideal location of less than 60 km to the capital city of Denmark. The village became even more popular in the beginning of the 20th century when a railway was built with two stops; Hornbæk station and Horneby Sand both of which are still live and kicking.
Hornbæk has even acted as a stage for historical drama when the famous Swedish artist August Strindberg visited the village. August, 52, called off the engagement of the newly wed couple and her fiance Harriet Bosse, 28, travelled alone to Hornbæk for their honeymoon. Strindberg later followed her but ended up attacking a photographer that was trying to take a picture of Harriet.
Even though Hornbæk may not be the central point for the Danish “famous and glory” anymore, many Copenhagers have a second home in the area in addition to the 3500 permanent residents. Also people from other countries travel to this sunny spot in the summer time.
Not only pølser and is... but also street-food and fresh local fish
Anyone who has visited Denmark knows that the country’s national food seems to be hotdogs (with red sausages) and ice cream (with at least 3 balls, whipped cream, jam and soft pink marengue they call “guf” on top). Hornbæk offers both of these delicacies but in addition there is a trendy street-food market which is open on week-ends and holy days (which seem to be a weekly habit in Denmark).
At the harbour there is a local fishery “Fiskehuset Hornbæk” offering a selection of local fresh fish and seafood. If you are visiting Hornbæk and have a chance to cook your own food, I really recommend paying a visit to Fiskehuset and getting yourself some local rødspaette, plaice in English, which is really popular in Denmark. If you don’t like to cook, Fiskehuset also has a restaurant which offers different delicious and rustic meals like fish and chips.
The Hyggest Cafe of Sjaelland and a peculiar antique shop
Looking for a cup a coffee or a glass of wine in a Hygge atmosphere while in Hornbæk? Albi’s Kaffebar och Second-hand is one of the nicest Cafes I’ve visited. The family-run place with extremely friendly service serves homemade delicacies and a good selection of cafes and other refreshments. Like the name suggests, they also sell some 2nd hand items like lamps. If you are lucky, you might get to enjoy a live performance at Albi’s, which are informed on their Facebook page. Really a place worth to visit.
You might know that Denmark is a country filled with løppemarkeds, flea markets, which are almost a national symbol situated on every corner and back yard. Really, Danes love and appreciate 2nd hand items and they seem to be selling them all the time, every where and in many different ways and styles. Being a 2nd hand enthusiast myself, believe me when I say that I have seen many stores selling used furniture, clothes and other goods both in Finland and in Denmark. But what comes to the 2nd hand shop in Hornbæk, right on the other side of the street facing Albi’s Kaffebar, I must say that it is something different.
I will let the pictures below speak for themselves. But who knows what kind of treasures this place holds if you are able to reach them…
Travel tip: North Zealand coastal tour.
Even though Hornbæk has a special place in my heart, it surely isn’t the only place worth a visit in North Zealand. I’m actually planning to write a separate post about the other lovely villages, but if you miss that, remember the following travel tip!
Hev you been to Copenhagen and would like to see another kind of Denmark?
Do you like sun, swimming, soft beaches, flowers, great food, art, ceramic, friendly atmosphere and most of all: short distances ? If you would love to explore Denmark beyond Copenhagen but don’t know where to start, a good option could be doing a roadtrip on the coast of North Zealand. The distances are short and doing the coastal tour by bike is really popular in the summer time. Like shown on the map below, you can start from Hornbæk and head along the coast to e.g. Hundested. All of the places along the route are really nice and most importantly, the distances are very short giving you time to enjoy those sunny days.
Take a sim in Drønningmølle, visit the boutiques and eat an ice cream with five balls and guf in Gilleleje, enjoy the unique landscape with cliffs in Tisvildeleje and take a refreshing swim in Hundested. Or why not continue your journey further to Sjaellands Odde and all the way to Jutland? The possibilities are endless.
