A Day Trip From Copenhagen

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Louisiana.dk) 

 

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Forty-five minutes from Copenhagen, this curatorial feat and site-specific architectural wonder showcases the best of contemporary art along the quiet cliff-ridden coast of eastern Denmark. Founded in 1958, it’s the brainchild of Knud W. Jensen, who enhanced an intimate villa with a multi-wing structure and called it “Louisiana” after the original owner’s three wives—all named Louise.

Louisiana’s private collection leans heavily toward sculpture, and regularly rotates its exhibits, highlighting pioneers like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Cindy Sherman. Before leaving, pause for lunch at the on-site café. It was Jensen’s intent, when he opened the Louisiana, to offer an eatery where guests could relax. And even today, after hours of winding through the property, it’s still the perfect finale, complete with seasonal Danish cuisine and a panoramic view of the Swedish coast. 

Kurhotel Skodsborg (Skodsborg.dk) 

 

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This elegant turn-of-the-century relic is the grande dame of Copenhagen’s posh northerly suburbs, set between Nordic pines and the quiet shoreline. From 1852 to 1863, King Fredrik VII spent the year’s warmer months there with his wife, Countess Danner, then in 1898, Dr. Carl Ottosen created a sanitarium dedicated to advancing treatments in physiotherapy.   

Now a full-fledged wellness hotel (kur means “spa” in Danish) and a choice destination for weekending Danes, the property still blends many of Ottosen’s medical practices into its health-focused program.

The heart of the estate—the spa—was redesigned by famed Danish architect Henning Larsen’s firm, and features dedicated sauna suites where practitioners school newcomers on the basics of Danish sit-and-sweat sessions.