Denmark is internationally acclaimed for literature and art. If you’re visiting Zealand in Denmark, you should definitely visit Karen Blixen’s home in the Rungsted site of Rungstedlund and Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk.
The family home of Karen Blixen, the Danish writer known as Isak Dinesen, is author of Babette’s Feast and Out of Africa, which later became acclaimed films, winning one and seven Oscars respectively.
Karen Blixen’s home
Karen Blixen´s private home is open to the public. The rooms are almost exactly as Karen Blixen decorated and arranged them, giving a vivid impression of the writer’s day-to-day surroundings. Some of the furniture came from the farm in Africa, including Denys Finch Hatton’s favorite chair and the chest that Karen Blixen’s steward, Farah, gave her. A number of the old stoves in the rooms came from Danish manor houses once owned by Karen Blixen’s relatives.
Karen Blixen stayed also for several months in 1936 in room 116 at Brøndum Hotel in Skagen, where she wrote part of her book Out of Africa.
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
At Humlebæk, art-lovers could easily spend an entire day at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, located in a breathtaking coastal setting overlooking Øresund.
A rich permanent collection encompassing the works of artists such as Giacometti, Yves Klein, Louise Bourgois and Picasso, is supplemented by frequent international exhibitions.
Various extensions and pavilions stretch into the gardens, their clever designs blurring the distinction between man-made structures and nature.
Literature and Art in Denmark, compiled by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): From the Karen Blixen Museum