Copenhagen, the Glyptotek and searching for Hygge…

One of the joys of living in Southern Sweden, is our proximity to Denmark and most importantly København (Copenhagen) and all the joys it offers.  Don’t get me wrong, Sweden has plenty to offer as well, but Copenhagen, is one of the true “jewels of Scandinavia” and one of our all-time favorite cities and a food lovers paradise.

Image of Nyhavn district of Copenhagen, taken July 2017.

Just over an hour from our door to Copenhagen city center (via train), it’s a breeze to hop over.  OK, maybe you’re thinking, “it’s another country” and it is. Think of living in Buffalo, NY in the US and popping up to Toronto, Canada or in Vermont and hopping up to Montreal.  Conversely, it’s like being in Vancouver, BC and jumping down to Bellingham, WA (we used to do that often).

So, today we’ll begin a two-part post that takes you to a fantastic museum founded by beer and a stroll through Copenhagen.  We’ll then finish in part two (on or about May 23rd) with a restaurant review and a traditional Danish recipe, as well as the outcome of our quest to find Hygge*.

The Glyptotek Museum

Wow, what can one say about a truly world class museum founded with the profits of a beer empire.  First let me say, Danish people love their beer and so do I.  They’re said to consume about 80 liters of beer per soul per year.  It’s believed these guys started drinking beer over 5000 years ago.  OK, you’re saying “what the heck does this have to do with the Glyptotek Museum?”.  Actually, lots.  In 1842 J.C. Jacobsen sired a son and named him Carl, but more importantly in 1847 J.C. founded and built a brewery on a hill (cooler up there).  JC choose the brewery’s name from his son Carl’s name and the Danish word bjerg (hill) and thus we have “Carlsberg Beer”.  Now Carl went on to fame and fortune, as we all dream of and during his lifetime developed a great love for art and antiquities.  Thus in 1897, Carl Jacobsen founded the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, which we are about to take a stroll through.  If you wish to learn more about the Carlsberg brewing group, just click here.

As one rounds the corner from the Tivoli Gardens you are greeted by a huge bronze beast which looks over the entrance to the Glyptotek museum’s front doors.  The facade of the museum is wonderful, with columns and statues.  The architecture is unique and is described via this link (but do come back)

Once through the doors and past the ticket counter, you’ll enter the center domed area of the museum known as the Winter Garden.  It is as one has just been transported to a tropical garden somewhere far away.  This is surely a wonderful haven from a cold winter Copenhagen day.  The garden area leads to the exhibits as well as to the to the Café Glyptoteket , where you can enjoy a fine lunch and of course a cold Carlsberg beer.

Let us now climb those many steps to where we begin our tour of exhibits.  Or, you can ask for an elevator as we did.

As you exit the elevator, you are greeted by a collection of bronze and marble busts of mostly people I know not of.  It seemed they were just sitting on their shelves ready to be used when needed.

However, I had to take note of this fine sculpture, as a handsome man he was.

“Farao Magtend Ansigtg” (Pharaoh – the Powerful Face) Special Exhibit

The main purpose for our visit on this day was to view the then current special exhibit “Pharaoh – the Face of Power”, which was ending the next day.  It was fantastic to see all the items which represented a period from 2000 to 1700 BC.

Makes one wonder, did we derive from space aliens or maybe it’s Amenemhat III?  What do you think?

Perhaps that’s old Senusret III, or maybe not…

You’ll even find ancient Egyptian items from the child’s world; toy boats and figures, Hippos (a symbol of protection and danger), a child’s pharaoh mask and even the sarcophagi of a small royal child.

Most of the items for this special exhibit are part of the Glyptotek’s Egyptian collection along with loans of pieces from Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Museum of Denmark.  To learn more about this special exhibit click here.

The Danish Golden Age 1800-1860

These represent but just a few fine pieces of the Danish Golden Age art exhibit but were the ones that caught my eye.

 Looking into the images takes one to a time where lives seemed to be more idyllic and simpler.  However, history shows that Denmark was in quite a tumultuous state during this time.

The tranquility of the countryside is quite inviting as opposed to the now fast paced time we live in.

PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING ARE IMAGES OF ARTWORK OF WOMEN OF THE ERA WHICH CONTAIN NUDITY!!

Close your eyes and click the page down button if this might offend you.

 

In particular, I found the bottom image intriguing, as it is four paintings done by four different artists of the same model at the same time.  Beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.  For more information on this exhibit click here.

The Edgar Degas’ Sculptures

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) the French artist who worked in watercolor and pastels, but did you know he also sculpted? He produced around 200 of these small sculptures of which around 72 were cast into bronze.  The Glyptotek has one of four collections that exist in the world today. To learn more about the sculptures click here.  FYI, don’t get too close to these beauties as the area has proximity alarms.  I found out the hard way but got the images!

We are about to leave the Glyptotek museum in search hygge*, but before we do, please know this is just a peak at the wonders of the museum.  One could spend countless hours here.  A must see when in Copenhagen.

After leaving the museum, it was time for afternoon fika and what a better place than Starbucks.  Especially since there is only one Starbucks in all of Sweden and it’s at the Stockholm airport.  Why Starbucks you say, our Chief Editor (Eva) has this thing about Starbucks.  So, while we sat and drank our coffee, we planned our stroll back to our hotel and our search of hygge*.

There are few things more fun than a stroll down the Strøget, at least that’s what I’ve been told.  By far, one of the best people watching spots in the world.  It’s Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping street and sports numerous dinning and drinking options.

A great place to sit at a sidewalk cafe, drink a Carlsberg beer and watch as your loved one/one’s window shop (you hope).

A delightful stroll through the city on our journey home for that night.

Luckily, this stroll takes us right by Torvehallerne, which happens to be one of the best foodie resources in Northern Europe.  Located in two large structures it houses over 60 specialty shops, fresh food merchants and dinning as well as drinking spots.  But this is just a tease, as we’ll be featuring Torvehallerne in an upcoming post.  With some treats in Eva’s bag (licorice covered chocolate flavored with elderberry), it’s back to the hotel!

The Andersen Boutique Hotel was our home for this night.  It might look a bit plain from the outside, but I must tell you, it is one fine place to stay if you are in Copenhagen.  Reasonably priced, with a fantastic breakfast and a great staff.  Well, back at the hotel it’s happy hour and time to plan our evening and the search for hygge*.

*By now, if you don’t know, you’re likely wondering what hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is all about.  Hygge, is the Danish art of coziness or that warm, fuzzy and yummy feeling.  It can be a good meal or a nice book by the fireside or a snuggle with your loved one.  So, as an example, if I was to tell a Dane you are going to the ocean for a stay in a small cabin, they might say “oh, that’s so hygge!”.

With the help of the hotel staff we were able to snag a table at the popular authentic Danish restaurant, Frk. Barners Kælder.  It is said that Frk. Barners Kælder is the quintessence of Danish dinning spot to experience “hygge”.

Up next, in part two, we’re back in Copenhagen and we’ll be sharing our dining experience and the results of our quest for finding hygge as well as a fine recipe for a classic Danish dish.

Thanks for joining us for this brief snapshot of a fantastic day in friendly Copenhagen.