Welcome to Hven (Sweden)

Hej!

Thanks again to our hosts, Jorgen and Jep, we were booked on a ferry from Copenhagen to Hven, Sweden, early Saturday morning.

Hven, Sweden is 7-8 K from Copenhagen, which takes about 1.5 hrs by ferry from port to port.  It was a very smooth ride and the boat was full since it was such a gorgeous day. It’s a common retreat for the locals both from Denmark and Sweden either just for a day or or several days. There were even some who didn’t have tickets but were able to hop on for a last minute getaway.

On the boat,we enjoyed another great breakfast and some unexpected entertainment (pics)

When we got to Hven we hiked up a large hill to get our rides for the next 2 days. Jimmy asks if I want a tandem bike but I unwisely say “No, I want my own”.   I will regret this decision by Sunday.

We do a quick check in of our luggage (1 backpack each) at our nearby B&B (which really turns out to be a Bed and go find your own Breakfast) and head out to see the sights.

And oh what sights there are. With such beautiful weather we get great views from the island of Copenhagen/Denmark and Sweden. There are limited cars allowed so biking is a great way to traverse the island. It is so much easier to pull over for a picture (or 10 if you’re Jimmy) than if you were in a car. And the photo ops are endless. Everywhere you look there are beautiful fields, cute little cottages, lovely gardens, and great views of the Oresund sea.

There are also some really great cafes on the island. I would definitely recommend the cafe at Kyrkbacken. It is called Hamnkrogen. Even though the choices were somewhat limited, the food was nicely presented and tasted great. It was nice to just sit by the sea watching everyone enjoy themselves on a sunny Saturday afternoon, soaking in the last rays of summer. For any who are interested I never once heard bork bork bork from the kitchen nor saw any spoons fly.

We also saw our share of some neat wildlife.

We finished our 7K bike ride around the whole island and headed back to our B&B for a little rest before watching the sunset. We did have plans to drink champagne and eat oreos (more on this at another time) but we forgot the glasses. We still saw a beautiful sunset and were able to have our champagne prior to having dinner at a restaurant near our B&B.

By day 2 we were in total relax mode. This was partly because of the slow pace and partly because we really couldn’t move a whole lot after biking the previous day. But, we didn’t let that keep us down. After breakfast we decided to go to the museum next door for some cultural education.

It was a museum dedicated to the life’s work of Tycho Brahe. Tycho Brahe was a 16th century astronomer who built an observatory on Hven to conduct his research. When in favor with the king he was able to support several assistants and a full house in interests of proving how the universe worked. It was actually a really fascinating little museum (very doable in about 1-2 hrs) giving the history of Tycho Brahe as well as a really interesting portion devoted to 16th century gardening.

While he was quite a learned man, unfortunately it is rumored he was quite mean to the peasants of the island and he had quite a treatment for epileptic seizures . . . Take the sun-dried head of a prisoner who has either been broken on the wheel or hanged. Crush it in a mortar together with black peppercorns. Apportion in paper capsules, of which the patient should take one on an empty stomach three mornings in a row. May not be taken at new moon or when bad weather is expected. Remedies like this could be why he died at 51.

After the museum we headed to the Spirit of Hven, a local whiskey distillery. Jimmy and Jorgen get a taste of the local drink while Jep and I stick with our wine. At this time we also enjoy our freshly baked kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon rolls). Poor Jorgen isn’t eating gluten but the rest of us enjoy this amazing treat. Turns out the Durum Bakery was right next to our B&B and was a busy little place run out of a barn. This was such a great way to end our visit to Hven

After this, we packed up our stuff, returnd the bikes, and headed to the ferry. A very busy 2 days, but also very relaxing! Sum up: When in Copenhagen during the summer and fall months, if you want a little break from the city this is a great way to spend some time and see some beautiful sites. You can go for just a day (Our ferry departed Copenhagen at 9:30 am and left Hven at 4:30 pm) or spend the night. Either is time well spent.

B