Worldwind Tour: Stockholm to Copenhagen

We spent a week driving from Stockholm, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark. Even though the entire drive can be done in six hours, I’m glad we took the week and lots of detours. Here are some highlights along the journey:

Oland, Sweden - it’s a birdwatcher’s paradise in this UNESCO World Heritage site. The Island is also filled with preserved old towns, burial mounds, and fortress ruins. On our first day there, a huge angry storm-front moved in from one side of the island, drenched us for a couple of hours, and then blew off to the other end as quickly as it had arrived. When the sky cleared near sunset, we walked along the shore to view a variety of water fowl. We were joined by about a dozen others wielding massive spotting scopes on tripods. Perfect destination for a weekend getaway.

Old windmills are found throughout the island

Birdwatching at the southern top of Oland

Along the drive to Oland, we passed many beautiful farms. At dusk, a magical layer of mist hovers around them.

Copenhagen, Denmark - a vibrant city where we had our first sight of international food in about a month. It’s substantially larger than the other Scandinavian cities we visited. We saw the crown jewels of the once-impressive Danish kingdom and the Golden Tower of Tycho Brahe where he made his famous astronomical observations. Copenhagen is a great city for walking - many of the downtown shopping streets are pedestrianized, and the Nyhavn canal is beautiful and absolutely buzzing during the summer.

A square in central Copenhagen

Nyhavn canal

In front of the Rosenborg Palace

The coast of Denmark - we saw the Kronborg Fortress which was the entry-point into the Baltic Sea where the Danes collected tolls from passing ships for many centuries. The fortress was lost to the Swedes in 1658. It now stands as a museum demonstrating the lifestyle of the Danish loyalty at it’s height in the sixteenth century. The nearby town of Hornbaek has white sandy beaches, a delicious seafood shack, and the best ice cream shop we've been to since Italy.

Kronborg Castle

The beach at Hornbaek. The sand is perfect and it's surprisingly warm!

The harbor at Helsingor, with Kronborg Castle in the background. There was a music event that day - you can see the party happening right behind the boats.

The Cliffs of Mon - the white cliffs of Mon were formed at the bottom of the sea from the accumulation of microscopic plankton skeletons. The region later uplifted and natural erosion has left a sheer wall of shimmering white chalk by the ocean, which frequently crumbles in large avalanches. The cliffs are also home to the rare peregrine falcon, whose spectacular dive is the fastest animal movement on the planet. Well-marked walking trails allows visitors to enjoy the cliffs along the ocean and from atop. Plus, there’s an excellent museum showcasing the geological features of the cliffs.