Fængslet

Horsens State Penitentiary (Horsens Statsfængsel) was in operation from to 1853 to 2006. In 2012 it was turned into Fængslet, (the prison) which houses a prison museum, hostel in the old sick ward, and venues for events, festivals, and concerts.

In 2019 I was able to attend a Foo Fighters concert at Fængslet, but this was my first time sleeping in the prison and going to the museum. It was an amazing experience. The museum was a mixture of historic and more modern aspects of prison life. There were daring tales of escapes, as well as interactive features of searching rooms and luggage for contraband. 

In 1944 Leon Houlby and thirteen other Danish resistance members successfully escaped Horsens Statsfængsel and were hidden by the town before they could be transferred to German internment camps.

There was a separate area and kitchen and for bikers, to keep two rival biker gangs from fighting.

I ended my visit by experiencing Carl August Lorentzen's (a master thief and lock pick) 1949 prison escape with VR. He was told his wife wanted a divorce so he decided to instead carve his way out of the prison in only 11 months. Andy Dufresne's 19 year long escape in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) has nothing on Lorentzen.

https://faengslet.dk/en 

World Ballet at a Prison

I was able to see Denmark's World Ballet (Verdensballetten) perform a unique outdoor performance in a decommissioned prison (Horsens Statsfængsel).

The show consisted of some of the world's most famous ballet dancers, as well as classical musicians (piano and violin), and two opera singers. Bing outside allowed the performers costumes to float with the summer breeze. It was an amazing and very unique experience!

https://verdensballetten.dk 

Sankthansaften

Sankthansaften (Saint John's Eve, or Midsummer in Sweden) in Denmark is a mix between the Sankt Hans celebrations (commemorating John the Baptist) and the summer Solstice. Bonfires and celebrations can be found almost everywhere in Denmark. They are usually arranged by city or town councils, churches, sports clubs or other local institutions. Most are free to attend, have music and speeches, and you can buy food and drinks or bring your own.

I was planning on going to the largest bonfire in Fyn that takes place in the meadow of Fruens Bøge (pictured above). Unfortunately it was was canceled at the last moment. Instead of getting to watch the traditional witch effigy burn, a bunch of internationals and I had dinner then roamed the harbor and churches to see many small bonfires.

Boat Ride and Dinner

I was able to meet up with several internationals to go on a scenic 30 minute boat ride to Fruens Bøge (a lovely forest and park, that Danes have been enjoying since the early 19th century).

We then had dinner at  Carlslund, a traditional restaurant that was built in 1871 (and then rebuilt after a 2015 fire). 

Even though traditional Danish cuisine tends not to be vegan, I was able to easily modify the vegetarian special of the day (rødbedebøffen or red beet steak) to be completely plant based. It was delicious!

Romeo og Julie

The Odense Theater put on a beautiful rendition of Romeo and Juliet at the King's Garden (Kongens Have). They updated the play be making it a musical set in a 1946 mafia-plagued Verona, Italy.

Photo by Emiliea Therese

The Hans Christian Andersen Museum

The Hans Christian Andersen Museum was recently renovated and is very impressive.

The museum is a gorgeous interactive experience which mixes the charm of being inside Andersen's stories with historical artifacts to better understand Andersen himself.

Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home

After living in Denmark for tree years I finally was able to visit Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home as well as the The Hans Christian Andersen Museum. They are in separate locations, but the entry for both is covered under the same museum ticket. 

I was surprised how small Andersen's home was! The entire home consisted of a few rooms. Although it is not a long visit (around 10 minutes), it is well worth seeing. They did an excellent job making the home feel lived in. I truly felt like I was transported back in time.