As part of Season 03 of CulturallyOurs which showcases Lifestyle and People, we are thrilled to share letters from locals all around the world as they take us along a virtual journey of their city, village or hometown. This is a way for us to get to know one another on a personal level without any ‘must see‘ lists or ‘Top 10‘ activities. Getting a local’s point of view is a fantastic way to get a glimpse into the lives of the people of a place, city or country.

Today we travel to Langeland Denmark. Our friend Sannie Teresa Burén, a Danish photographer, shares a glimpse of her beautiful village, its history and her favorite places around town in our local’s point of view series.

From Sannie,

My city. My city is not a city at all. In fact, it’s not even a town or a village, but almost as far out in the country side as one can get in Denmark, on the rural island of Langeland, part of the Southfunen Archipelago, connected to the neighboring islands by a series of bridges. The island is 52 km long and 11 km wide in the middle – but only 5 km wide where I live (in the northern end), which means we have the sea very close to both the east and the west here. There are 12,500 people and a large number of windmills on the island, which produce 164% of our need for electricity – and yes, it’s often windy.

The cultural landscape, formed by centuries of farming, includes fields of grains and rapeseed, some small patches of woods, a charming old town in the middle – called Rudkøbing – and a number of small villages as well as single houses here and there in the hilly landscape. There are two big main roads going north to south and east to west, and narrow winded roads everywhere else. Fun fact: There are no traffic lights on the island.Originally, a Copenhagener, I moved here with my husband in 2005, in search for peace and quiet, a chance to garden, breathe deeply and watch the stars on a dark sky at night. After renovating an old farm which was a lot of work, we opened a small B&B called Æblegaarden which means ‘The Apple Farm’ in Danish.Here we offer accommodation, as well as meals based on organic and/or local produce. Meals are served family-style and we always eat with our guests, giving both them and us a chance to share stories and learn about other places and ways of life. Summer is the busy time – in winter we relax.

Langeland is ideal for hiking and biking with good paths for both. We have lots of designated cycling roads and there are many unique and special places to see on the island too. If you come here to visit, I would recommend the following must-sees around town.

• Skovsgaard – an old manor house, with a very interesting “upstairs-downstairs” museum. If you like Downton Abbey you’ll love it!
• Wild horses in a protected area
• Tranekaer Castle with the park TICON – a wonderful place filled with landart. In the village of Tranekaer you’ll also find a medicinal garden run by local volunteers, a quirky little museum of souvenirs from around the world, called ‘Souvenariet’ – and many more interesting sights.

However, here are a few places even closer to where I live that are also close to my heart – a perfect way to get introduced to Langeland through the eyes of a local.

One of the things that I really like about Langeland in general are the many artists and crafts people who have found their way to the island, and now sell their work directly from workshops and little galleries. One of my personal favorites is Potteriet – a couple of potters who lives and work about five km to the north of me. I really like the elegant simplicity of Jannie’s and Esben’s vases, cups and jars, and their shop and workshop have a beautiful  “northern” light and feel about it. To me this is so inspiring as a photographer and artist.About five km to the south, in the village of Lejbølle, a large 19^thcentury four-winged farm is housing an amazing permanent flea market with books, art and clothes in the main building and everything from chairs to cups and faucets in the former stables and barns. Volunteers run this place and all the income goes to support local cultural projects. The people there are so sweet, and they kindly let me borrow vases and other objects for my photos. I love going there every now and then to donate a few things I don’t need any more, and to see if anything there sparks my imagination.Now to one of my absolute favorite places on this earth ‘Karskov’. It is a small privately owned patch of woods about 3 km to the east of where I live – but a bit longer over land, so I usually take the car there. As soon as I’ve parked and enter into the wood by a little path, I feel the amazing tranquility of the place like I can breathe again. The path is taking me by the sea with the great sound of waves with the tall beach trees going all the way down to the sandy beach and a small lake with ducks and sometimes swans, and through both new and old forestation. The place even has it’s own old burial site from 5000 bc. When I am lucky, I see some wildlife like deer, a fox, or marten – and rarely any other humans. To walk around the entire wood takes about half an hour and it is beautiful no matter the time of year.After a walk in the woods, it’s time for some delicious food. Danes loves to grill – in fact, we are the most grilling people in the world – even more so than traditional barbequing countries like USA and Australia.

I think it has to do with the concept of hygge and informality. Two of the most defining concepts of Danish culture, and to prepare food on the grill offers both. Here at Æblegaarden we also love to grill when the weather permits, and we often do vegetables and fish as seen in the picture below. Or delicious organic lamb from the neighboring island, “Strynø”.We then eat al fresco under one of the large apple trees of our garden, which is another one of the things that I really love about this place: the fruit trees and bushes. As well as about thirty-something apple trees (almost all different varieties) we grow pears, figs, raspberries, blackcurrants, red-currants – and two large walnut trees. Strawberries and cherries we buy locally grown and that to me is the quintessential of summer in Langeland.Thank you for coming along with me as I take you on a tour of my city. It is my home now and I hope you will come visit someday.

Sannie, thank you so much for taking us along a virtual journey through your city. Denmark is so beautiful and we are eager to experience hygge – in life and in travel.

{Words and photos by Sannie Teresa Burén; Website: Sannie Buren; Instagram: @sannieburen}

Related Reading