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Inn holidays - for those who enjoy life to the fullest. Visitors would be hard pressed to find a cosier way of getting to know Denmark than at the some 200 inns dotted throughout the Danish landscape – because nowhere else are home-comforts, great food and heritage charm given such pride of place.
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Country-inn holidays – fit for kings The very words “roadside inn” evoke the time when stagecoaches would pull up in front of the inn, unhitch a weary team and let jolted wayfarers clamber out to rest and take a meal at the inn – before continuing their uncomfortable, arduous journey through the country. For as long as there have been roads, and people with journeys to make, there has been demand for a place to stop, and get a decent meal and lodgings for people and horses. But Denmark is the only country in the world where the inns were granted something as prestigious as a Royal Licence.
Picturesque inns
In Denmark we have some 200 inns. Some of the inns are found in charming villages, but the majority are situated in open country, surrounded by beautiful scenery. At the fords and canals the ferry inns still tempt in travellers as of yore, while the country roads are home to the centuries-old inns with thatched roofs and half-timbered frames that sit tucked away behind the old inn gardens with their herbaceous borders and gnarled fruit trees - the ideal place to sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee.
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The innkeeper’s kitchenIndoors there is a unique atmosphere in the low-ceilinged parlour rooms where the pot plants decorate the windowsills and copper pots gleam brightly from the walls. This is the place to sink down with a drink in front of the hearth after a long day of sightseeing or a round of golf. In the snug you can join the locals and play cards or cast dice as elbows are bent and the air grows thick with tall tales.
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Modern times Nowadays the wayfarer would be lucky to get a fresh team of horses or procure the innkeeper’s home-brew. Many inns are newly built, ultra-modern buildings. Others are centuries old and even if they still have a thatched roof and half-timbered frame much will still have happened since they were first built. The buildings have been restored and the rooms converted to provide modern comforts. A few of the inns have even turned into exclusive restaurants, have laid out golf courses or provide conferencing facilities.
Still a part of everyday lifeBut new or old, the Danish inns all cherish their cultural heritage and there is always the sense that the local inn is still part of everyday life in the community. Here is where the locals come to sip a frothy lager followed by the odd chaser. This is also where the family parties are held – birthdays, wedding receptions and confirmations – and where the final farewells are said to the dear departed at the traditional funeral wake.
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Inn accommodationThe majority of inns offer overnight accommodation and country-inn holidays can be spent in two ways: you can either settle in for the duration and thereby avoid having to pack your suitcase every day and can simply turn up for a hearty breakfast buffet, or you can opt to make a tour taking in the different regions of Denmark while sampling the local fare as you go.
Inn cheques and discount schemesService and hospitality are key words at the typical Danish inn and fairly inexpensive at the price too, thanks to a number of inn cheques and discount schemes that make country-inn stays a very affordable form of holiday accommodation. Read more on www.krohotel.dk |
Friday, May 09 2008
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