Karen Blixen Museum (Karen Blixen Museet)

The basics

This 17th-century house and vast surrounding grounds sit on the shores of the Oresund Strait, and the rooms of the main building remain almost exactly as they were when Blixen died in 1962, providing a glimpse into her daily life. A small gallery room displays her paintings and memorabilia of her time in Africa, and the west wing includes a documentary exhibition, museum shop, and café.

The land behind the museum has been designated as a bird sanctuary and is open to the public. A pleasant walk from the museum’s main entrance will take you past a pond and through an orchard until you arrive at the foot of a hill where Blixen is buried.

Things to know before you go

• You can visit the museum at your own pace or book a guided tour of the house and bird sanctuary in advance through the museum website.

• There is a small café for snacks and drinks.

• Kids enjoy exploring the surrounding bird sanctuary with a pretty pond and plenty of outdoor space.

• The house's ground floor and café are accessible to wheelchairs; there are a limited number of pathways through the surrounding grounds, so the bird sanctuary is only partially accessible.

How to get there

The Karen Blixen Museum is about a 30-minute drive north of Copenhagen or about an hour by public transport. To reach the estate without a car, take bus 388 or the Kystbanen (coastal train) to Rungsted Kyst station; from there, it’s about a 20-minute walk to the museum.

When to get there

The museum and surrounding grounds are closed on Mondays and some holidays; check the museum website for updated information about holiday closures. The inside rooms of the Karen Blixen Museum are an ideal rainy-day excursion, but visit when the weather is dry to explore the grounds and bird sanctuary.

Denmark’s top house museums

The Karen Blixen Museum isn’t the only place in Denmark that offers a glimpse into how famous and non-famous Danes once lived. Visit the 16th-century Bakkehuset and the Victorian Frederiksholms Kanal 16–18 in Copenhagen to admire the interiors of two former private residences, or head north of the city to explore Brede House, a late 18th-century country house, and the baroque-style Frieboeshvile. Art lovers will particularly appreciate visiting the former estate of Wilhelm Hansen and Henny Nathalie Soelberg Jensen, now home to the excellent Ordrupgaard collection of Modern Art.