A weekend of camping at Furesø

A weekend in the wilds was exactly what I needed. Ever since moving to Copenhagen and living the big city life, I’ve been itching to get back out into the countryside and explore the Danish nature. When I lived in Jutland as a child, I used to think that Denmark was the most boring country in the world because of our flat landscape and endless fields, but ever since moving to a big, smoggy city, I’ve begun to miss exactly that more than I ever thought possible. I’m a nature child, and in nature is where I feel at home, be that in Denmark or any other country in the world. I enjoy living in the city, but it’s not where I’m supposed to be. It’s where I want to be at this time in my life, but I’m more than excited for the day that I can finally move as far away from flashing lights and loud traffic as possible. I want to live among wild animals, I want to breathe fresh air and I want to do outdoor activities every day.

On a weekend in mid March, I finally got to experience a bit of that nature magic again at Furesø in Northeastern Zealand.

A bunch of archaeology students had planned a trip to the lake, where we would camp for the weekend. I didn’t hesitate to join them, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable weekends here on Zealand. My camping fever was officially back!

Furesø is a lake in Northeastern Zealand. It’s the deepest lake in Denmark and the third largest lake in Northern Zealand. The lake is known for its rich birdlife and excellent fishing, of which we (thankfully for the fish and me as a vegetarian) didn’t have any luck with. There is a sailing club and a rowing club, and one can rent boats and canoes by the lake. There’s also a free camping spot, which we decided to use for the weekend.

We spent most of our time at Furesø trying to fish, chilling by the fireplace, cooking food, drinking beers and playing games. On the Saturday, a few of us went on a long walk through the forest, which took us to an ancient grave mound from the Neolithic.

I’ve really missed camping and spending time outdoors since moving to Copenhagen. It’s now three months ago since we went on the trip to Furesø, and I’ve actually kept my promise to myself about spending more time in nature since then. Recently, I landed a job at Sagnlandet Lejre, which is just about as much nature as nature gets, and I’ve also been taking more trips outside of Copenhagen. I will continue to do so, as too much city will leave me miserable. Nature is truly medicine for the soul.