Experience

Experience of the Month, Faroe Islands

ENJOY: Bespoke experiences on the Faroe Islands

ENJOY is a new inbound travel agency offering exciting holidays that showcase the best of nature and culture on the beautiful Faroe Islands. Your visit can be tailormade to focus on outdoor adventures, or a recharge in breathtaking surroundings. Whatever you choose, the team behind ENJOY will ensure your stay is truly unique.

By Trine Ejlskov Jensen-Martin | Photos: ENJOY

ENJOY is the brainchild of Gist & Vist, the local business group behind Hotel Føroyar (currently the only spa-hotel on the islands), Hotel Tórshavn and Hotel Vágar, as well as several of the island’s restaurants. They aim to provide all-round experiences that introduce tourists to the guides take you on a hike, or by horseback through landscapes they know intimately. Needless to say, this trip around the Faroe Islands goes beyond standard guidebooks.

The space and time to explore Fríða and her colleague Helena Jakobsen are at the helm of ENJOY, using their vast experience in the leisure and hospitality industry to craft bespoke holidays to the Faroe Islands. They are both passionate about sharing the islands’ unique culture and nature that they know so well.

Faroese landscape and cuisine, as well as working alongside local communities to share their love and respect for the surrounding nature. “This is an outstanding chance to see the place from another point of view,” as ENJOY’s Frida Jóinsdóttir Joensen puts it, as local

“There is always space and time within each holiday package to explore on your own,” explains Fríða. She emphasises how important it is for the packages to be flexible; the key is for clients to enjoy an unrestricted experience of the Faroe Islands. “We book every aspect of the packages we provide, using our own hotels and restaurants, but we work closely with other local businesses,” she says.

“We therefore don’t depend on other hotels or restaurants and will always respond to our clients within 24 hours,” she elaborates. This is one of their USPs and a crucial aspect to Helena and Fríða, who take pride in outstanding customer relations and satisfaction. Meanwhile, they maintain a strong working relationship with local tour guides, who take visitors on guided trips on bikes, on foot or horseback. This not only supports local businesses, but also cultivates a healthy respect for the surrounding nature and encourages a mutual understanding between tourists and locals.

Enjoy being in motion and in the moment “One of our year-round packages is the Active Break,” Fríða says. “This is an opportunity to venture into nature and experience the islands, their food and culture first hand whilst staying active.” This package allows you to explore the landscape and some of the islands’ quaint villages, by bike or on foot, or simply relax while enjoying the exquisite views. As Fríða explains enthusiastically: “There are so many ways you can experience being in motion and in the moment with this composite package, the main thing is that you enjoy your time here.”

Whatever the nature of your visit, each season has something special to offer. The Active Break in January will be a very different experience to one during the summer months. “Sometimes you can experience all four seasons in one day here,” says Fríða. “My favourite time of year is possibly May, as the emerging spring is beautiful. But autumn here is also stunning!”.

An ENJOYable future ahead Nothing is far away on the Faroe Islands. There’s adventure and relaxation in equal measure and everything is within easy reach. ENJOY might be newcomers, but they have exciting plans in the pipeline. “We are going to offer a special New Year package this year,” says Fríða. It will include an evening event with dinner at Hotel Føroyar in Torshavn, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display on the roof terrace. Further ahead, they are planning a package that includes a marathon in the mountains for September 2023, while 2024 will see the opening of an outdoor spa in one of their hotels.

Whatever the weather, ENJOY offers something for everyone. Whether it’s a thrilling adventure or a chance to recharge, your enjoyment of the experience is their priority. The hardest part might be choosing a package, as they all have something exceptional to offer. And be warned, you may have to return more than once in order to fully enjoy everything the Faroe Islands have to offer.

Photo: Beinta á Torkilsheyggi

www.enjoy.fo Instagram: @enjoyfaroeislands Facebook: Enjoy Faroe Islands

A view of the upper floor exhibition room currently housing Astrid Kruse Jensen, Traces of What Once Were, 2021, archival fibre print. Installation view Skovhuset Kunst & Natur, 2022.

Experience of the Month, Denmark Go through the looking glass at this forest museum

In contrast to the wilderness of its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark’s homogenous forests and polished fields stand as testaments to its agricultural cultivation. However, the country’s neat aesthetics come at a price. Its biodiversity rankings are egregious and, with over 60 per cent of the national territory dedicated to farmland, Denmark is facing a challenge: how to reconnect citizens with nature.

By Miriam Gradel | Photos: Bastian Birk Thuesen

The museum Skovhuset Art & Nature prides itself on its proximity to nature. Indeed, just strolling up to the main entrance is an exercise in forest bathing. With a clear view of Søndersø, one of several natural lakes that formed in the wake of the last ice age, it’s hard to believe Copenhagen is only a 30-minute train ride away.

As the name indicates, Skovhuset museum focuses on the synergy between our human existence and the nature within and around us. But rather than creating internalised experiences, the art at Skovhuset aims to make our encounter with nature more immediate, interactive and unifying.

“Art provides us with a more sensual approach to understanding and being with the world around us,” says museum curator Lene Crone Jensen. Through art, “Skovhuset aims to give relevance to momentous issues such as the climate crisis or the role of nature, and make the way we address these thematics perceptible,” she explains.

“Nature is always relevant, but the past 50 years or so have challeneged our perspective of it,” explains museum director

Bigert & Bergström, Cooling Station Party Tent, 2022, sculpture. Installation view Skovhuset Kunst & Natur, 2022.

Lars Grambye. “Our impact on nature has become significantly more visible.” That said, Skovhuset is not trying to incite political action. “We would like visitors to leave with an increased awareness of the value of nature,” Grambye explains.

The most recent installation at Skovhuset, Now, the Forrest Fades focuses on the unnerving aspects of nature and our basic fear of the unknown. “It is about daring to see the unpleasant sides to nature, and acknowledging that nature isn’t just here for our enjoyment, but that it also exists within us,” explains Grambye.

As with much in the natural world, Skovhuset is a hidden gem waiting to be uncovered. With a focus on contemporary art and practices, the museum ambitiously seeks out local and international artists who use, address or explore nature in their work. “We want to provide an experience that goes beyond that of the stereotypical museum,” says Grambye. As such, Skovhuset not only incorporates interactive elements into its exhibitions, but collaborates with mediators from other industries, to expand the museum experience to a wider audience.

Art and nature – a social imperative Since free education became an institutional part of Danish society, the personal and cultural maturation of individuals through art – referred to as ‘dannelse’ in Danish – has been regarded by many as equally, if not more important than elementary schooling.

In the ‘dannelse’ framework, art acts as a bridge between education and philosophy. However, in an age where technological know-how is proiritised, artistic subjects have been slowly and systematically stripped from the curriculum. An arts education has become a nice-tohave, not need-to-have credential – and that can be considered troublesome. “Culture is a great part of what makes us human,” says Grambye, calling the divide between elitist art experiences and art for the general public ‘an outdated misconception’. “In Denmark, we are big consumers of art and culture. Politicians shouldn’t ignore this, but rather view art as a positive attribute in contemporary society,” he says.

Skovhuset advocates for this view by using art as a channel to nature. Surrounded by forests and lakes, Skovhuset’s intimate museum space is ideally situated to offer art experiences that authentically reconnent visitors with the natural world – inspiring harmony amidst the dissonance of modern society. As part of its programme, the museum organises after-school arts and crafts for children, hosts talks and workshops, and works with local organisations to bring joy to socially vulnerable citizens through art.

According to Jensen: “The pandemic has challenged our perception of nature,” in both the sense that human life is not a constant in the grand scheme of Earth’s, but also that when societies shut down, the value of being in nature is heightened. “Society is moving faster than ever before. Here, we have a connection with nature that extends beyond a mere walk in the woods, offering a slower approach,” says Crone Jensen. “The more profound our relationship with nature becomes, the more meaningful moments we’ll be able to experience.”

www.skovhus-kunst.dk

Current and upcoming exhibitions at Skovhuset Kunst & Natur:

Until 22 January 2023: Nu Falmer Skoven / Now, the Forrest Fades, with Maiken Bent, Daniel Gustav Cramer, Astrid Kruse Jensen, Joachim Koester, Jakob Kudsk Steensen, Jennifer Steinkamp, Astrid Svangren + Lounge: Jacob Kirkegaard

11 February – 23. April 2023: Allo la Terre, Knud Viktor

Eva Koch, Lækjum, 2011, video installation. Installation view, Skovhuset Kunst & Natur, 2022.

Jesper Dalgaard, Så længe vi tror, lever håbet, 2022, sculpture. Skovhuset Kunst & Natur 2022. Olafur Eliasson, The Glacier Melt Series 1999/2019, 2019. Installation view.

Experience of the Month, Finland SwimRun: a race in the Åland Islands for extremists and beginners alike

At the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea you will find Åland Islands, a huge archipelago of untouched nature: raw cliffs, mountains and dark green woods, in a sea that can be calm as a mirror or wild with roaring waves. It is a unique environment, and provides outstanding conditions for a challenging SwimRun event.

By Marie Westerman Roberts | Photos: Åland SwimRun

SwimRun is the endurance sport in which you run and swim along a set cross-country course of trails and open water, without stopping in between. SwimRun participants switch between running and swimming several times during a single race, running in their wetsuits and swimming in their trainers. It’s a requirement that the participants carry with them the mandatory equipment during the whole race. SwimRun originates from Sweden but events are now organised all over the world.

The Åland SwimRun is organised by Åland Event. Hubertus von Frenckell, CEO at the regional tourism organisation Ålands Turisminvest explains: “We have a perfect natural environment for a SwimRun here at Åland, and we can offer distances to fit all abilities, from beginners to the toughest most experienced competitor.”

What is special about the SwimRun on Åland is that they can offer longer, more challenging swim distances for the toughest competitors. “You must be a very strong swimmer to manage the toughest class,” says von Frenckell. In fact, you must prove you have done SwimRuns, or similar, before entering the toughest class. You must be prepared to keep going for 7-12 hours along a rough but outstanding route. “The Tough Enough route is basically my home backyard, but I’m still astonished by the beauty of the route every year when I go out to mark it for the contestants,” von Frenckell says. You can enter all classes as individuals or as a team of two, but in the most challenging class, the Tough Enough 50-kilometre, you must compete as a duo and stay together for the whole race. New for 2023 is that if you are feeling tougher than the Tough Enough route, it’s possible to add an extra distance at the end of the race.

Accommodation is available at Käringsund Resort and Conference, which is both the competition centre and the finish line for the race – a great set-up for the sporty family or group of friends.

www.swimrun.ax