Lagoni - Helsingør
- Rosy Vineyard
- Mar 9, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 28, 2020
Just 20 minutes away from the Danish capital lies the rural village of “Helsingør”. It has a fine train station, a town house, some local shops and the showstopper: the gorgeous “Kronborg” castle. You may recognize it as Elsinore castle, as it was Shakespeare’s inspiration for his longest play ever written: Hamlet. As any Danish property, it burnt to the ground several times, but the medieval masterpiece as is, still goes back all the way to the 16th century. Ocean blue copper towers contrast with the deep, red, tall doors that seem to come straight out of King Arthur’s residence. Not to forget the sight of the big ocean and scattered pieces of Scandinavia. It truly is as mystical as the story. And if you sharpen your vision, you can see the roof of the runner-up in town: a local coffee place called Lagoni.
I discovered it after visiting the castle and the old town - famous for its coloured houses, together with my friend from the States. The sky was clear, the air was fresh, the sun bright and then there was Lagoni surpassing all three of those. Around since 2015, the owner seemed to be proud of what he built: a casual row-house transformed into a fairytale’ish lodge. Lots of woods, dark greens, not too modern, a bit shabby but in a good way. As for any Danish purchase I felt poor after paying 4 euros for a tiny chocolate ball next to my latte, but it paid off in another way; after our coffee we got into a conversation with the owner. He told us how he liked building stuff because it always involves new people. He showed us the oldest house in town and a magnificent graffiti painting at the main square that was fresh as can be. It was made by a beginning artist-tourist from America, only 4 weeks before we arrived. Just like that, commissioned by the town.
I encourage you all to give the smaller villages nearby a chance. Not only to support coffee places in your own neighbourhood - because they do need it, but also for your own good. Spontaneous art in your face, friendliness beyond commercial aims: you pay for a coffee and receive a customized, local experience.
Joe for now,
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