Hygge is not for sale

Today’s events included a “hygge walking tour” along streets such as Købmagergade and Landemӕrket. Interesting to note is that the names Købmagergade and Landemӕrket mean (roughly translated) “Merchantsstreet” and “Landmark”, and that could not be more fitting for my topic today. 

These medieval streets were among the original streets when Copenhagen was founded.  In fact, Landemӕrket was the border between the city and the undeveloped areas on the other side of the city’s ramparts. In fact, these streets existed already during the early Middle Ages, long before Kings’ Garden and Adelgade (where our hostel is located) were built.


I remember these streets very well and have fond memories of them. They are picturesque and date back to the 1300s (maybe even earlier). Then it occurred to me that the joy I remember is not from a building or a picturesque street.  It is from the memories I have growing up and going into the “city” with my grandmother.  The memories of taking the busses, getting our groceries, shopping at the department stores, and maybe even stopping by Tivoli some day.

 “Hygge” is a term that has been discussed in books, podcasts, and nearly every other media possible.  Hygge has nearly become a product for sale and some Danes are getting frustrated with the commercialization of something that is the opposite of consumerism.  Hygge is something you generate, not something you buy.  And while beautiful old streets like Købmagergade (Merchantsstreet) and Landemӕrket (Landmark) clearly can set the stage for hygge, hygge is not for sale and not limited within the Danish borders.  Hygge starts with an appreciation of the moment, the people you are with and where you are at.  It is, in a sense, a way for us to stop time for just a little while and savor the things that matter. It is not dependent on what you have or your location.  It depends entirely on you. You can therefore create hygge anywhere and anytime you want, including right here in Brookings.





Our day was scheduled to end with a tour of Nyboder. These are the old Navy quarters from the 1600s and were for those days considered very generous living quarters.  


The history of Nyboder is something I would love to share with you in person some day, but for Danes this “yellow town” within Copenhagen is not just a cozy place to visit, but a trip back in time, to the origins that made this city and its residents what it is today.

And speaking of origins and traditions and history …. Wienerbrød is a famous Danish pastry that always brings happiness and hygge to every coffee table.  So, in the spirit of our trip, I made today Wienerbrød.




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