It is very common for people to escape the city and head out to the northern parts of Sjælland in the summer but I can really recommend the same trips in the winter. The plus point is that everything is a lot quieter and you can enjoy the space around you. The downside is that is seems a lot colder outside the city and a lot of things may be closed but then again who needs a seven scoop ice cream cone when it is zero degrees?

So this month here are my five recommendations of things to do a few hours outside the city. Most can be reached by train and bus if like us you are normally carless.First are beaches. The whole of the coast around the top of Sjælland from Helsingør around to Liseleje offers amazing beaches. In fact I now see it is ambitiously being called the Danish Riviera. Whilst staying here over the Christmas holidays we visited a number of beaches along Tisvilde Hegn. They were blustery, cold and mainly deserted but had amazing skies, wonderfully rough sea and sand dunes to run up and down. We were blown away by the sunset from the beach at Liseleje (top left) at 3.30pm on New Year’s Eve.

Secondly and closely tied to beaches are the forests. Most summer house areas are located in pine forests along the coast and there are long stretches along the beaches of heathland and forests to get lost in. We love the forest at Tisvilde Hegn and also Smidstrup  Beach.

Next is Gilleleje. This lovely fishing village is easy to reach by local train from Hillerød and has some amazing fish mongers selling local fish and delicious smoked fish. In the summer the harbour front outside Adamsens Fisk is packed but despite the fact that a lot of restaurant are closed in the winter months, it is still possible to find somewhere to enjoy a fish lunch here. I will be writing about our lunch spot on New Year’s Eve next week. Even if you decided to just buy something to enjoy back at your summer house, make sure its from Adamsens!

For a bit of culture and history Helsingør is the perfect place. Kronborg, popularly know as Hamlet’s Castle and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must visit here. The castle perched up on the rocky shore overlooking Sweden, just a few kilometres away, takes you back to the seafaring times. Visit Holger Danske in the casements to feel the might of Denmark! A new addition to the area is the Maritime Museum of Denmark and you can buy a joint ticket to both, which is well worth it. The old town just behind the castle is also worth a wander.

Finally a popular place for me but worth mentioning again is Louisiana, around 50 minutes from the city by train. Don’t forget to plan your trip and buy your train and entrance ticket from a DSB office or 7 Eleven to save on the trip.

So here are my top five places to visit to blow away the January blues! What are yours?

There are, of course, many other places to visit in this area, to find out more about this area this is the best place to start.