A night behind bars becomes a reality at SleepIn FÆNGSLET. SleepIn is an unforgettable overnight stay with plenty of food for thought. The hostel is situated in the prison’s old sick ward.
Denmark: Sjælland – Christiansfeld
During a trip to the Netherlands, King Christian VII and his doctor, J. F. Struense, visited the Church of the Brethren town Zeist, and they were impressed by what they saw. The king invited these skilled craftsmen to Denmark and allowed them to build a town following their model. With a rigorous urban plan, the well-preserved iconic yellow-brick houses sit side by side on cobbled streets, and the core of the town has been preserved. So, today you can experience the town that Christian VII allowed the Church of the Brethren to build back in 1773. It is this preservation that resulted in its inscription on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The town’s layout follows the Church of the Brethren’s recipe, starting from the church with two parallel main streets, one on each side. The town’s central square is named after Count Zinzendorf, who helped found the Church of the Brethren. As the name suggests, the square is square, and the entire layout of the town is measured according to the dimensions and location of the square.
The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), as it has been officially known since 1457, arose as followers of Hus gathered in the village of Kunvald, about 100 miles east of Prague, in eastern Bohemia, and organized the church. This was 60 years before Martin Luther began his reformation and 100 years before the establishment of the Anglican Church.
Christiansfeld is home to the only Brethren church in Denmark. Every Sunday, there is a church service, and everyone is welcome. The church hall is the largest in Denmark without supporting columns and can accommodate up to 1000 guests.
It was a rainy morning when we arrived in Christiansfeld, and the forecast did not look so good for the rest of the day. But we never let a bit of rain stop us from going about our business. Being early on a Sunday morning everywhere looked very quiet, and we did wonder whether anything would be open. As usual I was being led by my belly as my biggest concern was would the cafes be open. I had read that Christiansfeld was famous for its gingerbread, and I fancied some of the that. Luckily, we found Honningkagebageriet (don’t ask me to pronounce it) was open and they had a fantastic selection. It wasn’t cheap but we walked away with a slice of gingerbread infused with apricots and a packet of four gingerbread buns for later.
It was a rainy morning when we arrived in Christiansfeld, and the forecast did not look so good for the rest of the day. But we never let a bit of rain stop us from going about our business. Being early on a Sunday morning everywhere looked very quiet, and we did wonder whether anything would be open. As usual I was being led by my belly as my biggest concern was would the cafes be open. I had read that Christiansfeld was famous for its gingerbread, and I fancied some of the that. Luckily, we found Honningkagebageriet (don’t ask me to pronounce it) was open and they had a fantastic selection. It wasn’t cheap but we walked away with a slice of gingerbread infused with apricots and a packet of four gingerbread buns for later.
The church hall itself was massive but as you might expect very simple. The inside was completely white, there were rows of plain white benches all facing something resembling an altar, which was more of a table covered with a cloth. From the ceiling hung some large chandeliers, which were the only things inside the church that looked at all decorative. We loved the simplicity and there was nothing to distract you whilst praying – surely this is all you need inside a church.
Planning your visit to Christiansfeld
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