You could be forgiven for thinking you were standing out in the middle of a weird, science-fiction savannah with vast open grasslands on all sides, and a contrasting backdrop of futuristic high-rise buildings. In reality, you’re in Copenhagen: This is the view from one of several iconic spots in Nature Park Amager.
The park, named after the island of Amager where it’s located, is slowly becoming a local favorite, but is still somewhat overlooked by visitors to Copenhagen. It’s a massive natural expanse of some 3,500 hectares of land, an area nearly half the size of the entire city. It’s also the story of how thousands of unemployed Danes narrowly avoided deportation to Germany during World War II (we’ll get back to that), as well as decades of careful conservation efforts, all of which have created the unique landscape that urban explorers can immerse themselves in today.
One of the people responsible for stewarding the park is nature guide and biologist Jes Aagaard.