#193 [Would you like to walk with us?] We are holding the "2nd Copenhagen Walk" 🇩🇰 Let's Walk & Talk from Copenhagen Central Station to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art!

The other day, I visited Denmark for the first time in four months to scout the location for the walking event we are holding next month. Today, I am sharing information about that event. The following is the same content as the article from the "Happiness Exploration Agency." Thank you for your interest.

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Hello, this is Toru Sasaki from the Netherlands branch of the Happiness Exploration Agency. Today, I have an event announcement. We will be holding the "2nd Copenhagen Walk" on Saturday, November 15th, next month. This time, we will walk from Copenhagen Central Station to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which is considered the "most beautiful in the world". This is what the "1st Copenhagen Walk" we held this spring was like.

I finished scouting the new course the other day, so today I will explain the course for the second event and provide an overview. To everyone in Denmark and neighboring countries, would you like to walk with us? ✨

Please take a look at this wonderful course!

This time, it will be hosted by three people: two living in Denmark and the author living in the Netherlands. For long-distance walking events, factors like the availability of restrooms and lunch spots are important, and since it would be unreliable to just "wing it" on the day, I went for a scouting trip the other day. We were blessed with good weather and had a wonderful day.

The course this time is the same as the last one, a total distance of about 36km from Copenhagen Central Station to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, also known as the "most beautiful museum in the world". Although it is a long distance, it was an easy course to walk because there are almost no ups and downs. I will introduce the course with photos!

It always starts at Copenhagen Central Station

On the day, we will meet at Copenhagen Central Station at 6:50 AM, which is a bit early. We will meet at the plaza where Starbucks and McDonald's face each other. We plan to start at 7:00 AM and do self-introductions and icebreakers while walking. By noon, we should be "walking buddies."

In the "1st Copenhagen Walk," we left the city area and entered an area with few buildings within 30 minutes of starting, but this route is truly a "route to fully enjoy the cityscape of Copenhagen"! Since you can walk while looking at the beautiful cityscape, I especially recommend it to those who have just arrived in Denmark.

When it comes to problems abroad, the restroom situation is at the top of the list. This time, I scouted the area to ensure restroom locations every 90 minutes as much as possible.

On long-distance walks, it's easy to end up walking silently or getting too absorbed in conversation, but it's also nice to walk quietly at times while looking at the beautiful cityscape.

Once you leave the city area, you come out to the coast. The opposite shore is Sweden. The three of us will make teru teru bozu (paper dolls) and pray for such wonderful weather on the day. Including the sister walking event held in Japan, we have a track record of 30 years without a single event being canceled due to rain since the first one in 1996, so it will definitely be sunny!

Once you leave the city center, you head to the bay area!

The route we walked last time was a bit like 'training' as there were almost no pedestrians or bicycles. The route we are walking this time is a road with many people walking and cycling. There are plenty of restaurants and restrooms, so you won't feel uneasy while walking.

An autumn beach is also quite nice—there were people swimming on the day I did the preview walk!

Since we cannot predict the exact time for lunch, we have checked several restaurants that we can enter without a reservation. The photo below is one such candidate. This restaurant is located about 22km from Copenhagen Central Station, and walking this much (about 60% of the total distance) before lunch will make the afternoon walk easier.

I did the preview walk on a Saturday, and since the event day is also a Saturday, the restaurants are expected to be crowded. Depending on the number of participants, we might bring packed lunches (you can buy them at 7-Eleven, etc.). In that case, we are talking about eating near the 'beach house' shown in the photo above.

Leaving the city for an area rich in nature.

After lunch, we will enter a section away from civilization where there are few buildings or commercial facilities. There are also areas where horses and cows are grazing, so you can enjoy scenery that is different from city walking.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art—what is the reason it is said to be the "most beautiful in the world"?

When you get near the train station closest to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, there are many people returning from the museum. This is the moment I indulge in a sense of superiority, thinking that surely no one else "walked all the way from Copenhagen Central Station."

On the day of the event, after arriving at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, we will not be able to tour the museum exhibits (it will be just before closing when we arrive, and besides, after walking 36km, you likely won't have the energy to tour the museum...), but if you are staying in the area before or after, please do visit.

I looked for a place to take a commemorative photo after arriving, and this spot was even more wonderful than the museum's front courtyard. It is a hill facing the sea overlooking Sweden, and when it is sunny, it is a spectacular view as you can see! Since we will arrive in the evening, I think you will be able to see a similar scene.

After walking a lot, you definitely need a beer🍻

After arriving, we returned to Copenhagen Central Station by train from the station nearest to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and had a wrap-up party at a pizza restaurant next to Tivoli Gardens in front of the station. The restaurant was spacious despite being near the station, and there was a table that could be reserved for a group of about 10 people. On the day of the event, we plan to reserve this restaurant, or a BBQ restaurant run by the local craft brewery "Mikkeller" a short walk away. Of course, they also have alcoholic drinks other than beer and soft drinks!

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Why go to the trouble of "walking"?

You can get to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art from Copenhagen Central Station in less than an hour by train. Why go to the trouble of "walking" for eight hours? Actually, there is a reason beyond just being a "curiosity seeker."

The keyword is Physical groundedness (the sensation of being physically connected to things—in this context, walking with your feet on the ground). It is a concept that has recently been attracting attention in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and learning science.

In modern society, many things have come to be done through computer monitors. I suspect many people have meetings that are "almost entirely online." Amidst this, the importance of "actually touching things" is being re-evaluated. Specifically, this includes walking, pottery, outdoor activities, and writing letters on paper with a pencil. In recent memory, the Swedish government abolished tablet textbooks at the elementary school level and steered back toward paper and pencils. There seems to be a lot of debate regarding this policy change.

However, these discussions do not touch upon Physical groundedness. At academic conferences on literacy that I have attended, the importance of "reading and writing on physical devices," such as paper and pencil, was being re-evaluated. It is as if the physical stimulation from the fingers when writing might be related to the learning process in the brain. I personally feel that the best way to organize thoughts in my head is to hand-draw diagrams and concepts on paper, and I always organize ideas for AI research papers with my two supervising professors by
"hand-writing on paper or a whiteboard".

A prime example of that "sense of physically touching things" is "walking." The act of walking is actually very complex; the brain processes information transmitted from the soles of the feet in real-time and updates posture control information for the next step. It seems to be an action where "many senses are fully utilized.""Why do things that were bothering me somehow get resolved when I walk?"The day when the reason for this is scientifically explained may be near. Similar feedback was received from participants of the "1st Copenhagen Walk."

Overview of the 2nd Copenhagen Walk

Here is the event overview. Please use the following Google Form to sign up, and the "Contact Us" link below for any questions. We look forward to your participation✨

The three organizers hope for many participants and clear weather on the day. We look forward to meeting you all✨

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That concludes the announcement for the "2nd Copenhagen Walk" to be held on Saturday, November 15. If you think "maybe I'd like to try walking," please feel free to contact us. Thank you very much.
(October 20, 2025 🇩🇰🧴)