Danish author and real-life baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, who penned the classics Out of Africa and Babette’s Feast under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen, was a native of Denmark. A museum dedicated to her life and work is located just north of Copenhagen in Blixen’s hometown of Rungsted. Her home, Rungstedlund, is set amid a 14-acre plot of land that today acts year-round as a bird sanctuary and forest reserve, with many trees dating back as long as 300 years. The museum complex includes Blixen’s personal library, a bookshop, documentary exhibition and café with outdoor terrace, all renovated from the property’s original coach house.

Her own house, adjacent to the museum, is open to the public, including her study (Ewald’s Room) and writing space with a collection of African weapons and artifacts from her years in Africa at her coffee farm in Kenya. There’s also a small gallery showcasing Blixen’s paintings and powerful portraits, located in a room that once served as the broadcast space for her radio and television interviews. A film room shows a short, 12-minute production that includes documentary footage and dialog. The comprehensive collection also includes a selection of the author’s manuscripts, letters, drawings, childhood poems and early writings, along with audio selections of Blixen reading her work.