Sixteen singles spent three days dating without their phones in a summerhouse in Ebeltoft, the first stay under a new Danish concept called Offline Kærlighed.
The group met last week in the rented summerhouse on Djursland, where the format asked participants to get to know each other without mobile phones at hand. DR reported on the stay on September 15.
Offline Kærlighed is a new concept started by two women, according to DR. It is aimed at singles between 25 and 35 who want to date in an old-fashioned way, without modern technology.
The three days were built around planned activities. As reported by DR, the program included football golf, beer tasting and a gala dinner, alongside ordinary summerhouse routines such as cooking.
One of the participants was Søren Blankholm. He told DR that he wanted to try a different form of dating than the swipes and quick first impressions he is used to.
Everyday moments in the summerhouse
Blankholm said the format worked because everyone knew why they were there, with the cards on the table from the start. Per DR, he found value in meeting people face to face rather than through a phone screen.
He also pointed to the quieter parts of the stay. According to DR, he said the everyday moments, including cooking and household chores, gave participants a chance to see the whole person.
Blankholm added that he left Ebeltoft with more courage, and with the sense that taking chances in real life is not dangerous. He described that as more rewarding than interacting behind a screen.
A new group moves in on September 20
The organizer behind the stay is Anne Bjerg Pedersen. She selected the 16 singles herself, hoping they could be matches for one another, DR reports.
Bjerg Pedersen said the first trip exceeded all expectations. As noted by DR, she described the participants as young people who genuinely wanted to learn more about each other, and called them very brave.
She will not have to wait long for the next round. On September 20, a new group of singles moves into the same summerhouse in Ebeltoft, under the same rules on dating without modern technology.
Whether the first stay produced a couple remains open. Blankholm told DR that there are people he would like to see again, that he has no dates in his calendar yet, and that his curiosity has been awakened.
