Tourism Denmark, visit Denmark

Denmark

The Danes are, overwhelmingly, a happy bunch. In fact, if you believe those contentment surveys that come out every couple of years, Denmark is one of the happiest nations on earth with some of the best quality of life. Along winding cobbled streets Danes shop and dine at some of the most exciting places in Europe.
Copenhagen’s restaurants have more Michelin stars than any other Scandinavian city, and Denmark as a whole would doubtless have more still if the inspectors from Michelin ever troubled themselves to leave the capital and head for Aalborg or Århus & around. Even standards in a workaday Danish café are generally very high.

Beyond the capital and the bigger cities, Denmark offers a mix of lively towns such as Ribe and Odense plus rural countryside, medieval churches, Renaissance castles and tidy 18th-century villages. Neolithic dolmen, preserved 2000-year-old ‘bog people’, and impressive Viking ruins are just some of the remnants of the nation’s long and fascinating history.

Denmark continues to stamp its effortlessly cool style on the world with its furniture, fashion, architecture and graphic design, as it has done for the last half-century or so. This obsession with good design, detail and fine craftsmanship is evident even in something as mundane as a Copenhagen metro or train ride.

Mapa de Dinamarca

Canal Nyhavn, Copenhague, Dinamarca

Copenhagen

The coolest, most cosmopolitan, most exciting and, yes, Danny Kaye was right, the most wonderful city in Scandinavia (don’t argue Stockholm): welcome to Copenhagen (København).

These days the Danish capital is blossoming. There is a spring in its step borne from a mixture of some brave new architecture, continued prosperity and a burgeoning confidence in its own charms. There are more cafés and restaurants than ever and, more importantly, the locals are learning how to use them. It used to be that Copenhageners ate out on special occasions only and nights out were restricted to Friday and Saturday only, but that’s all changed. Even on a wet Wednesday in February the bars and cafés will be buzzing, that all important hyggelige (cosy) atmosphere fostering a uniquely Danish sense of wellbeing and conviviality.

In a way, the rest of the world woke up to how great this historic city of canals, cobbled squares and copper spires was before the locals did, but it is at last sinking in that the world now looks to Copenhagen for the best in design, architecture and fashion and is beginning also to notice the extraordinary culinary revolution that has taken place here over the last decade.

If you are looking for an earthy, hardcore travel experience look elsewhere. Copenhagen is clean, safe and ridiculously easy to get to know, the locals all speak superb English and the transport system makes London’s look like it’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It usually makes the top five, if not the top spot, in those ‘most liveable city’ lists. And if you are looking for a budget destination, you might also want to reconsider your plans. This is not a cheap city by any means, but then neither is it any more expensive than any other major European city – London and Paris will hit your pocket harder.

Den Gamle, Arhus, Dinamarca

Aalborg

We found it hard to get a handle on Aalborg, sitting at the narrowest point of the Limfjord (the long body of water that slices Jutland in two). It’s Denmark’s fourth-largest city but feels somehow larger, more industrial and more impersonal than Århus (strange, given that Århus is more than double its size).

Aalborg has lost chunks of its historical­ quaintness to industrial and commercial development, although the centre contains enough ancient half-timbered buildings to give you an idea of the kind of affluence its Renaissance merchants enjoyed.

Aalborg is certainly handsome in parts, but it seems to lack a city heart, and the long-awaited waterfront rejuvenation is slow in coming. Meanwhile, tourism authorities are shining the spotlight on Aalborg’s ‘lifestyle attractions’ (shopping and dining), and indeed its restaurants are one of its best features. Sadly the accommodation doesn’t match up, and the city is crying out for a swish boutique crash-pad to woo the city-breakers.

All in all, Aalborg’s a mixed bag but shows loads of potential. Traditionally it’s been ignored by foreign travellers, but there are enough diversions here to occupy a day or two for most visitors, from families to foodies, party animals to history boffins.

Arhus

The cultural and commercial heart of Jutland, Århus has one of Denmark’s best music and entertainment scenes, a well-preserved historic quarter and plenty to see and do, ranging from fantastic museums (don’t miss Moesgård) and period churches in the centre, to picturesque woodland trails and beaches along the city’s outskirts.

The second-largest city in Denmark, it lies midway along Jutland’s eastern coastline and has been an important trading centre and seaport since Viking times when it was known as Aros, the ‘place at the river’s mouth’.

During the medieval period Århus seesawed between prosperity and devastation as rival Vikings and warring kings entangled the city in their campaigns. Today it is home to a thriving university with more than 20,000 students yet retains all the friendliness and ease of a small country town.

Castillo de Egeskov, Dinamarca

Ribe

The crooked cobblestone streets of Ribe (pronounced ree-buh) date from 869, making it Denmark’s oldest town. It’s easily one of the country’s loveliest spots in which to stop and soak up some history. It’s a delightfully compact chocolate-box confection of crooked, half-timbered 16th-century houses, clear-flowing streams and lush water meadows.

Such is the sense of living history that the entire ‘old town’ has been designated a preservation zone, with more than 100 buildings registered by the National Trust. Don’t miss it.

Odense

Funen’s 1000-year-old capital is a cheerful place, welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists. The city makes much ado about being the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen – although Andersen fled the city after his poverty-stricken childhood here – and fairy-tale fans will be delighted by the preponderance of Andersen-related attractions. These range from several museums dedicated to the man to sculptures of his most famous stories, plus surprises such as public benches with monsters’ claws for legs!

More generally, there’s a rich concentration of galleries and museums, an impressive cathedral with a saint’s bones in the basement, a thriving café culture, a colourful Flower Festival in mid-August and, of course, city thrills such as an arts cinema and nightclubs, a treat if you’ve been in the countryside for a while.

Odense translates as ‘Odin’s shrine’ and surely has been blessed by the chief Nordic god of war, poetry and wisdom. Despite having no harbour, Odense was Denmark’s largest provincial town by the middle of the 18th century. In 1800, it was finally linked to the sea by a large canal. The city went from strength to strength, becoming an important textile centre.