If you were to ask what the oldest kingdom in the world
was, few would guess Denmark. But there seems to be plenty
that people don’t know about this Scandinavian country
– popular itineraries detailing a whirlwind tour
of Europe rarely include Denmark
travel, or at best it may suggest spending a day or two
in Copenhagen only. But there
is much to see 450 or so islands that make up the country
– there are certainly too many to visit during a
single Denmark vacation. Those that stop only in Copenhagen
are also missing out on a great number of tourist attractions
in Denmark that are spread across its archipelago. From
Odense to Aarhus,
from Sonderborg to Skagen, a Denmark vacation will not
be one you soon forget.
The country is divided into three regions: Sjaeland, Fyn, and Jylland. The majority of popular tourist attractions in Denmark lie in Sjaeland, where Copenhagen dominates the country’s largest island. Fyn is mile after mile of green pasture land, along with a surprising number of powdery beaches. Trips are broken up by the occasional provincial town - the largest of which, Odense, was the boyhood home of Hans Christian Anderson. The expanding cities of Arhus and Aalborg are the main draws to Jylland. Elsewhere, the landscape can tend towards the rugged, as the country’s ample fjords cut their way inland from the Baltic Sea.
The remains of a once-vast Viking empire, current day Denmark is one of the more laid back, immediately accessible countries in the world. Highly educated, incredibly progressive and enjoying more economic prosperity than any other nation, the Danes also enjoy the highest standard of living in the world.
A rough mix of European and Scandinavian sensibilities,
you are more likely to come upon sleepy agricultural towns
than you are the hyper-urban cities that continue to crop
up all across Europe. The mix, though, gives the country
as a whole somewhat of a schizophrenic personality. The
best Denmark vacations will include destinations that
portray this schism, though the capital itself is probably
the best example. The city is subtle, in both architecture
and way of life, though there are plenty of examples of
a more decidedly European influence spreading throughout
the city. The recent addition of a bridge to from Copenhagen
to Malmo, Sweden has
helped remind many of the area’s strong Scandinavian
heritage, and is often a worthy addendum to any kind of
Denmark travel.
Tourist attractions in Denmark include the many castles (such as Rosenborg Castle and Amalienborg Palace) and museums in the capital, as well as the rough-hewn natural splendor that is found all across the Danish islands. Seeing the country by boat is another popular way to take advantage of the country’s numerous canals and waterways – you can see why the Vikings chose this as their main home so many years ago.
