Denmark Travel Guide

With 18th century towns, bubbly cities, rugged castles and an enormous Lego-based theme park to entertain them, you’d expect the Danes to be a pretty happy bunch. You’d not be wrong: pan-European surveys have the locals down as the most contented on the continent, as well as some of the richest. Slow-paced and teaming with history, their homeland is an often-overlooked European pearl.

Blossoming capital Copenhagen is at the centre of it all, a gridded city on the sea, full of cobbled streets and gentle canals. Modern architecture is taking the city by storm, with Copenhagen… read more’s buildings winning numerous awards for their designer creativity. As locals traditionally save their meals out for special occasions, the plethora of Michelin Stars comes as a pleasant surprise too.

Wherever you go in Denmark, you’ll never be more than an hours drive from the coast. The northern city of Skagen is a superb place to make the most of it, with vicious seas, sandy beaches and seafood to die for. The island of Møn is known for its tall white cliffs, which hide tiny coves and shelter expansive beaches. It acts as a friendly base for potters, in amongst the clay soil and winding countryside roads. Petite cobbled streets and half-timbered houses make Ærøskøbing another windy island delight.

1000 years of history can be discovered at Roskilde, the customary burial place of the Danish Monarchy. In the summer it becomes one of Europe’s party capitals, with a famously crowded - and often extremely muddy - music festival named after the town. There’s plenty of partying to be done in picturesque Århus too, but it’s the astonishing wood-framed buildings, often fronted by ponds or colourful courtyards, that visitors write home about.

There’s only one regular moan from travellers visiting Denmark: price. It’s unquestionably not a cheap destination, but then neither are any of the major European cities, and Denmark’s mix of history and friendly modern lifestyle are a match for most. As an architectural haven with plenty of history and a jubilant, party-time vibe, there’s little else to grumble about.