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Denmark Travel Guide

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Viking Age house hut at Bork village, Denmark (© Frankix - Fotolia.com)
Viking Age house hut at Bork village, Denmark.

Introduction

Map of Danish regions, by Sertmann (Stefan Ertmann - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license)

Denmark (Danmark in Danish) is the southernmost and the smallest of the Nordic countries. It consists of the Jutland peninsula, prolonging the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, five large islands, (Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm), and hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Along with the nearby Netherlands, Denmark is one of the world's flattest and lowest lying countries. The highest point, Møllehøj, only rises to 171 metres (561 ft). One in four Danes live in the Greater Copenhagen area.

Denmark is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. It also has the world's lowest income inequality and is ranked as the world's most democratic and least corrupted country. The Danes pride themselves on being egalitarian, liberal and environmentally conscious. Bicycles are the favourite way of transportation of the majority of the population.

Some of better known Danish contributions to the world are the Lego construction toys, the Velux windows and skylights, and the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (including The Little Mermaid).

The Faroe Islands and Greenland are self-governing countries under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. Iceland was also ruled by Denmark until 1918.

Famous people from Denmark include (chronologically): the writer Andersen Hans Christian, the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, the physicist Niels Bohr, the designer Arne Jacobsen, the Sydney Opera House architect Jørn Utzon, and the movie director Lars von Trier.

History

From the Neolithic period to the Middle Ages, Denmark was Scandinavia's connection with the rest of Europe. It was through Denmark that agriculture was introduced 6,000 years ago, and that the Bronze and Iron Ages penetrated Scandinavia. The ancient Celts expanded as far north as Jutland (known to Classical writers as Cimbria), and Roman artefacts were found in southern Denmark. The cradle of Germanic culture was centered around Denmark and Scania (the southern tip of Sweden), a region that was historically part of Denmark until 1658.

In the Middle Ages, Danish Vikings are those who had the most profound impact on Western Europe. The Danes raided most of coastal Western Europe, from northern Germany to Portugal, and as far south as the Maghreb. They established population colonies in Northeast England (with York as their capital) and in Normandy. The Normans, of French-Danish blood, went on to conquer England, Wales, parts of Ireland, and much of southern Italy and what is now Tunisia and Libya.

Attractions

West Denmark (Jutland & Funen)

Århus
Den GambleBy, Aarhus (© Raymond Thill - Fotolia.com)
outstanding
Ålborg
Townhall, Aalborg (photo by Hubertus - Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license)
very good
Kolding
Kolding Castle (photo by Tomasz Sienicki - Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license)
very good




Skagen
Skagen (© gryth - Fotolia.com)
very good

Other attractions

very good Legoland, Billund
good Esbjerg
good Horsens
good Nyborg
good Odense
good Silkeborg

East Denmark (Zealand)

Copenhagen (København)
Nyhavn in Copenhagen (© fotofreakdgy - Fotolia.com)
must-see
Egeskov Castle
Egeskov Castle (photo by Malene Thyssen -  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license)
outstanding
Fredensborg Palace
Fredensborg Palace (photo by Niels Elgaard Larsen -  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license)
outstanding
Frederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød (© Lotharingia - Fotolia.com)
outstanding Housing the Museum of National History.
Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle, Helsingør (photo by Ikiwaner -  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license)
outstanding
Roskilde ※
Roskilde (© Jason Vosper - Fotolia.com)
very good

Other attractions

good Esrum Abbey

Travel Community


Eupedia's Rating System

Cities, towns, villages & historic buildings

  • : Local interest
  • : Moderately interesting
  • : Outstanding place
  • : Best of the country - shouldn't be missed
  • : Best of Europe

Natural attractions

  • : Local interest
  • : Moderately interesting
  • : Highly recommended
  • : World-class natural attraction
  • ※ : UNESCO World Heritage site

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