Things To Do In Denmark

Denmark is the land of Vikings and Danes, and also the man who gave us some of the most awe-inspiring fairytales. With its long stretch of beaches and harbours, museums and castles, royal palaces and amusement parks, the city of Denmark has recently risen to the top of the Scandinavian tourism destinations. You can do so much here, from exploring Skagen beaches to visiting a real toy-land at Lego land, enjoying a quiet evening at Trivoli gardens to finding sand dunes in the middle of the peninsular archipelago. Here are the things to do in Denmark.

Denmark is a country of a peninsula and archipelago, so it is taken that the land is going to show you some amazing beach fun. With almost 5000 miles of coastline, Skagen in Denmark is one of the best when it comes to lounging on beaches. The windswept coast is breath-taking, especially to the north where Grenen hosts the desolate sandbar. The light on these beaches is a different kind of scattered, and gives you Instagram-Worthy chills. You can chill at the beach, sail in the sea or go to the nearby art museums with their 19th Century Skagen painters’ works; or you can do all three!

Imagine there are scores and scores of lego toys, all built up from scratch, all different and creative, and all life-size. Isn’t that a childhood fantasy come true? The Legoland Billund in the town of Billund is your childhood fantasy come true, with its miniature display of world famous buildings, structures and marvels all built up with genuine lego bricks. There are also adventurous knight kingdoms and fairy palaces, certain sections devoted to children and others to adults. You can visit this amusement park for a day trip or even book a day or two in the in-house hotel.

Rabjerg Mile is an interesting marvel of nature, a migrating set of sand dunes that make for a great tourist attraction, especially in winter. A picnic at the sand dunes is out of the most weird dreams and makes for some great memories. Developed back in the 16th Century BC, these sand dunes extend from northeast of Kattegat at the speed of 15 m a year. You can take a bike or a car there and also go for a visit to the famous church nearby that is almost completely buried in the sand dunes.

A famous amusement park in Copenhagen, the Tivoli Gardens is around 200 years old and the 2nd oldest functioning amusement park in the whole world. Tourists coming to Denmark never mss this spot, and Europeans flock here in large numbers as well. It may not be as famous in the public forum as Universal or Disneyland, but Tivoli Gardens is actually in that top list right next to those very parks. The park offers loads of amazing games, rides, theatrical performances, musicals, ballets, and concerts too.

Denmark is the birth place of world famous fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen, who has, among many tales, the story of ‘The Little Mermaid’ to his credit. The country celebrates this prolific writer in every way it can, especially in the beautiful sculpture of 'The Little Mermaid' on the harbour side of Copenhagen. This sculpture dates back a hundred years and is made of rich bronze; the mermaid sitting on a rock as she gazes desolately into the sea. You must visit this Mermaid as well as take a round of the Gefion Fountain nearby that is built on the myth of Gefion and her oxen.

All your childhood bedtime tales come to life at the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense. The museum itself is one hundred years old and tells the tale of this tale-teller, with extensive exhibitions of his manuscripts, drawings, paintings and artefacts. There are listening posts at almost all displays, that each tell a different fairytale by Anderson. And if you wish to take back a thick beautiful collection of his stories, there is a souvenir shop in the museum too.

When in Dane-land, eat what the Danes ate. Don’t worry, they did not eat human flesh and blood for breakfast, however savagely the popular culture may have professed so. The local Danish dishes include the humble rye bread (wholegrain, healthy, baked with seeds and rye), Smørrebrød (an open sandwich on rye bread), Frikadeller (meat balls), and Flæskesteg or roasted pork. Hot dogs are also very famous as a street food here and you will find stalls almost everywhere. For vegans and vegetarians, the options might be limited but not altogether absent. You can order the side salads served along with meat dishes or go for breads, cheeses and pastries. One of the most coveted Danish dessert is the Wienerbrød or Danish pastry, typically eaten at noon with tea or coffee.