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Denmark belies its diminutive size with a collection of vibrant cities and standout landmarks that showcase this Scandinavian country in all its fairy-tale appeal. One of the happiest and most livable nations in the world, Denmark lures the visitor with its picturesque palaces and castles, world-class museums, and a culinary scene that's sent Michelin into a spin. This land of Lego is also renowned for its literary and artistic heritage, as well as wide-open landscapes that are wonderfully understated in their purity and simplicity. In fact, this is a nation in harmony with itself and possessed of a character all its own. So, are you looking to do Denmark?
Click through for the definitive sightseeing itinerary.
Copenhagen stands on the site of a 10th-century Viking village. The city became the capital of Denmark in the 15th century and is today one of the most attractive and dynamic destinations in Scandinavia. You'll need several days to explore its wealth of historical and cultural attractions while embracing its seriously laid-back vibe.
Start as you mean to go on by having fun at the famous Tivoli Gardens. Opened in 1843, this world-famous amusement park features one of the world's oldest roller coasters among a host of other thrill-a-minute rides and more traditional carnival attractions.
Christiansborg Palace is the seat of the Danish parliament. Several areas of the premises are open to the public, and some of the rooms and salons will be familiar to anyone who follows the smash hit Danish TV series 'Borgen' (2010–present). The palace serves as a location for many of the episodes.
Copenhagen's Nationalmuseet houses some truly remarkable artifacts, among them the Trundholm sun chariot, a Nordic Bronze Age treasure partly sheeted in gold unearthed in 1902 in a peat bog on the island of Zealand.
The museum also holds the equally spectacular Gundestrup cauldron, a richly decorated silver vessel most likely crafted around 150 CE and also found in a peak bog, in 1891.
The National Gallery of Denmark is where to browse the largest collection of Danish art from the 1700s to the present day, represented by works such as this, 'In a Roman Osteria' (detail) by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834–1890).
Picture-perfect Nyhavn is Copenhagen's enchanting old harbor district, a canvas enriched by a row of brightly colored 17th- and early 18th-century townhouses, workshops, bars, cafes and restaurants lining the quay.
Also known as Den Blå Planet, this is the largest aquarium in Northern Europe, a veritable underwater wonderland teeming with oceans of fish, species that include sharks and rays, and other marine mammals.
Try and time a visit to Amalienborg Palace with the daily Changing of the Guard, which takes place around noon. The palace is home to the Danish royal family, and the ceremony is carried out by soldiers of the Royal Guard.
Perhaps Copenhagen's most incongruous building is the astonishing Grundtvig's Church, a rare example of expressionist church architecture dating back to the 1920s.
Always worth seeking out is Rosenborg Castle, a 17th-century fortified palace that was originally built as a grand summerhouse for Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway.
An essential must-see on any Copenhagen sightseeing itinerary is this iconic bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen (1876–1959), inspired by the 1837 fairy-tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.
Copenhagen Town Hall is a fine example of Danish civil architecture, the style of which is based on a mix of Italian Renaissance and medieval Danish design. After admiring the exterior, climb the tower for Instagram-worthy city views.
Founded in 1859, Copenhagen's zoological garden is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. The facility is especially known for its elephants, but a host of other residents, including majestic polar bears, vie for the visitor's eye.
The city's Rundetårn entices visitors with its unusual equestrian staircase, a 7.5-turn helical corridor leading to the platform at the top. The climb rewards visitors with a panoramic view across the city.
The Copenhagen restaurant scene is one of the world's most innovative, exemplified by the three-Michelin-starred Noma, one of the best restaurants in the world. If you want to sample the fare, however, you'll have to book online at least three months in advance.
If you're not staying in Copenhagen but still yearning for some Tivoli-like entertainment, spend a few hours at Dyrehavsbakken, also known as Bakken. Opened in 1583, this is the world's oldest operating amusement park, a fact acknowledged by Guinness World Records. Don't expect high-tech wizardry here. Instead, delight in the wonderfully traditional yesteryear atmosphere.
A little over 15 km (10 mi) outside Copenhagen but a world away from the city is Frilandsmuseet, an open-air museum featuring more than 100 original buildings from rural environments dating from 1650–1950.
Lego House is the birthplace of the iconic Lego brick. The Lego Group was founded in 1932 and today is one of the largest toy companies in the world. The building is filled with 25 million Lego bricks, and visitors can physically and digitally build anything they want using them.
After exploring the house, make your way over to the Legoland Billund Resort and admire some of the country's most famous buildings and landmarks created in miniature, including Nyhavn (pictured), and Amalienborg Castle.
Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet,' Kronborg Slot (Kronborg Castle) dates back to the mid-15th century. In 1964, a television play, 'Hamlet at Elsinore,' was filmed in the castle—the only version (with sound) of 'Hamlet' to have actually been shot within its walls. It stars Christopher Plummer in the title role and features Robert Shaw as Claudius, Donald Sutherland as Fortinbras, and Michael Caine as Horatio. The castle is a cherished UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Europe's best-preserved Renaissance moat-castle is found on the island of Funen, south of Odense. A tour of the handsome 16th-century stronghold includes access to the magnificent banqueting hall.
Denmark's Vikingeskibsmuseet affords visitors an opportunity not only to admire a number of vessels once used by the seafaring Scandinavians, but also a chance to witness firsthand how the Vikings constructed their longboats and how modern shipbuilders are restoring and repairing the vessels that have been unearthed.
Den Gamle By is another important open-air museum facility. Effectively a living history museum, the Old Town consists of 75 historical buildings collected from 20 townships in all parts of the country representing the mid-16th century up to the mid-19th century.
Visitors can wander the circular skywalk 'Your Rainbow' panorama art installation by Ólafur Elíasson, and while doing so observe the city of Aarhus below through every color of the rainbow.
Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) is one of Denmark's most revered authors, celebrated especially for his fairy-tales. A museum dedicated to his life and work includes his childhood home (pictured).
If you're into walking and cycling, consider a spell on Bornholm, a picturesque island in the Baltic Sea that promises peace and solitude, the odd windmill, and the evocative ruins of the medieval castle of Hammershus.
To tour palatial Frederiksborg Castle, built as a royal residence for King Christian IV in the early 17th century, is to explore the ornate rooms that once hosted royalty and nobles. The castle's interior also serves as an engaging Museum of National History.
The Danish Wadden Sea islands of Rømø, Mandø, and Fanø form part of a national park, which is also the world's largest continuous system of mud flats and intertidal sand. Possessed of unique nature and culture, the park is particularly renowned for its horses and as home to the country's largest population of spotted seals.
Denmark's ancient Jelling stones are massive carved runestones from the 10th century, the larger of which features an inscription dedicated to the parents of the 10th-century Danish King Harald Bluetooth. Today's Bluetooth technology is named after the Nordic monarch. The stones are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Roskilde Cathedral is the most important church in Denmark, the official royal burial church of the Danish monarchs, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the earliest examples in Scandinavia of a Gothic cathedral built in brick, the cathedral stands tall and impressive on the island of Zealand.
Silkeborg Museum is the final resting place of Tollund Man, an individual who lived in the 5th century BCE, during the period characterized in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. His naturally mummified corpse lay preserved in a peat bog for over 2,300 years. Denmark preserves the mummified bodies of two other ancient beings—Haraldskær Woman, whose similarly aged form is on display at the Cultural Museum in Vejle, and Grauballe Man, a peat bog body dated back to the late 3rd century BCE, during the early Germanic Iron Age.
One of the county's great natural wonders, Møns Klint in southern Denmark features an ancient forest of twisted trees overlooking towering chalk-white cliffs. The woodland and bleached rock are protected as a nature reserve.
Sources: (Forbes) (Guinness World Records) (BFI Screenonline) (Ancient Origins)
Discover the delight that is Denmark
Go out and about in this scenic Scandinavian nation
TRAVEL Scandinavia
Denmark belies its diminutive size with a collection of vibrant cities and standout landmarks that showcase this Scandinavian country in all its fairy-tale appeal. One of the happiest and most livable nations in the world, Denmark lures the visitor with its picturesque palaces and castles, world-class museums, and a culinary scene that's sent Michelin into a spin. This land of Lego is also renowned for its literary and artistic heritage, as well as wide-open landscapes that are wonderfully understated in their purity and simplicity. In fact, this is a nation in harmony with itself and possessed of a character all its own. So, are you looking to do Denmark?
Click through for the definitive sightseeing itinerary.