Denmark might not be your first guess if you were asked what the oldest kingdom in the world is, 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. However, there is much to see 450 or so islands that make up this beautiful 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.
0 comments:
Post a Comment