When you experience the genuine, friendly welcome upon arrival into fairytale capital Copenhagen, you might find it hard to imagine the historic Danes as horned Vikings marauding through Europe. But before the beautiful, smiling royal family, Danish history is littered with dramatic stories. Our pick of the best places to stay in Denmark are centred around Copenhagen, but this beautiful country has plenty to offer further afield too.
Visitors to Denmark also have the pleasure of uncovering the realities behind contentment surveys showing that the Danish love their lives more than almost any other nationality. How many countries have a transport system people actually enjoy using? Denmark isn't just beautiful, functional design, wonderful fairytales, Lego and fish, but you'll be surprised by how charming and persuasive these things can be in the right setting…
Hans Christian Andersen summed it up best: 'My life is a lovely story, happy and full of incident'. If you consider Denmark's rich, well-preserved cultural heritage to be some of the interesting 'incident' Andersen refers to, and the high GDP and liberal, civilised society to equate to a general high standard of living and happiness, you can see why he found life lovely.
What Not To Miss
- Stroll through Copenhagen, a wonderfully charming city that you're bound to truly love. Be sure to check out especially the colourful Nyhavn harbourside area where Hans Christian Andersen used to live.
- Visit a Baltic beach - no place in the country is more than an hour's drive from a picturesque bit of seashore!
- If you have any love for Lego at all, you owe it to yourself to visit the Legoland theme park in Billund.
- The Frederiksborg Castle is a wonderful place to visit, built on three islands and surrounded by beautiful gardens. Filled with gorgeous antiques and artworks, it's also home to The Museum of National History.
- If you're looking for more architectural splendour and opulently decorated interiors then Christiansborg Palace is the spot for you. Truly dreamy!
If you are visiting in the summer months, be sure to book ahead if you want to guarantee yourself a room in one of the best places to stay in Denmark.