WHERE TO GO IN DENMARK – PLACES TO VISIT
While Denmark, one of the most northern countries in Europe, is not really big geographically seen it. It has a lot of beautiful spots and here are the best places to visit in Denmark.
I recently visited Denmark myself – Copenhagen and Kronberg – but did not visit many other places. And so, I have asked a few of my fellow travel bloggers about their favorite place in Denmark. Not only am I inspired to visit more places in Denmark, but I hope this list with top places to see will also inspire you to explore Denmark.
So, here are some of the most beautiful places to see (for Europe travel tips in general, make sure to check out my tips for Non-Europeans traveling to Europe).
Copenhagen
By Arzo from Arzo Travels
Copenhagen is such a beautiful city to visit and exceeded my expectations by far.
In Christianshavn, on the other side of the harbor, one can buy weed and hash openly, though not legally, and it reminds Amsterdam visitors because of its liberal spirit. But of course, there is more to see in Copenhagen than just Freetown.
Copenhagen offers much to its visitors. It has beautiful palaces, canals, and great restaurants. You can even find a statue of The Little Mermaid here of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, and though this is not the highlight in Copenhagen, it is probably one of the most famous sights.
You should take one of the free walking tours to discover the history of the city.
Hop on one of the boats by Nyhaven and discover the city by boat. Nyhaven is one of the best places for nice strolls – but of course, there are also castles and museums to visit. You need at least 3 days in Copenhagen because it is much bigger than you might think.
Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen
Talek from Travels With Talek
In Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, you will find many attractions and activities all rolled up into a magical fairytale land. Yes, it is located in Copenhagen, but it is a small village, so it is listed here as an extra place.
It is an amusement park with one of the oldest still-operational roller coasters in the world. It is an international Epcot Center-style restaurant row with exotic oriental cuisine as well as hearty German fare. It is a music venue featuring some of the most popular performers. Lastly, it is a collection of parks and gardens that change with the seasons.
Georg Carstensen had a vision. He had been inspired by the gardens and parks he saw as he traveled around Europe. But he wanted more. He wanted to create a place where people were enchanted.
Children were delighted, and adults became children themselves, lost in the fantasy of a magical universe. He was granted permission from the King of Denmark to build his vision in the center of the city, and on August 15, 1843, he opened Tivoli Gardens to great success.
Over the years, the gardens continued to expand. It experienced both the trials of wars and the happy visits of luminaries like Hans Christian Anderson and Walt Disney, both of whom were impressed and inspired.
Today, after all these years, the Tivoli Gardens remain, still uplifting, still magical. Modern-day Tivoli Gardens promotes seasonal holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and local Danish holidays. It is a “must-do” activity for all visitors to the city. It is a reminder that what is beautiful, what feeds the soul, what charms and delights will always be with us.
Aarhus
Nana from Patagonia Dreaming
Aarhus is Denmark´s second-biggest city with approximately 270.000 people. A small but beautiful town near beaches and forests and just beside the harbor.
Do you arrive in the summertime and have good weather, then I will definitely recommend you to take a walk around the surrounding nature and the parks, e.g., Marcelisborg Park where the queen’s summer house is located.
Are you into culture, architecture, and art? Then you came to the right place. You can go all the way back in time by visiting the anthropological museum Moesgaard, an impressive architectural building just a 15-minute ride outside the city.
Learn about the first humans, the Vikings, Denmark in the Middle Ages, and so forth. Then you can go a step further in time and visit “The Old City,” an open-air town museum that features a total of 75 buildings from 20 Danish towns dating back to 1500 and forward to the 60s and 70s. Flash forward to today, and then it’s time to visit the art museum AroS, another iconic building in Aarhus.
You might already see the big rainbow bridge on the top of the building when walking around in the center. In AroS, you can visit the different exhibitions on each level and get a multicolored view of the city from the rainbow bridge on top of the roof.
Another iconic building is Dokk1, the new library at the harbor. From there, you can walk to Aarhus Ø, a new residential area where each building is designed differently. The harbor inspired the project in Hamburg, and for architecture enthusiasts, this can’t be missed.
During summer, Aarhus hosts a lot of festivals and concerts, so take a look at their calendar, most likely there will be something when you are there to get the full cultural injection :)”
Odense
Megan by Megan Star
Odense is the third-largest city in Denmark and is often overlooked by travelers as they skip over it for more time in Copenhagen or even Aarhus.
Odense’s claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. The famous and prolific writer became most notable for his fairytales. A few of his fairytales include The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor’s New Clothes.
There is much more to Odense than H.C. Andersen, however. The city offers a quiet and charming vibe, and this can be felt in the numerous green spaces and quaint seaside villages surrounding the city.
Odense is the main city on the island of Funen.
Museum lovers will have a field day in Odense… but truthfully, I think that Odense has a bit of an undiscovered culinary scene just waiting to emerge. I have never had bad food in the city, and there is surprisingly a diverse array of food choices present there.
I highly recommend putting Odense on your Scandinavia travel list!
Faroe Islands
Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit
The Faroe Islands are among the most beautiful places to visit in Scandinavia, although they are the least visited. This is great for travelers that what to get away from the traditional tourist fare.
Faroe Island is a self-governing archipelago and part of Denmark, so besides Danish, Faroese is the official language.
There are many reasons to travel to these islands and plenty of things to do. For foodies, there is a Michelin-starred restaurant called Koks. It’s fabulous, but make sure to make reservations well in advance as it books up fast.
The Faroe Islands are also a hiker’s paradise. With over 100 hikes around, there is never any time to get bored. Just be careful as there is high wind, and conditions can quickly become unsafe on the islands.
They don’t claim to have good or bad weather – just a lot of weather! If you don’t feel like hiking or eating to your heart’s content, consider renting a car and go chasing waterfalls.
There is no shortage of waterfalls on the islands. The tourism board can’t even give an exact number as they are literally everywhere you look. You can easily spend a few days on the islands just going from waterfall to waterfall and admiring them all!
Skagen
Mary from A Mary Road
Skagen in Denmark is probably one of the most overlooked destinations in Scandinavia. Most people will head to the cozy Copenhagen or the lively Stockholm, probably to the Sophisticated Oslo, but there is something else to explore.
Skagen also known as the top of Denmark, is located at the northernmost point.
Skagen is popular for the stunning view of the two seas clashing. Right at the beach of Grenen, tourists can witness such a unique view of Skagerrak and Kattegat clash waves together.
Kattegat flows into the Baltic Seas whilst Skagerrak into the North Sea. The sand is also unbelievably white and fine, making it so comfortable to walk on
Another beautiful and remarkable characteristic of Skagen is the yellow houses. If you drive around or walk around the town, you will see the typical Danish houses painted yellow.
Skagen is only a two-hour drive from Aarhus or four hours from the border of Germany. Skagen has fascinating wild dunes, which resulted in buried Churches. The public can visit these churches.
Skagen is the location to do bird watching. Out of 400+ birds in Denmark, around 350 species can be spotted here.
My favorite feature of Skagen is that the weather here is a clear sky and sunny most of the time of the year.
The locals believe that it’s because of the two seas that meet here. It can be cold during winter, spring, and fall, but expect great weather most of the time.
Aalborg
Vanessa from Snow in Tromso
Aalborg is a real gem of Northern Denmark! The city of 200.000 inhabitants is situated at a fjord (yes, they do have those in Denmark – who knew?), though, there isn’t just stunning nature to be admired but also a lot of history to be learned and culture to be taken in!
Situated in the Jutland province of Denmark, Aalborg is quite a distance from Copenhagen. Still, it surprises visitors nonetheless as quite a bustling, vibrant city that pretty much offers everything Denmark’s capital holds in store.
From the amusement park Karolinelund to Aalborghus (a half-timbered fortress from the 16th century) to KUNSTEN (Aalborg’s Museum of Modern Art). The city has plenty to keep you busy for a couple of days.
One of Aalborg’s highlights, however, is Lindholm Høje. It is an ancient Viking burial mound just across the fjord to the north of the city center and a place that’s both a little spooky but also really fascinating to visit.
The around 700 gravestones that you can still see there originate from the Viking and Iron Ages and have been preserved thanks to sand drift, which covered them completely until they were excavated in the 1950s.
Today, the area makes for a great destination if you’d like to learn more about Vikings at the adjacent museum or take in the burial mound and Aalborg views from above.
Klampenborg
Eric and Lisa from Penguin and Pia
Klampenborg, the affluent neighborhood just north of Copenhagen, is known for a few famous classic Danish attractions like parks and beaches.
To get there, ride the S-train north from the Copenhagen city center to the stop called “Klampenborg.” The trip will only take about 20 minutes!
Once there, you can hang out like a local Dane at Bellevue Beach. Opened in the 1930s, Bellevue has always remained a spot to get out of the busy city and relax on the sandy beachfront.
You can walk the waterfront paths, enjoy the beach, and photograph the famous lifeguard towers. The blue towers of Bellevue Beach were designed by the famous Danish architect and furniture designer Arne Jacobsen.
If you’re looking to be amused, then perhaps the world’s oldest operating amusement park would work for you. Tucked away in Dyrehaven, the large forest park north of the city, Dyrehavsbakken has been entertaining guests since 1583!
Transforming from entertainers in tents to a modern park, a lot has changed at “Bakken” – but there are still attractions for everyone. They even have a wooden roller coaster built back in 1932. Entrance to the park is free, but rides and attractions cost money.
Oh, and if you’re hungry, be sure to stop by Peter Lieps House, a traditional Danish restaurant, for a coffee or a light meal!
Bornholm: Danish Island Paradise
Cindy by Travel Bliss Now
There’s a reason you may not have heard of the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. The Danes might be keeping it a secret for themselves.
Each summer, they escape to this island, midway between Sweden and Poland, to enjoy its sunshine, art, food, and slower life pace.
Bornholm gets the most hours of sunshine in all of Denmark. When you combine that fact with its red-roofed fishing villages, postcard scenery, and white sand beaches, it’s no wonder that the secret about this quiet holiday spot is starting to get out.
Visitors enjoy browsing the shops in the thriving artistic community, known for its glassware and ceramics.
Owing to its strategic location in the Baltic Sea, local sights include Hammershus Castle’s ruins and several round white churches dating back to the 11th century. The oldest, Osterhas, once had a shooting gallery on the top floor.
And then there’s the food. Bornholm has always been famous for smoked fish, and smokestacks dot the quaint fishing villages’ rooflines. But the island is also reinventing itself as a foodie paradise.
Local restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Kadeau, are doing brilliant things with delicious local ingredients. You don’t want to miss a taste of the ice cream made with cream from local Jersey cows.
It’s said that a visit to Bornholm with satisfy your palate and soothe your soul.
Legoland
Joanne from Unblown Away
Legoland Billund was the first original Legoland, built in 1968 next to the Lego factory to promote the toy business.
It was a huge success and is now a 45-acre park with over 50 rides in nine themed areas, including Pirate Land, Legoredo, Adventure Land, Knight’s Kingdom, Polar Land Ninjago World.
Rides aside, it also has interactive attractions such as Fire Academy and Traffic School, various shows and 4D movies, and even its own aquarium and penguins!
But the heart of Legoland is, of course, Mini-Land! Mini Land is made up of over 20 million Lego bricks. It features 1:20 scale Lego brick models of local Danish landmarks and famous sights worldwide, such as the Statue of Liberty, The Acropolis, and Ancient Egyptian Status.
It is an impressively intricate display with buildings and people on the streets, boats cruising in canals, windmills spinning, buses driving around, and trains running on tracks.
You can also spot Lego statues dotted around the park and on the rides, from animals on the Safari to scuba divers in the Aquarium!
Although Legoland is generally catered for younger children, it is a fun day out for all the family, especially adults looking to get in touch with their inner child.
The park is open from April to November and costs 339KR/adult and 309KR/child.
You can visit Legoland Billund on a day trip from Copenhagen or Aarhus. The closest airport is Billund.
Viking Ship Museum
Sandy from Sleep5
A 35-minute drive from Copenhagen, the Viking Ship Museum is open all year and has indoor and outdoor features.
Situated on Roskilde Fjord, visitors can walk the harbor pier and view Nordic wooden boats and life-size reconstructions of Viking ships. In warmer months, the museum offers daily sailing trips on these boats (tickets required).
Near the pier are open-view shipbuilding areas where craftspeople build new ships using old methods. Display boards describe shipbuilding processes, histories, and tools. Tree planter boxes describe each tree’s lumber attributes in terms of ship construction.
Inside the modern Viking Ship Hall, visitors can watch videos about the Viking time and read about the people’s history, locations, and everyday lives. Five Viking ships are displayed in a vast space with expansive windows to the water.
There is an experiential voyage exhibit where visitors learn about life at sea through light and sound changes. In another area, kids can try on clothes representative of the Viking period.
During school holidays and tourist seasons, family or group tours are available. There are also crafts workshops for adults and children age 8 and up. Most reader boards of the museum are in multiple languages.
The museum has a café and a museum gift shop with various books and souvenirs, plus replica Viking Age jewelry and decor. Our family explored the museum, and then we purchased a tiny Viking ship ornament to commemorate our trip.
Castle Kronberg and Castle Frederiksborg
Lia from Practical Wanderlust
Did you know that Denmark was once a thriving monarchy with a load of enormous castles? Well, it is true!
Two of the most impressive castles in Denmark, Frederiksborg, and Kronberg, are located close enough to Copenhagen to visit as a day trip. One of them – Kronberg – was even immortalized in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Imagine visiting the actual castle that Hamlet was set in! Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any ghosts when we visited – just a candle-lit Christmas Market. But if you go to Kronberg Castle in the summer, you can watch a performance of Hamlet in the very castle it’s set in.
The other castle, Frederiksborg, dates from the 13th century.
However, its first incarnation was unacceptably plain and functional. So in the 16th century, King Christian IV replaced it with something much more fabulous, complete with unnecessary walls and overly decorative fountains and lots and lots of statues.
The glittering new castle lasted for a few hundred years and then promptly burnt itself down in the 19th century.
Thankfully, it’s since been fully restored, and today the castle houses The Museum of National History, where you can learn all about Denmark’s history and get a peek at what Frederiksborg Castle looked like over the centuries!
The castle is also home to some absolutely stunning gardens, best explored in the summer when the grounds are fully blooming.
Whether you’re a history buff or just like exploring castles (or perhaps a bit of both), visiting Frederiksberg & Kronberg castles is a must-do day trip from Copenhagen.
Lolland-Falster
By Nicci from Travel with Boys
If you’re looking to discover the hidden gems of Denmark, then the islands of Lolland- Falster, one hour south of Copenhagen, is the best place to start.
With 600km of rugged coastline, warm, friendly locals, and a whole host of amazing attractions, you won’t have a minute to spare.
If you love the water, take a swim at Marielyst Beach, voted the best beach in Denmark, or go to Hestehoved Beach to swim in the warmest bathing waters in Denmark.
Visit Northern Europe’s biggest safari park, Knuthenborg Safaripark, and spend the day close to animals like wolves, tigers, rhino, and giraffes.
Cheer on the knights in a jousting battle at the Middelalder Center, a living medieval museum. While you’re there, try your hand at archery, prepare the trebuchet for firing, and search the forest for mythical people.
Have a drink at Krenkerup boutique brewery, situated on one of Denmark’s oldest and largest estates.
Do as the locals do, and stop by one of the many roadside farm stalls and pick yourself up some freshly harvested fruit and vegetables.
If you’re sick of the car, then you can hike, bike, horse ride, kayak, or jump on a boat or train. There is so much more to Lolland-Falster, so put it on your list, and you won’t be disappointed.
Louisiana
Noel from Travel Photo Discovery
Just under an hour train ride north of Copenhagen, Louisiana. It is a modern art and sculpture museum that sits perfectly in a natural environment with so much open space that lets you enjoy all the beautiful work in this glorious space.
This international museum of modern art is truly the most spectacular museum of art in Denmark. What makes it more exciting is the remote location with stunning scenery that adds to the appeal, especially with all the large sculptures placed outside the museum grounds.
Housing a permanent collection of over 3,500 pieces of modern art from Europe and America, the galleries and grounds are expansive to showcase all the spectacular paintings and sculptures.
It’s worth walking outside to enjoy all the public sculptures on the gardens, and on a clear day, you can easily see Sweden on the other side of the strait.
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