Travel Guide: Denmark - Europe

Rosenborg Castle
photo by: Rachel Kapoor

Located in northern Europe, Denmark is bordered by the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and Germany, which is its only connection to the European mainland. Most of its landmass is occupied by the Jutland peninsula while the remaining 500 islands, of which only a hundred are occupied, comprise the rest of the country. The Skagerrak and Kattegat straits separate it from Norway and Sweden.

The present-day Denmark owes its cultural and linguist origins to the Danes who migrated here from Sweden in around AD 500. Denmark's history, till the medieval period. The Thirty Years War with Sweden followed by the Napoleonic Wars inflicted damages on the economy of the country. Although Denmark remained neutral in both the World Wars, it surrendered to Germany in 1940 following the large build-up of German forces along its borders.

Denmark's prime attraction is its capital Copenhagen, one of the liveliest cities Europe, which also has an active nightlife. Most of the city's attractions are concentrated in a small area, while the parks, gardens, squares, and fountains are interspersed all over.  One of the most interesting attractions downtown Copenhagen has to offer is Tivoli.

If you are interested in the seedier side of Copenhagen, don't miss Christiania.  Christiania is a small village in downtown Copenhagen that offers hashish to the openminded travler.  The small hippie village can turn into quite an eye-opening experiance, but be smart!  The drugs sold there are illegal in Denmark, but commonly turned a blind eye towards in Christiania.  It is questionable how long this landmark will continue to exist.  In December 2004 the police took down Pusher Street in Christiania which was very famous for Marijuana! Tens of pushers used to sell high quality weed of all kinds and it was fairly easy to find purple haze, orange haze, skunk, etc. So now, Marijuana is very rare in Copenhagen but hash is easy to find at Christiania (near Prinsessgade and Pusher Street). Hash is usually sold for about DKK 70 per gram or the equivalent amount in Euros.

If you happen to be a lover of music, the city of Aarhus offers you everything from symphony performances to theatres, apart from the Den Gamle By (The Old Town), which is an open-air theatre and the city's piece de resistance.

The historical town of Roskilde is worth a visit because of the recent explorations that have unearthed a wealth of details about its rich past. Odense on the island of Funen is the capital of Fairytails. In this charming city you find the house of Hans Christian Andersen. Walking the streets of this historic center you can see from where he drew his inspiration.

Then there are the spectacular white chalk cliffs of Mon's Klint, on the island of Møn; the 17th-century Egeskov Castle; and the picturesque theme park called Legoland in central Jylland that are worth visiting. Legoland is located in Billund, and can make quite a facinating day trip.  The park is filled with scale models of many familiar landmarks such as Mount Rushmore, the Eifel Tour, and even an airport, all built entirely out of Legos! 

Cycling is an activity that tourists often indulge in Denmark along with swimming and surfing. Although you can visit Denmark throughout the year because of its mild climate, May and June see the country at its best.

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