These days the Danish Vikings have parked their ships in the garage, and put the helmets on the shelves, and along with the other Scandinavian nations, have forged a society that is often seen as a benchmark of civilization; with progressive social policies, a commitment to free speech so strong it put the country at odds with much of the world during the 2006 cartoon crisis, a liberal social-welfare system and, according to The Economist, one the most commercially competitive Top it off with a rich, well-preserved cultural heritage, and the Danes legendary sense of design and architecture, and you have one intriguing holiday destination
Denmark is home to the 'lowest-highest' point in Europe; but what that exactly entails is somewhat uncertain Ejer Baunehøj, in the Lake District region south-west of Aarhus Århus, seems to be the highest natural point 171m with a large tower built on top to commemorate the fact, although Yding Skovhøj, some 3km away stands 2m higher owing to an ancient burial mound Either way, the 213m tall Søsterhøj Transmission Tower 1956, with its top 315m above sea level is technically the highest point in Denmark!
Sports are popular in Denmark, with football reigning supreme in popularity and counted as the national sport, followed by Gymnastics, Handball and Golf
Another trait of Danish culture as any tourist pamphlet will tell you, is "Hygge", translating into cosy or snug Danes themselves will be quick to point out this is somehow a unique Danish concept, which is hardly in tune with reality, but it does probably take a more prominent place in the culture, than in many other countries It usually involves low key dinners in peoples home, with long conversations over candlelight and red wine in the company of friends and family, but the word is broadly used for social interactions
Another important aspect of Danish culture, is understatement and modesty, which not only prominent in the Danish behavioural patterns It is also very much an important trait in the famous Danish design, which dictates strict minimalism and functionalism over flashiness, something that transfers well to the Danish people as well
The Danes are a fiercely patriotic bunch, but in a sneakingly low-key kind of way They will warmly welcome visitors to show of the country, which they are rightly proud of, but any criticism - however constructive - will not be taken lightly, although most Danes will be happily spend hours to prove you wrong over a Carlsberg beer, rather than becoming hostile - it won't get you far though, and if you manage to convince anyone of any other flaws than the taxes are too high, the weather is too bad or other trivialities, you should immediately return home and run for a political office For the same reasons, outsiders on long term stays, are by many viewed with a certain amount of suspicion, as the homogeneous society is often thought to be the key to Denmark's successes, you will often hear resident foreigners complain about a constant pressure to become ever more Danish, and the anti immigrant Danish Peoples Party have seen increasing popularity over the years, taking 13% of the votes at the latest election, making it Denmark's 3rd largest political party
Denmark is often praised as being the one of the greenest countries in the world, but apart from the ubiquitous bikes, the individual Danes are surprisingly nonchalant about the environment despite their reputation, and actually contribute as many greenhouse emissions as most other nationalities As with so many other things, it is thought as a collective responsibility, and have safely been played into the hands of the government, which in turn with great success under Social Democratic leadership enacted a series of reforms, mainly green taxation, between 1993-2001, that made Danish society as a whole especially in industrial production one of the most energy efficient in the world, as it turned out it was also good business, and green technology has become of the country's largest exports, including fields like thermostats, wind turbines and home insulation Because of this, green policies enjoys unusually broad support among the people and the entire political spectrum 20% of energy productions comes from renewable energy, mainly wind power, a feat mainly made possible by the common Nordic energy market and the massive hydro energy resources in Norway and Sweden, which can easily be regulated up and down to balance the unreliable wind production
All these lofty green visions, does actually have a few tangible implications for travellers:
Denmark's national language is Danish, a member of the Germanic branch of the group of Indo-European languages, and within that family, part of the North Germanic, East Norse group It is, in theory, very similar to Norwegian Bokmål and also to Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages, especially in written form However its sound is more influenced by the guttural German language, rather than the lilting languages found to the north and understanding spoken Danish may be a trace more difficult to those who only speak Swedish or Norwegian It is also more distantly related to Icelandic and Faroese, though spoken Danish is not mutually intelligible with these languages
English is widely spoken in Denmark, the only partial exception is children or people older than 65 Danish school children start their English lessons in third grade, and regular English lessons continue until students finish high school, furthermore many Danish university courses are fully or partially taught in English In this regard it is worth noting that Denmark is probably one of very few countries in the world, where you don't get extra points for trying to speak the language, and Danes in general have very little patience with non-fluent speakers So except for a few words like Tak Thank you or Undskyld Excuse me, English-speakers are much better off just speaking English than fighting their way through a phrasebook If you do try, and the person you are talking to immediately switches to English, don't feel bad, it is not meant to condescend or belittle Also of note, the Danish language has no equivalent to the English word "please," so at times it may seem as though Danes are rude when speaking English This is not their intention, but simply results from them directly translating from Danish to English
Many Danes also speak German, and it is widely spoken in areas that attract many tourists from Germany, ie mainly the Jutland West Coast, the southern part of Funen and nearby islands eg Langeland and Ærø, and also especially in Southern Jutland Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig Elsewhere in the country, many people prefer to avoid speaking it, even when they do have some command of the language, and you'll have a hard time convincing anyone to outside the tourist industry otherwise - this has nothing to do with history, but is merely a result of the high fluency in English, making the locals less inclined to struggle through a language they are not entirely comfortable with - in a pinch or emergency though, people will probably step up, and do their best to help There is a native or indigenous German speaking minority along the the southern border to Germany Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig and vice verse across the frontier there is a small community of Danish speakers to found in Germany French is also spoken to some degree, as all Danish students have received at least 3 years of lessons in either German or French, but given the Danes limited contact with the French language, fluency tends to be lagging
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Denmark's top tourist attractions 2008
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Though not well known to casual visitors Denmark is an island nation, with 72 inhabited islands and a further 371 uninhabited ones Apart from the well known blockbuster Bornholm, with its rich history, mystic round churches and links to the Knights Templer, many of the small islands are rarely visited by tourists, even though they make up for some of the country's most intriguing destinations If you have the time consider visiting one of the two remote islands in the Kattegat sea - Læsø and Anholt, which locals jokingly refers to as the "Danish desert belt" since it sees much less rainfall than the rest of the country, and have large swaths of sand dunes covering much of the two islands, peculiar architecture and a laid back vibe Also worth considering is the Island sea south of Funen, one of the country's most beautiful areas, which also includes the larger islands of Langeland and Ærø with some impossibly picturesque villages, lush green and hilly farmland and wild horses Finaly in South Jutland, the islands of Fanø, Mandø and Rømø are located in the Wadden sea, a intertidal zone forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands It is rich in biological diversity, with seals and an amazing range of birds, but also have some spectacular beaches and cute villages
Much has happened since the Danes were wrecking havoc to much of Northern Europe, but the more peaceful modern version of the Danes still take immense pride in their Viking heritage The most visual heritage is the burial mounds dotting the landscape everywhere in the country, but there are a few attractions for the inclined to visit Easiest and perhaps most interesting are the two museums near Roskilde, easily reached on a day trip from Copenhagen - the Viking ship museum is extraordinary with some well preserved ships and the Lejre Experimental Centre, a living history museum with a recreated Viking village Still on Zealand but a further west in Slagelse, is the remains of the once mighty Trelleborg viking ring castle and some reconstructed long houses In Jutland there is another ring castle ruin near Hobro, Fyrkat, and 9 reconstructed farmhouses Further south is Jelling, home of a pair of massive carved runestones from the 10th century, one of them celebrating Denmarks conversion to Christianity - the end of the Viking age The National Museum in Copenhagen, also has a good collection of Viking artefacts
Mainland Denmark has 3 world heritage sites; The Jelling rune stones date back to 900's have been called "Denmark's Birth Certificate", testamenting to Denmark's conversion the Christianity around that time, it was erected by what is considered the first official king of Denmark, Gorm The Old, whose son is buried in another in another of the sights, Roskilde Cathedral, the first Gothic church in Northern Europe build of brick, and the final resting place for most Danish kings and queens ever since The third, and possibly most famous, is Kronborg castle in Elsinore, home of Shakespeare's Hamlet, prince of Denmark, but also an impressive castle in its own right, guarding the main route to the Baltic sea
With a 7400 kilometre coastline, almost the same as Brazil's and longer than India's, you are never far from a beach in Denmark And each summer, particularly the west coast of Jutland, is subjected a veritable invasion of more than 13 million German tourists, usually in the many vacation homes dotting the coast from north to south And while the weather can be tricky in Denmark, the beaches are world class, with unbroken white sand for miles to an end, if you are fortunate enough to run into sunny weather
Denmark has a long running and proud tradition in music festivals, dating back to the first Woodstock inspired Roskilde festival in 1972, they have become an all important fixture of the Danish summer, and there is one to fit almost every age and music preference going on between June and August, and with very impressive attendances considering the country's size There are actually so many that listing each and everyone of them would be ridiculous, but some of the most important ones are:
Denmark is teeming with amusement parks, and indeed features some of the most famous in world; Copenhagen's Tivoli is one of the oldest of such parks in world, and by Walt Disney's own admission a major source of inspiration for his own Disneyland Also in Copenhagen, nestled among majestic beech trees Dyrehavsbakken is the worlds oldest operating amusement park, and both of these parks features some of the oldest still operating rollercoasters in the world dating back to 1914 and 1932 respectively, and both receiving the ACE Coaster Classic Award Just as famous is Legoland in Billund, the largest and the oldest of the now global franchise, with its spectacular miniature LEGO sceneries the star attraction, and a good selection of thrill rides to entertain kids And while outshined by its world famous rivals, there are four other major amusement parks in the country: Sommerland Sjælland58, Bonbonland 59, Fårup Sommerland 60, Djurs Sommerland 61, and a host of smaller one
| Currency conversion table June 2010 | ||
| Foreign currency | Either one | Danish Kroner |
| €013 Euro | 1 | 744 |
| £011 Pound Sterling | 1 | 902 |
| $016 US Dollar | 1 | 621 |
| $020 Australian Dollar | 1 | 509 |
The national currency is the Danish krone DKK, plural "kroner" In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in Euro The Danish krone is pegged to the Euro to an accuracy of 225% In the 12 months from Aug 2005 to Aug 2006 the average exchange rate was 1 EUR = 746 DKK The Kroner comes in 50 øre ½ kroner copper coins, 1, 2 and 5 kroner silver nickel coins with a hole in the centre, and finally solid 10 and 20 kroner bronze coins Notes comes in nominations of 50 Purple, 100 Orange, 200 Green 500 Blue and 1000 Red kroner Note that the 1997 series of banknotes are being replaced with a new series, starting with the 50 kroner note in 2009 and ending with the 1000 kroner note in 2011, hence you can expect to see two types of bank notes circulating in the coming years, both are legal tender
Faroese króna and the coming series of Greenlandic bank notes, while of exactly the same face value, are not legal tender in Denmark and vice-versa, but can by law be exchanged in any bank free of charge at a 1:1 ratio
Automatic teller machines are widely available even in small towns, but some ATM's are closed during night time out of security reasons The Danish word is Dankort/hæve-automat, and might be useful to remember as the term ATM is not universally known Nearly all machines regardless of operator will accept the Danish Dankort, MasterCard, Maestro, Visa, Visa Electron, American Express, JCB og China UnionPay CUP While the majority of retailers accept International credit- and debit cards, many still only accept the local Dankort Virtually everywhere you are required to use a PIN-code with your card, so if this is not common practice in your country, remember to request one from your bank before leaving home Also beware that many retailers will add a 2%-3% transaction charge often without warning if you pay with a credit card
You should note that almost everything in Denmark is expensive All consumer sales include a 25% sales tax Moms but displayed prices are legally required to include this, so they are always exact If you are from outside the EU/Scandinavia you can have some of your sales tax refunded 62 when leaving the country
The average price of Hotel accommodation was around 900 DKK €120 according to the annual 2009 Hotelscom price index, a hostel bed hovers around 200 DKK €26, but can be found cheaper in Copenhagen While a three course meal at a standard restaurant will usually set you back around 200 DKK €26, this can be done cheaper if you eat cafés or pizza joints, 40-70 DKK €5,50-8,50 Sundries like a ½l bottle of Coca Cola costs 25 DKK €3, while a beer will cost you 8 DKK €1 in a supermarket, and 40 DKK €5,50 in bar If you are a bit careful about your expenses a daily budget of around 700 DKK €100 per day is not unrealistic
In Denmark service charges are automatically included in the bill at restaurants and hotels, and tips for taxi drivers and the like are included in the fare So tipping is not expected, nor required, but is a matter of choice Needless to say, tipping for outstanding service is obviously greatly appreciated
Naturally what to buy remains highly subjective, and in an expensive country like Denmark, also largely depends on the size of your pocket, but here are some suggestions:
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Smørrebrød Popular and traditional choices are:
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Apart from the ubiquitous kebab shops and pizza stands, dining in Denmark can be fairly expensive, but a worthwhile cost Traditional Danish fare includes items as pickled herring, fried plaice, and other assorted seafood items Hearty meat dishes are also prevalent, as seen in items such as frikadeller pork only or pork and veal meat balls topped by a brown sauce and "stegt flæsk og persillesovs" thick pork bacon slices topped by a parsley cream sauce Many meals are also accompanied by a beer, and shots of aquavit or schnapps, though these are mainly enjoyed when guests are over Drinking along with meals is encouraged as the foods are enhanced by the drinks, and vice versa If looking for a quick snack to grab on the go, try the traditional Danish hot dog, served in a bun with a variety of fixings, including pickles, fried or raw onions as well as ketchup, mustard and remoulade a Danish invention in spite of the French name, consisting of mayonnaise with the addition of chopped cabbage and turmeric for color For dessert, try either "ris à l'amande" rice pudding with almonds and cherries, again a French name with no relation to French cuisine or æbleskiver ball-shaped cakes similar in texture to American pancakes, served with strawberry jam, both normally only available in November and December For candy try a bag of "Superpiratos" hot licorice candy with salmiakki
Do avoid touristy places where no Danes are to be found, popularity amongst locals is almost always an indicator of quality
Restaurants offering examples of international cuisine are common, mostly in major cities, especially Italian, Greek and Chinese restaurants, though Japanese, Indian and even Ethiopian restaurants can be found too Quality is generally high, as the competition is too sharp for low-quality businesses to survive
The traditional Danish lunch is smørrebrød, open sandwiches usually on rye bread - fish except herring, plaice and mackerel are served on white bread, and many restaurants give you a choice of breads Smørrebrød served on special occasions, in lunch restaurants, or bought in lunch takeaway stores, are piled higher than the daily fare The Danish rye bread rugbrød is dark, slightly sourish and often wholegrain It is a must for all visitors to try
Danes are rightly famous for their good looks, but unlike most other places, their lucky draw at the gene pool hasn't translated into the self assertion and confidence you normally see And the Danes have become infamous for being closed and tight lipped, bordering the outright rude So while it is by no means impossible, you will still be hard pressed to find a Dane readily engaging in casual conversations with strangers That is, until you hit the country's bars and nightclubs
As any foreigner who has spend time observing the Danes will tell you, alcohol is the fabric that holds Danish society together And when they are off their face in the dead of night, they suddenly let their guard down, loosen up, and while a bit pitiful, they somehow transmorph into one of the most likable bunch of people on Earth Rather than the violence associated with binge drinking elsewhere, because it seems to serve a very important social purpose, the natives get very open, friendly and loving instead It takes some time getting used to, but if you want to form bonds with the Danes, this is how you do it - God help you if you are abstinent This also means Danes have a very high tolerance for drunk behavior, provided it takes place in the weekends Drink a glass or two of wine for dinner during the week, and you can be mistaken for an alcoholic, but down 20 pints on a Saturday night, and puke all over the place, and everything will be in order
There is no legal drinking age in Denmark, although a legal purchase age of 16 is in effect in shops and supermarkets, and 18 in bars, discos and restaurants The enforcement of this limitation is somewhat lax in shops and supermarkets, but quite strict in bars and discos, as fines of up to 10,000 kroner and annulment of the license can incur on the vendor The purchaser is never punished, although some discos enforce a voluntary zero-tolerance policy on underage drinking, where you can get kicked out if caught with no ID and an alcoholic beverage in your hand Some would claim that the famous Danish tolerance towards underage drinking is waning in light of recent health campaigns targeting the consumption of alcoholic beverages amongst Danes As adult Danes do not approve of the government interfering with their own drinking habits, the blame is shifted towards adolescents instead, and proposals of increasing the legal purchase age to 18 overall have been drafted, but have yet to pass Parliament, neither is it likely too in the foreseeable future
Drinking alcoholic beverages in public is considered socially acceptable in Denmark, and having a beer out in a public square is a common warm weather activity there, though local by-laws are increasingly curbing this liberty, as loitering alcoholics are regarded as bad for business Drinking bans are usually signposted, but not universally obeyed and enforced In any case, be sure to moderate your public drinking, especially during the daytime Extreme loudness may in the worst case land you a few hours in jail for public rowdiness no record will be kept, though Most police officers will instead ask you to leave and go home, though
Danish beer is a treat for a beer enthusiast The largest brewery, Carlsberg which also owns the Tuborg brand, offers a few choices, as well as a delicious "Christmas beer" in the 6 weeks leading up to the holidays Other tasty beverages include the Aquavit Snaps and Gløgg - a hot wine drink popular in December Danish beer is mostly limited to lager beer pilsner, which are good, but not very diverse However in the last few years Danes have become interested in a wider range of beers, and Danish microbreweries' excellent products are increasingly available The Danish Beer Enthusiasts 75 maintain a list of bars and restaurants with a good selection of beers as well as a list of stores with a good selection
Due to the compact size and dense population, unlike the other Scandinavian countries, Danes and visitors does not enjoy the Right to access in Denmark, visitors who want to enjoy the outdoors can overnight in one of the more than 500 camping grounds, most are well equipped with up to date facilities The Danish Camping Board76 maintains a list of official camping grounds on their website It is also possible to do wildlife camping in forests or other untouched sights, but only in designated areas there is about 800 of them Unfortunately the digitalized information of the locations are in Danish only, but it can be found at the Danish Forest and Nature Agency 77, another option to find these sights are to buy a printed guide book which costs DKK 98, and is available from many tourist informations desks or the Danish Cyclist Union78
For Budget accommodation, Danhostel79 is the national accredited Hostelling International network, and operate 95 hotels throughout the country Only the country's two largest cities - Copenhagen and Århus, have a few independent youth hostels It is worth noting that the Danish word for hostel is Vandrerhjem, which also what hostels in Denmark are usually signposted as Another option is one of the Hospitality exchange networks, which is enjoying growing popularity among the Danes, with couchsurfing reporting a doubling of available hosts every year
Hotels are expensive in Denmark, with an average price of a double room hovering around 847 DKK $158/€113 in 2007, hotels are mostly off limits to shoestring travellers, although cheaper deals can most certainly be found, especially for online bookings done it good time before arriving National budget hotel chains include Zleep 80 and Cabb-in 81 Alternatives to hotels include a well developed network of Bed & Breakfasts which are bookable through the national tourism organisation VisitDenmark 82 Click on Accomodation > Private accomodation - or in country famous for its bacon, butter and cheese - what better way to dive into Danish culture than on a Farm Holliday? the National organisation 83 maintains an online catalogue of farms offering stays all over the country in both English and German Another alternative to hotels are the many historic Old inn's - or Kro in Danish - dotting the towns and villages, most of them are organized though a national organisation called Danske Kroer og Hoteller 84
Cyprus' climate and natural advantages mean that there is always a steady supply of travellers seeking employment and residency on the island Perhaps the biggest change that has occurred in recent years has been the accession of southern Cyprus to the European Union on 1 May 2004, opening up new employment opportunities for European citizens
The burgeoning Cypriot tourism industry, however, means that there is a huge seasonal demand for temporary workers of most nationalities during the summer months, with a definite preference for English-speaking workers in order to service the very large numbers of British tourists The Greek Cypriot South remains the best overall bet for jobs, as the South is where the majority of the tourist trade is located The Turkish North is much harder to get work in as a traveller, as the local economy is in a precarious position and high local unemployment means competition for work is fierce
Seasonal employment will most probably involve working in one of the countless bars, hotels and resort complexes of the South Such work is usually poorly paid, but accommodation is often thrown in as some compensation and the Cypriot lifestyle usually makes up for low wages Many holiday companies employ 'reps' representatives and marketing staff to assist their operations on the island - this work is usually more financially rewarding
Teaching English as a Foreign Language EFL is another worthwhile option, well paid though often difficult to find
Finally, Cyprus' ongoing construction boom in tourism infrastructure results in a demand for skilled builders and tradesmen
| Meal in inexpensive restaurant | 110.1 DKK |
| 3-course meal in restaurant (for 2) | 480 DKK |
| McDonalds meal | 63.7 DKK |
| Local beer (0.5 draft) | 40 DKK |
| Foreign beer (0.33 bottle) | 36.4 DKK |
| Cappuccino | 36.54 DKK |
| Pepsi/Coke (0.33 bottle) | 18.99 DKK |
| Water (0.33 bottle) | 14.63 DKK |
| Milk (1l) | 7.42 DKK |
| Fresh bread (500g) | 19.58 DKK |
| White Rice (1kg) | 14.28 DKK |
| Eggs (12) | 26.22 DKK |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 90.74 DKK |
| Chicken Breast (1kg) | 62.51 DKK |
| Apples (1kg) | 20.21 DKK |
| Oranges (1kg) | 18.46 DKK |
| Tomato (1kg) | 20.64 DKK |
| Potato (1kg) | 10.3 DKK |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 10.76 DKK |
| Water (1.5l) | 10.22 DKK |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 66.6 DKK |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 bottle) | 12.28 DKK |
| Foreign beer (0.33 bottle) | 18.11 DKK |
| Cigarettes | 41.28 DKK |
| One way local bus ticket | 22.2 DKK |
| Monthly pass for bus | 333 DKK |
| Taxi start | 39.92 DKK |
| Taxi 1km | 13.29 DKK |
| Taxi 1hour waiting | 332.5 DKK |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 12.93 DKK |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 196.71 DKK |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 9.1 DKK |
