Denmark
Copenhagen draws visitors for its music, its festivals, the royal palaces and the monuments scattered through the old streets. The rest of the country holds plenty more for anyone willing to travel beyond the capital.
When to go
The country sits close to the North Pole, so winter here bites. Summers are mild to warm, and they run from June through August; that stretch is the best window for seeing Copenhagen and the other cities, since many celebrations fall on various days in those three months. Travelers arriving from warmer climates usually plan around the cold seasons entirely. Christmas and New Year have their own appeal for anyone who doesn't mind the chill.
Getting there
Reaching Denmark used to take real effort. The North Sea throws powerful currents and winds at any crossing, and the overland route was slow going. Air travel changed that, and now nearly every large airline flies into the Danish capital frequently. Just book a flight from the closest airport. The country has a reputation for expense, and yes, costs add up, though the palaces, harbors and museums justify a fair share of it.
Places worth your time
These are the destinations we encourage readers to see, and a little background on each helps before you go.
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens is the country's jewel attraction, one of the oldest amusement parks anywhere, set right in the middle of Copenhagen. Walt Disney drew inspiration from it for Disneyland. Around 100,000 people pass through its gates each year. You're bound to see why it's so beloved.
Nyhavn
Copenhagen's 17th-century harbor front carries its own charm, with boats lined along the canal and painted wooden buildings edging the water. Plenty of cafés line the area, good spots to sit and take dinner. It's the kind of place where an afternoon slips by.
Christiansborg Slot
Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen is a royal residence where monarchs once lived, and it rewards a visit on any Danish itinerary. The state rooms are as grand as you'd hope.
The Round Tower
From the Round Tower, a 17th-century observatory, you can take in most of Copenhagen at once. It served for centuries as the city's lookout point, and the spiral ramp inside is a curiosity in itself.
Strøget
Strøget is Europe's longest pedestrian shopping boulevard, and the place to find mementoes, gifts and other items on a first-hand browse. We'd set aside a whole morning for it.
Frederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg Castle, once the home of the Danish monarch, now runs as a national history museum, and a stop here covers a good deal of Danish and Nordic history. The gardens alone are worth the trip.
Frederik's Church
Frederik's Church is a marble building in Copenhagen, anchoring the Frederiksstaden neighborhood west of Amalienborg Palace. Its copper dome is one of the city's finest sights.
Roskilde's Viking Ship Museum
The Vikings astonished Europe with their naval power, and their ships are famous for the fear they carried up rivers and along coasts. The museum holds a vessel from the ancient Viking era, and you can see it up close. It's a thrill to stand beside it.
Copenhagen Zoo
Animals from around the globe call Copenhagen Zoo home, all in one place for a good afternoon. You won't run out of things to see.
Møns Klint
Møns Klint is a run of chalk cliffs along the eastern coast of the Isle of Møn in the Baltic Sea. They stretch for six kilometres, and some drop 120 meters to the water. Exploring their beauty belongs on any Danish trip.
Mile Rabjerg
Between Skagen and Frederikshavn sits Rabjerg Mile, a natural wonder. At 2 km², this coastal moving dune, the biggest of its kind in Northern Europe, reaches 40 metres above sea level. It's unlike anything else in the country.
Himmelberget
Himmelbjerget rises between Ry and Silkeborg. At 147 metres, it ranks among Denmark's highest natural points, and the views alone justify the trip. A towering monument nearby is worth a look as well.
Denmark's economy
Denmark runs a contemporary mixed economy with high government spending, a firm reliance on foreign trade and good living standards. It belongs to the OECD and the European Union, maintains a developed welfare state and exports significantly.
The market side runs on free-market capitalism alongside that thorough welfare system. International trade matters a great deal here, and the service sector is robust. Denmark is known for openness to global trade and for low corruption.
On the 2020 Index of Economic Freedom it ranked 15th, and it placed 7th on the Gini coefficient, a comparatively modest level of inequality. Poverty sits at 4.9%, and unemployment at 3.2%.
Food and drinks are major exports, and tourism ranks among the biggest contributors, exporting services on a large scale. The country also leads in renewable energy technology and green energy.
Government policy has pushed job creation and growth through tax cuts, a flexible labor market and incentives for companies funding research and development, along with efforts to bring down poverty and unemployment.
Denmark is a big player in the world economy, closely tied to the fortunes of other nations. Its economy is strong, it leads in green technology and renewable energy use, and it exports goods and services at scale. EU expansion stands to benefit it further. A final note: the Danes themselves seem to take quiet pride in all of it.
