The Jutland peninsula and its 400 surrounding islands form one of Europe’s smallest countries: Denmark. Denmark has an abundance of picturesque villages and towns, historic castles and monuments, and a coastline which varies delightfully from broad sandy beaches to small coves and gentle fjords. Throughout the country, rolling hills and gentle valleys provide a constant succession of attractive views; there are cool and shady forests of beech trees, extensive areas of heathland, a beautiful lake district, sand dunes and white cliffs resembling those of Dover; nor should one forget the Danish islands, each of which has its own unique attractions.
The Danes have taken strong measures to keep their coastline clean and tidy, keen for visitors to sample the many unspoilt beaches. Inland from the 4800km (3000 miles) of white-sand beaches and unspoiled islands, you’ll find a landscape eminently suitable for cycling. Sleepy villages clustered around whitewashed churches occupy a landscape of heather moors, rolling hills and rich farmland dotted with windmills and thatched farmhouses. Ferries ply between the mainland and the islands, competing with awesome bridges like the 16km (10 miles) Øresund link to Sweden.
Amidst such tranquility, it now almost seems surreal to consider that this country once spawned a seafaring race of people, the Viking Warriors, feared throughout northwestern Europe. Today, visitors to Denmark find a country that is peaceful, introspective, neutral and egalitarian. Its hallmarks are good taste, world-class design and uniformly high standards that apply equally to its accommodation and transport. Cuisine is excellent, especially in the realm of dairy products and scrumptious pastries. Add to this a people both amiable and helpful, with a facility for languages, and the result is an overwhelming sense of welcome.
Denmark, in addition to its modernity, retains some of its long-lived associations with fairytales, probably consolidated by the fact that this nation produced the great story-teller, Hans Christian Andersen. Enchanting moated castles and historical rickety buildings are still frequent sights throughout Denmark. Copenhagen is a wonderful cobblestoned city with many quaint medieval streets and buildings, but there is more to Denmark than its capital, and any visitor to the country is strongly advised to explore elsewhere too.
From the spirited nightlife and lively cafe and music scene of Copenhagen to a countryside that abounds in Renaissance churches, medieval castles and 18th-century fishing villages, Denmark is a synergy of harmonious relationships.
Geography
Denmark is the smallest Scandinavian country, consisting of the Jutland peninsula, north of Germany, and over 400 islands of various sizes, some inhabited and linked to the mainland by ferry or bridge. The landscape consists mainly of low-lying, fertile countryside broken by beech woods, small lakes and fjords. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, although both have home rule. The Faroe Islands are a group of 18 islands in the North Atlantic inhabited by a population of 46,962 (2005), whose history dates back to the Viking period. Fishing and sheep farming are the two most important occupations. Tórshavn (population 19,282 (2004), the capital of the Faroes, is served by direct flights from Copenhagen. During the summer months, there are direct flights from Aberdeen and Glasgow.