"DENMARK - welcome to Scandanavia!" Denmark by mtncorg

Denmark Travel Guide: 8,920 reviews and 18,561 photos

Family outing at Egeskov Slot, Funen - Denmark

Denmark is a very pleasant country in which to ramble about in. If you like big cities - there is Copenhagen with its spires, palaces, avante garde Nyhavn and the shopping along the Stroget; there is Hans Christian Anderson's Odenses on the neighboring island of Funen (though truth be told, HC spent most of his life in the more happening capital!); Aarhus with its proud churches and reconstructed Danish village, Den Gamle By; and Aalborg with its aquavit. A lot of the Danish heart is to be found in the countryside - a fairly flat landscape with a much emptier feel than the rural scene to the south in Germany (of course, it feels defintely 'crowded' compared to a ride in the countryside of Norway to the north).

I have had the opportunity to visit Denmark a few times and have always been pleasantly surprised at what I found. Denmark, outside of Copenhagen, is not very high on the average tourist's radar screen, so when you do go, you will make many interesting discoveries. The pages here are taken from photos from a bike trip I took which looped through much of southern Denmark - with the help of the occasional ferry. Denmark is a great country to see from the saddle of the bike. The bike system is nowhere near as extensive as the Dutch, but the countryside is much calmer in comparison to the much more frenetic scene in Holland. There are plenty of small hotels = kro - to stay at, so you only need to haul rear panniers with some clothes. Those of you who sail should find Denmark ideal - 420 islands separated by lots of navigable sounds and passages. See VTer Weissdorn for ideas of a marine sort. Biking questions of all sorts can be directed to a fine Danish resource, VT's own bicycling football (the round type of football ;-\ ) addict, cachaseiro. I know he'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have on his very inviting country. Remember, prevailing winds come out of the West, though when you are on a bike, sometimes the wind seems to be coming out of any direction in which you are heading:-l

King Harald Bluetooth's Stone at Jelling

Meteora (Greece) or any number of sights in the Alps or or or. Denmark is the type of country that slips under your skin almost imperceptably. I have one of the posters from the Danish Tourist Bureau that illustrates that. The poster - an illustration - shows an island cliff jutting into waters that meld with the sky. The land portion of the picture only takes up a small part of the whole. It will touch a chord within you if you take a few Danish ferries - and if you travel very far in Denmark, you are bound to go aboard one or two.

Watch 'Babette's Feast' or 'Pelle the Conqueror' before you go to get a flavor of the late 19th century Denmark. Danes can be a bit proper at first glance, but it doesn't take too long to discover a very warm people underneath. A more recent movie to watch is 'Italian for Beginners', which still will give you a good feeling for Danish angst. There are many fine Danish authors to read, of course HC Anderson and Isak Dineson/Karen Blixen, but others too; Herman Bang and Peter Hoeg are two other wonderful examples of Danish literary art.

Biking in Denmark's High Country - Ejer Bavnehoj

But for now, it is time to hop on a bike a visit a few place in Denmark. A great web-beginning point for bicycling in Denmark would be: http://www.dcf.dk/touring/cycho-gb.htm My tips are given in order of how they were seen on the ride - none particularly more important than the other. Off we go then!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Spires of Copenhagen, sparkling waters of Danish sounds, rural beauty of countryside
Cons:Winters can be bleak, this is Scandanavia!
In a nutshell:The Ugly Duckling Lives

Intro Updated Feb 9, 2005
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (16)

Aquavit can fire your sermon in the Jelling Chapel - Denmark

AQUAVIT Warnings Or Dangers (1)

Aquavit = Water of life. Maybe not exactly true, it is a apertif of Danish extraction. The best versions are called... more travel advice

Cycling adventures in the mountains of Denmark - Denmark

THE SIMPLE BICYCLE Transportation (3)

A bicycle is perfect for cruising around Denmark. Your itineraries are as varied as your imagination and your maps.... more travel advice

Ferry from Kristiansand, Norway arrives Hirtshals - Denmark

FERRY - EXTERNAL Transportation (3)

Larger ferries connect Denmar with neighboring countries at many points: Sweden, Norway, Germany, England, the... more travel advice

Approaching Faaborg -Alps beyond - Denmark

FERRY - INTERNAL Transportation (3)

With 420 islands - 92 inhabited - not all are connected by bridge (though the Danes seem busy on that point having... more travel advice

Things to Do (12)
See All JELLING RUNIC STONES

Been to Denmark?
Share your travels with the world!

Comments (17)

Kuznetsov_Sergey Aug 17, 2006 at 8:55 AM Report Abuse

Thanks, Mark, for Den(Mark)introducing! This country is named in your honour as I could understand. Though I didn't see Corgi at this page. I'm planning to cross Denmark with our dogs in my way to Germany... Spasibo!
starship Jun 8, 2006 at 7:30 PM Report Abuse

Nice overview of Denmark! I'd say it looks like you've seen more of it closeup than most people! Visited there last August & I would appreciate your thoughts on my Denmark pages. Thx!
TheView Mar 21, 2006 at 9:57 AM Report Abuse

Hi ...Wonderful denmark page ;)) Seeing Denmark (Danmark) from a bike is just the rigth way to do it. Given that you have the time and legs for it!
barryg23 Mar 13, 2006 at 1:21 PM Report Abuse

I'm hoping to visit Denmark this summer though probably won't have opportunity to see much beyond Copenhagen. Nevertheless, very interesting to read about the rest of the country. And I'll have to try Aquavit...
hindu1936 Feb 20, 2006 at 12:08 AM Report Abuse

where's the dog? I didn't know you were a cyclist.
sprdak11 Aug 12, 2005 at 8:36 AM Report Abuse

Very interesting page about Denmark! Greetings!
Mette-DK May 13, 2005 at 10:49 AM Report Abuse

That's a fantastic Denmark page. Great info and wonderful pics. Well done, Mette
german_eagle Feb 9, 2005 at 10:20 AM Report Abuse

Although I probably won't do a bike trip through Denmark it sounds very enjoyable. Thanks also for the lessons in history :-)
rickyvilla81 Aug 9, 2004 at 3:10 AM Report Abuse

You're making me want to go back to Denmark very soon! Good stories, descriptions.
ophiru Jul 2, 2004 at 2:19 AM Report Abuse

beautiful page ! i love your photos and tips !