Why You Should Visit Denmark – 10 Reasons

Denmark receives millions of visitors each year, and the number is only going up. With long coastlines, interesting cities and great food, it is no surprise that Denmark is receiving more attention from international travelers. Here are ten reasons why you should visit Denmark in 2024 and beyond.

An interesting culture

Danish culture is very interesting. It was the homeland of the Vikings, along with Norway and Sweden. Denmark is also one of the oldest kingdoms in the world, and it has always been a country with a high degree of personal freedom. People are creative – something that can be seen in the many modern inventions that have come out of Denmark.

So regardless of whether you are into history or modern culture, Denmark will have something interesting to experience. Copenhagen arguably has the most cultural attractions, but don’t underestimate Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, Roskilde, Ribe and several other Danish cities!

People are nice and accommodating

Some people will claim that Danes are cold and unwelcoming – but that is clearly wrong, at least for the most part.

It is true that it can be a bit hard to start a conversation with a Dane. They will rarely approach you or talk to you out of the blue. People just speak less to strangers compared to other countries.

But once you get into a social circle, or if you simply start a conversation with someone, you will find that most Danish people are happy to socialize. Danes are nice and accommodating to everyone, so it is no problem to make friends if you make an effort. It will, of course, require you to take the first step in many cases. Aside from that, there are also many expats and immigrants in Denmark, particularly in the bigger cities. So it’s easy to meet cool people, you just have to be the one who starts the conversation!

Historic cities

Denmark is full of historic cities. The oldest one is Ribe, which is now a very small city, but where many of the old attractions remain.

Other old cities such as Copenhagen, Roskilde and Aarhus are larger than ever and they all offer a lot of great sightseeing. Denmark is a great place to go if you are into Nordic history!

Great beaches & nature

Denmark has one of the longest coastlines in the world. This sounds odd, but the country is basically a peninsula with water surrounding on all sides. It also has hundreds of islands (406 to be specific).

Therefore, you will find a lot of beaches. The best ones are in the northern and western regions of the country. You can only really bathe and live the typical beach lifestyle in July and August – for the rest of the year, the beaches are just nice places to take walks.

The rest of the country’s nature should also be mentioned. While Denmark doesn’t have any mountains, it does have many great forests. Jutland is the best place to go, as some areas are very green.

Nice food and drinks

Danish food is quite good. It has not gained the international popularity of Italian, Brazilian or Japanese food, but many Danish restaurants rank among the best in the world according to critics.

Common dishes in Denmark are stegt flæsk, flæskesteg, smørrebrød and frikadeller. Check out our article explaining all the foods you have to try in Denmark here!.

Naturally, beer is very popular in Denmark. You might know the brand Carlsberg, but try out a Tuborg as well. Plus many of the regional and local beers around the country. The soda Faxe Kondi must also be tried! It’s basically a better version of Sprite and 7Up.

Clean and environmental

One of the best things about Denmark is that it is a very clean country that takes decent care of the environment.

You will rarely see messy streets or pollution. Quite the opposite. Danes have respect for their surroundings and for nature. Over the last many years, there has been a huge focus on environmentalism by politicians and companies, and Denmark is one of the countries in the world that cares the most about climate change. You will see an extraordinary amount of windmills, and many houses have their own solar cells on the roof.

A safe country

Denmark is generally a safe country. Crime rates are much lower than in most other countries. Recently they have apparently increased some, particularly in the major cities, but nothing out of the ordinary. With normal common sense, you can expect a very safe stay.

Denmark is considered safe for every kind of traveler – including single women, families with kids, pensioners, LGTB travelers, etc.

Tap water, all foods, and all drinks are completely safe to consume. No vaccines are required for going to Denmark aside from the ones you get recommended in your own country anyway.

Proximity to other great countries

From Denmark, you can easily reach several other countries.

Cross the southern border by car, bus or train and you will reach Germany. The southern neighbor is never far away, no matter where in Denmark you are staying.

From Copenhagen, you can drive or take the train to Malmö in Sweden. Once again, it’s a simple trip that doesn’t require much money or time. Most people visiting Copenhagen also take a day trip to Malmö in order to visit both Denmark and Sweden on the same trip.

Ferries also sail to from Denmark Sweden. One of the most popular routes is the one between Frederikshavn in Northern Denmark to Gothenburg in Sweden. Then there’s Grenå to Halmstad, and the quickest of them all: Helsingør to Helsingborg.

You can sail to Norway from Frederikshavn as well – and also from Hirtshals and Esbjerg. Ferry tickets to Norway are usually cheap, so you might as well take advantage, assuming you have enough time.

Everybody speaks English

Almost everyone in Denmark speaks English. And unlike in other countries such as France and Spain where the locals don’t want to speak any other language than their own (even if they are able to), the Danes are very eager to use English or whatever other languages they are able to speak.

So it’s basically a country where you don’t need to know the local language (Danish) to get by. English will be sufficient everywhere in the country, even in small villages.

It is still recommended that you learn a few words and sentences in Danish since it is a nice gesture. And it shows that you are interested in the culture which locals appreciate. Danish people are proud of their language and culture, so even though they speak English, they are impressed when foreigners just try to speak Danish.

Friendly to everyone

It is very unlikely that you will experience any discrimination in Denmark. It is one of the least racist countries on the planet, and it is also a country with a high degree of equality between men and women. There is a lot of personal freedom for everyone – people are free to be who they are.

Denmark is also considered to be one of the most children-friendly countries in the world. As mentioned earlier, Denmark is very safe, but there are also facilities in malls, restaurants, etc. build for children. So if you’re traveling as a family, you can expect a great stay in Denmark!