Denmark Things to Do

The author of more than 160 fairy-tales, Denmark’s famous Hans Christian Andersen’s legacy lives on in Denmark well after his death. Today, traveling through the country affords visitors a glimpse back at the celebrated writer’s life via museums, statues and more. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a town that doesn’t pay homage to the scribe in some way, whether a square, street or statue recognizes his importance.

The Museum of Danish Resistance, located in Copenhagen, takes visitors through a dark period in Europe’s history — the Nazi occupation. While this period of time was brief, the stories it tells are both educational and heart-breaking. Covering a mere five years (1940 – 1945), the museum profiles the Danish resistance during the Nazi occupation. On April 9, 1940, Germans moved in to Denmark, taking over the country. After France fell later in the year, the Danish began to adapt to life under German control.

Compared to other countries, Denmark is on the expensive side. A visit to Copenhagen can be pricey, but it doesn’t have to be. From inexpensive to free, there are plenty of ways to spend time in this gorgeous city without having to drain the wallet.

With dishes that have been around since the late 19th century, Denmark has plenty of options for famous food visitors should try. Perhaps the most well-known Denmark dishes is the smørrebrød, an open-face rye sandwich normally paired with sausage or cold cuts. Today, there are a large variety of these sandwiches, all earning their own names. For example, there is the Rullepølse, or rolled stuffed pork on rye, complete with a slice of meat jelly, tomatoes, onions and parsley.

Beer aficionados, history buffs and those looking to do something outside of the normal museum, art gallery or church need not venture far from Copenhagen to do so, thanks to the Carlsberg Brewery. As one of the Nordic region’s oldest breweries – it was founded in 1847 by JC Jacobsen –Carlsberg offers visitors the chance to explore the historic location, learn about beer and of course sample some of the popular labels suds.

One of Europe’s largest music festivals, Roskilde, takes place June 30th through July 4th just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally a hippie music festival, today the annual event attracts hundreds of thousands of people. Those planning on attending the festivities, which include headliners Bruce Springsteen, The Cure, Bjork, Bon Iver, The Roots and Jack White, here is a bit of advice: plan ahead.